Going-to-scale with the Early Risers conduct problems prevention program: Use of a comprehensive implementation support (CIS) system to optimize fidelity, participation and child outcomes

The present study is a descriptive report of a comprehensive implementation support (CIS) service that was used to promote high levels of program fidelity in a going-to-scale intervention trial of the Early Risers conduct problems prevention program. The program was delivered across 27 geographically dispersed, elementary school sites over a two-year period. In this study we examined the level of fidelity achieved by program implementers across intervention components, the rate of child and parent participation across intervention components, and proximal child outcomes targeted by the intervention across two years of programming. Results showed that over the two-year intervention period the program was implemented with high fidelity, participation rates were acceptable, and children made positive gains on target outcomes similar to those found in previous randomized controlled trials. The results suggest that implementation support services may be advantageous in the wide-scale implementation of prevention programs that aim to achieve high implementation fidelity.

► A comprehensive implementation support service was used to promote program fidelity. ► The program was delivered across 27 geographically dispersed, elementary schools. ► Over a two-year intervention period the program was implemented with high fidelity. ► Children made positive gains on target outcome. ► Implementation support service may be useful in achieving high implementation fidelity.