Implementation

Photo of two women and two men looking at a document

Implementing five different evidence-based practices (EBPs) described in the Strategies section of this Web site is a major task for local, tribal, and District of Columbia child wellness coordinators and councils. While state-level child wellness experts and councils do not directly implement interventions, they play a major role in supporting local implementation through monitoring and technical assistance.

Read the following sections to learn about strategies Project LAUNCH leaders use in implementing their EBPs and other services.

For more information on Project LAUNCH implementation, view the Project LAUNCH Grantee Manual (PDF, 473 KB).

Sustainability

Project LAUNCH is creating strong systems that deliver integrated prevention, promotion and intervention services for young children in 24 communities around the country.

Partnerships and Collaboration

Successful Project LAUNCH leaders at all levels expand their organization’s capacity to promote young child wellness by creating partnerships with other organizations.

Leadership

Implementing and supporting local Project LAUNCH services requires state, tribal, local coordinators and council members to have advanced leadership skills.

Policy

Public policy experts often describe program implementation and policy development as a two-way street. On the one side, data on the challenges local service providers face and the innovative practices they design to address those challenges can drive policy development at the state and federal levels. And on the other side, sound federal or state policies can shape effective service delivery by local organizations.

Workforce Development

Recent studies about children’s social, emotional, and behavioral health and development as well as anecdotal evidence from the field conclude that building the capacity of the early childhood workforce is a critical component in promoting young child wellness.

Funding

Funding during the five-year Project LAUNCH grant provides a strong foundation for service delivery at the Project LAUNCH community level and support for state and tribal planning and development efforts for some grantees. However, to help ensure that local-level services continue beyond the grant period and that effective practices are encouraged in other state and tribal communities, SAMHSA requires local, and when appropriate, tribal and state coordinators and councils to address funding issues in their first year.

Project Management

While visioning and empowerment are essential to every Project LAUNCH grant, being a Project LAUNCH leader also requires the ability to plan and manage the day-to-day operations at the local implementation site and/or to manage the work of the state, tribal, local, or District of Columbia child wellness council. By establishing work systems, clarifying roles and expectations, and setting benchmarks and timelines, the Project LAUNCH leader frees staff to focus on their jobs.

Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC)

Cultural and Linguistic Competence (CLC) is widely understood and defined as a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that

Communications

Developing an effective communications strategy is an essential step in realizing Project LAUNCH’s aim of creating a shared vision for young child wellness and implementing practices that make that vision a reality in states, tribes, the District of Columbia, and local communities.