Training frontline community agency staff in dialectical behaviour therapy: building capacity to meet the mental health needs of street-involved youth
| Date | 13 March 2017 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JMHTEP-07-2015-0034 |
| Pages | 121-132 |
| Published date | 13 March 2017 |
| Author | Elizabeth McCay,Celina Carter,Andria Aiello,Susan Quesnel,Carol Howes,Heather Beanlands,John Langley,Bruce MacLaurin,Steven Hwang,Linda Cooper,Christina Lord |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Mental health,Mental health education |
Training frontline community agency staff
in dialectical behaviour therapy: building
capacity to meet the mental health needs
of street-involved youth
Elizabeth McCay, Celina Carter, Andria Aiello, Susan Quesnel, Carol Howes,
Heather Beanlands, John Langley, Bruce MacLaurin, Steven Hwang, Linda Cooper and
Christina Lord
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of the dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
training which was provided to community agency staff (N ¼18) implementing DBT in the community with
street-involved youth.
Design/methodology/approach –Staff participated in a multi-compone nt approach to training
which consisted of webinars, online training, self-study manuals, and ongoing peer consultation. To
evaluate the effectiveness of the training, questionnaires assessing evaluating DBT skills knowledge,
behavioral anticipation and confidence, and DBT skills use, were completed at baseline, immediately post-
training, four to six months post-training, and 12-16 months post-training. Additionally, the mental
health outcomes for youth receiving the DBT intervention are reported to support the effectiveness of the
training outcomes.
Findings –Results demonstrate that the DBT skills, knowledge, and confidence of community agency staff
improved significantly from pre to post-training and that knowledgeand confidence were sustained over time.
Additionally, the training was clinically effective as demonstrated by the significant improvement in mental
health outcomes for street-involved youth participating in the intervention.
Practical implications –Findings suggest that this evidence-based intervention can be taught to a range of
staff working in community service agencies providing care to street-involved youth and that the intervention
can be delivered effectively.
Originality/value –These findings help to close the knowledge-practice gap between evidence-based
treatment (EBT) research and practice while promoting the implementation of EBT in the community to
enhance positive youth outcomes.
Keywords Mental health, Staff training, Community settings, Dialectical behaviour therapy,
Evidence-based treatments, Street-involved youth
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
A number of evidence-based treatments (EBTs), such as dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)
and cognitive behavioral therapy, have demonstrated effectiveness in addressing mental
health challenges and yet they are underutilized in practice (Burroughs and Somerville, 2013;
Dimeff et al., 2009; Herschell et al., 2010). This knowledge-practice gap has been identified as
a“dissemination problem”(Dimeff et al., 2009, p. 921), particularly in community practice
settings, due to the lack of training in EBTs for multidisciplinary healthcare providers
working within such settings (Dimeff et al., 2009; Herschell et al., 2010). In order to enhance
Received 23 July 2015
Revised 25 February 2016
5 July 2016
27 September 2016
Accepted 25 November 2016
The authors affiliations can be
found at the end of this article.
DOI 10.1108/JMHTEP-07-2015-0034 VOL. 12 NO. 2 2017, pp. 121-132, © Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 1755-6228
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THE JOURNAL OF MENTALHEALTH TRAINING, EDUCATION AND PRACTICE
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