The Dating Matters(®) Toolkit: Approaches to increase adoption, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive violence prevention model

PURPOSE: This practical implementation report describes a comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model—Dating Matters(®)—and the approach taken to maximize its potential for widespread dissemination through development of the Dating Matters Toolkit. Dating Matters has evidence of effectiveness for preventing teen dating violence and other adolescent risk behaviors from a multi-site randomized controlled trial. Identifying strategies that reduce barriers to the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based comprehensive prevention models, like Dating Matters, is critical to their widespread adoption. Lessons learned from creating the Toolkit can inform the development and dissemination of similar comprehensive prevention strategies and speed their adoption and use in the field. APPROACH: We engaged in a multi-pronged, data-driven approach to maximize adoption, implementation, and maintenance of the Dating Matters model based on multiple data sources and lessons learned from the demonstration project, while retaining core components and content of the evaluated model. Potential barriers to the national dissemination of Dating Matters were identified in four key areas: training, technical assistance, model flexibility, and accessibility. A series of modifications were made to the implementation model to address these challenges and facilitate scale-up prior to national dissemination. We outline these challenges and describe solutions implemented through the development of the Dating Matters Toolkit. OUTCOMES: The Dating Matters Toolkit includes web-based facilitator training, enhanced implementation support through a new staff role and community of practice, online comprehensive implementation guidance and resources, and added flexibility to improve feasibility and adoption in communities during capacity-building. Findings from an initial evaluation of the Toolkit suggest users perceived the comprehensive model as feasible and accessible with enough implementation support. Most expressed interest in adopting the model. Users described cost and stakeholder buy-in as remaining barriers. Ongoing improvements to the Toolkit to address these challenges and future research to evaluate its effectiveness are planned. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Research suggests that comprehensive, multi-component prevention models may be more effective than single programs. However, they may also have more barriers to adoption, implementation, and maintenance. This article describes development of the Dating Matters(®) comprehensive teen dating violence prevention model, and the approach the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) took to make it easier for communities to adopt the model, implement it with fidelity, and maintain their prevention efforts. Based on lessons learned from a multi-site demonstration project, CDC identified four potential barriers to implementing comprehensive prevention: training, technical assistance, model flexibility, and accessibility. To address these challenges, CDC created the Dating Matters Toolkit, an implementation guidance package that incorporates new tools, resources, and modifications to the original model to encourage uptake. The Toolkit includes web-based training, multiple implementation supports for program facilitators, access to free program materials, online implementation guidance, and increased model flexibility to improve feasibility and adoption in more communities. An initial evaluation suggests users generally view the Toolkit favorably in terms of adoption and implementation; however, they described cost and stakeholder buy-in as remaining challenges. Lessons learned from this project may help program developers, implementers, and communities identify promising approaches to improve uptake of comprehensive prevention efforts. Addressing the factors that help or hinder a community’s ability to carry out these efforts is a critical step toward increasing use of coordinated, multiple component prevention approaches.