Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) use is widespread in the child welfare field. However, TF-CBT does not have a validated fidelity monitoring tool. As such, organizations like Children’s Institute, Inc. (CII) that are implementing TF-CBT do not have a robust method to determine if their therapists are implementing TF-CBT with fidelity. This research project will serve multiple purposes. First, through a review of audio-recorded therapy sessions and secondary data collected by CII, the researchers will assess the degree to which CII is implementing TF-CBT with fidelity. Second, the research team will compare their findings from the audio-recorded sessions with a therapist self-report measure (the TF-CBT Brief Practice Checklist) to evaluate the extent that the self-report measure accurately captures the model. This aspect of the research will make an important contribution to the field by advancing understanding of the extent to which child welfare agencies and clinicians can use the TF-CBT Brief Practice Checklist to monitor fidelity in community practice settings.

MDRC is subcontracting with experts in TF-CBT and implementation science at the Medical University of South Carolina to assist with the TF-CBT fidelity study.

The major data sources for the implementation study will primarily include interviews with CII leadership, clinicians, and their supervisors; a survey of clinical staff and their supervisors; and interviews with referral providers and others serving a similar population. Both the fidelity assessment and the implementation study will also rely on internal monitoring documents and an analysis of CII’s management information system.