# Behavioral Health QUERI Implementation Facilitation Training Hub

> **NIH VA I50** · CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HLTHCARE SYS · 2021 · —

## Abstract

Background/Overview: This proposal requests full, 3-year funding for the Behavioral Health (BH) QUERI
Implementation Facilitation Training Hub. Implementation facilitation (IF) is a multifaceted strategy involving
interactive problem-solving and support that occurs in a context of a recognized need for improvement and
supportive interpersonal relationships. IF bundles an integrated set of activities to support uptake of effective
practices, including but not limited to: engaging stakeholders, identifying champions, action planning, staff
training, problem-solving, providing technical support, audit/feedback and marketing. An increasing volume of
literature supports IF as an evidence-based strategy for implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) and
other clinical innovations. Systematic reviews have found that primary care practices were almost 3 times more
likely to adopt evidence-based guidelines through use of facilitation; and multiple studies inside and outside VA
show IF to be an effective strategy for implementing new clinical programs/practices. As the evidence for
effectiveness of IF grows, so has the demand for IF training from VA operations leaders and research staff.
 Guided by the integrated–Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS)
framework, BH QUERI leaders have developed substantial experience and expertise in applying and testing
the impact of IF strategies to support implementation of EBPs and other clinical innovations. Over the past 8+
years, we have systematically transferred this knowledge to VACO leaders, frontline clinical managers, other
QUERI/VA researchers, and non-VA researchers through development and ongoing refinement of our IF
Training Program. To date, this work has been done as an ‘add-on’ to project-specific work in our QUERI
programs, which we have accommodated despite limited resources because we know first-hand the value and
impact of IF. Training Hub funding will allow us to expand and sustain our IF Training Program, affording us the
opportunity to enhance our efforts to increase training capacity and efficiency to meet ever-increasing demand.
Specific Aims and Methods:
1) Provide Implementation Facilitation (IF) training to VA and non-VA trainees to improve knowledge
 of and confidence in using IF to implement EBPs and other clinical innovations. Components of the
 2-day in-person IF Training Program include preparatory work, didactic sessions, instruction on key IF
 roles/activities, interactive role-plays and group exercises. Post-training mentoring and consultation is
 provided to trainees, and our IF Learning Collaborative is also available to trainees for ongoing learning.
2) Conduct independent evaluation to assess impact on trainee’s IF knowledge/skills and identify
 training strategies/resources that work well and areas for improvement. Fundamental to our IF
 Training Program is an ongoing independent evaluation conducted by our South Central MIRECC partners,
 with...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10181064
- **Project number:** 5I50HX002986-02
- **Recipient organization:** CENTRAL ARKANSAS VETERANS HLTHCARE SYS
- **Principal Investigator:** JoAnn E Kirchner
- **Activity code:** I50 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10181064

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10181064, Behavioral Health QUERI Implementation Facilitation Training Hub (5I50HX002986-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10181064. Licensed CC0.

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