Implementing Trauma-Informed Care Through a Learning Collaborative: A Theory-Driven Analysis of Sustainability

Abstract

This study investigated the sustainability of a multi-agency 15-month Learning Collaborative (LC) for implementing trauma-informed care in 23 rural Pennsylvania counties. Provider agencies (N = 22) were assessed three years following completion of the LC. Sustained trauma-informed practices were assessed through criteria indicating organizational achievement as a trauma-informed care center. A theoretical model of clinical training was applied to determine the extent to which training- and skill-related factors were associated with sustained trauma-informed care. Three years after the LC, trauma symptom screening rates and staff training improvements were sustained, while staff confidence in delivering trauma-informed care worsened across time. Sustained trauma-informed care was associated with implementation milestone completion and third-party ratings of quality improvement skills during the LC. Building capacity for organizational change through training and skill development during active phases of implementation is important for sustained trauma informed care in behavioral health service.

Keywords: Learning collaborative; Managed care; Mental health; Sustainability; Trauma-informed care.