Cross-Site Analysis and Case Study of STOP Program Grantee Perspectives on Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training Program Implementation

• NCJ Number: 308883
• Author(s): Anna Davidson Abella; Amy Vargo; Oliver Tom Massey; Areana Cruz; Lisa Coy; Nathaniel von der Embse; Melissa Johnson; John Martin; Vanessa Reeves
• Date Published: June 2023
• Length: 103 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2020-RF-CX-0001
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Grant Sponsored)

Annotation

This paper explores STOP Program grantee perspectives on violence prevention and mental health training program implementation.

Abstract

In this study, researchers examined factors that influence the implementation of violence prevention and mental health training programs in schools, with a particular focus on implementation readiness and school mental health capacity. Several promising results were found that may contribute to ongoing efforts to improve school safety. In response to the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing (STOP) School Violence Act of 2018 (H.R. 4909), 128 grantees across the U.S. were awarded funding through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) in 2018 and 2019 to improve school safety by implementing programs in the Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training category. The major goals of this study were to 1) understand the challenges and facilitators of implementing violence prevention and mental health training programs through a broad cross-site analysis, 2) assess contextual factors influencing implementation, as well as regional and population variances through targeted, comprehensive case studies, and 3) provide evidence to inform program implementation in violence prevention and mental health programs in schools to improve program outcomes and sustainability. Understanding the environment of implementation, grantees’ capacity to carry out planned activities, and the perspectives of implementation team members are critical components to learning what factors support and inhibit implementation and ultimately, the extent to which programming will be replicable and scalable as federal funding continues to support mental health and violence prevention initiatives. The study was conducted at two levels: 1) a cross-site analysis of grantees who have been awarded funding in the Violence Prevention and Mental Health Training category over the two award years (2018 and 2019), and 2) a case study analysis of six grantee sites.