How Prevention Research Drives Outcomes in Washington: When Evidence-Based Community Driven Planning Models Meet Cost Beneficial Service Purchasing Models, Communities Win and We Have the Data to Prove It.

This interdisciplinary dialogue session will bring together prevention systems professionals with researchers to discuss state prevention structures with a focus on the Washington prevention system and lessons learned. Many states and communities work within frameworks that focus on community planning models and associated support or service purchasing models. Washington has been implementing a system that combines coalition-based planning models, cost beneficial service purchasing, local school-based service requirements, and a robust data collection and evaluation system since 2012. By ensuring the infrastructure is data driven at every step, from community selection through to data collection and analysis, impressive results can, and have been, achieved. In an effort to better understand and inform the confluence of research, programming, evaluation, and the realities of systems planning and design, this is an opportunity to openly discuss the needs of each component and the lack of a one size fits all solution. As many states continue to struggle with redesign efforts to achieve better outcomes that are cost effective and demonstrate outcomes, conversations like this to identify innovative solutions are critical. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how science is a critical component of prevention systems as well as the realities of how research translates to services.