Research has shown that prevention programming can improve community health when implemented well. There are examples of successful prevention in local communities, however many continue to face significant challenges, demonstrating a gap between science and practice. Common strategies within the United States to address this gap are available (e.g., trainings), but lack outcomes. Building community capacity to implement high quality prevention can help communities achieve positive health outcomes, thereby narrowing the gap. While there is ample research on the efficacy of evidence-based programs, there is little on how to improve community capacity to improve prevention quality. In order to narrow the gap, a new model of research-one based in Community Science-is suggested that improves the latest theoretical understanding of community capacity and evaluates technologies designed to enhance it. In this article, we describe this model and suggest a research agenda that can lead to improved outcomes at the local level.

Communities are increasingly being required by state and federal funders to achieve outcomes and be accountable, yet are often not provided the guidance or the tools needed to successfully meet this challenge. To improve the likelihood of achieving positive outcomes, the Getting To Outcomes (GTO) intervention (manual, training, technical assistance) is designed to provide the necessary guidance and tools, tailored to community needs, in order to build individual capacity and program performance. GTO is an example of a Prevention Support System intervention, which as conceptualized by the Interactive Systems Framework, plays a key role in bridging the gap between prevention science (Prevention Synthesis and Translation System) and prevention practice (Prevention Delivery System). We evaluated the impact of GTO on individual capacity and program performance using survey- and interview-based methods. We tracked the implementation of GTO and gathered user feedback about its utility and acceptability. The evaluation of GTO suggests that it can build individual capacity and program performance and as such demonstrates that the Prevention Support System can successfully fulfill its intended role. Lessons learned from the implementation of GTO relevant to illuminating the framework are discussed.

This article reports on the prevalence of probable mental health disorders among clients entering outpatient substance abuse treatment, their clinical characteristics, and past access to substance abuse and mental health care. Four hundred fifteen individuals (74% of those eligible) entering three publicly funded outpatient substance abuse treatment facilities in Los Angeles County were screened for a probable mental health disorder. Of the 210 with a positive screener (just over 50% of those screened), 195 (93%) were interviewed. Depression and anxiety were the most common disorders, and more than a third had two or more probable disorders. Close to 70% reported using alcohol, and almost half reported using crack or cocaine. Half had never received any mental health treatment, and for a third this was their first episode of addiction treatment; 22% were on psychotropic medications. Levels of physical and mental health functioning were lower than the 25th percentile of the U.S. population norms. Our results indicate high rates of co-occurring mental health disorders among individuals entering these outpatient substance abuse treatment clinics in Los Angeles. Identifying people with probable mental health disorders as they enter treatment has the potential to increase access to care among those with limited prior access.

Little is known about the reactions of tort litigants to traditional and alternative litigation procedures. To explore this issue, we interviewed litigants in personal injury cases in three state courts whose cases had been resolved by trial, court-annexed arbitration, judicial settlement conferences, or bilateral settlement. The litigants viewed the trial and arbitration procedures as fairer than bilateral settlement, apparently because they believed that trials and arbitration hearings gave their case more respectful treatment. They were less satisfied with the outcome of judicial settlement conferences than with the outcome of bilateral settlements, because judicial settlement conference outcomes were more likely to fall below their expectations. In general, procedural justice judgments and outcome satisfaction were little related to objective outcome, cost, or delay; instead the evaluations appeared to be determined largely by perceptions of whether the procedure met litigants' criteria for procedural fairness and expectations on outcomes and costs. Gender, income, and race did not have much effect on evaluations.

This study assesses how perceptions of school climate and four mediating factors (school connectedness, peer attachment, assertiveness, and empathy) influence reports of bullying behaviors among 2,834 students in 14 middle schools. Results revealed that students in positive school climates reported experiencing fewer physical, emotional, and cyberbullying behaviors. They also reported greater levels of school connectedness, peer attachment, assertiveness, and empathy, which in turn helped explain the influence of perceived school climate on bullying. In addition, the greater levels of empathy that students reported, the more likely they were to report being bullied. These results highlight the role that perceptions of school climate can play in influencing bullying and underscore the importance of mediating factors as schools work to track and improve school climate.