Eric Bruns: How policy impacts wraparound implementation

Kevin King and I are joined by John Fortney and Geoff Curran to talk about their provocative new paper which aims to operationalize and distinguish implementation strategies from clinical interventions. This paper is a major contribution to implementation science. Papers discussed on today's show include: Fortney, J.C., Lyon, A.R., Munson, S.A. et al. Distinguishing between clinical interventions and implementation strategies in trials. Implementation Sci (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-026-01531-1 Stetler CB, Mittman BS, Francis J. Overview of the VA Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) and QUERI theme articles: QUERI Series. Implement Sci. 2008 Feb 15;3:8. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-3-8. PMID: 18279503; PMCID: PMC2289837. Nilsen P. Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implement Sci. 2015 Apr 21;10:53. doi: 10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0. PMID: 25895742; PMCID: PMC4406164.  

In this episode, Kevin and Mike interview Eric Bruns and discuss policy challenges, highlight a few examples of policy work he has done with Wraparound care, discuss some reasons why policy may not receive adequate attention in implementation science, and Eric took our quiz on some of his favorite musicians.  Discussed on this episode: Arean and Pullmann, High Quality Psychosocial Interventions Research: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/high-quality-psychosocial-interventions-research-9780197681923?cc=us&lang=en& Walker, S.C., Gubner, N., Iztguttinov, A. et al. The implementation potential of a method to monitor empirically-supported children’s mental health treatment through claims data. BMC Health Serv Res 21, 1349 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07317-z Purtle, J., Peters, R. & Brownson, R.C. A review of policy dissemination and implementation research funded by the National Institutes of Health, 2007–2014. Implementation Sci 11, 1 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0367-1 Efficacy of modular cognitive behavior therapy for childhood anxiety disorders, Bruce F. Chorpita Daleiden EL, Chorpita BF, Donkervoet C, Arensdorf AM, Brogan M. Getting better at getting them better: health outcomes and evidence-based practice within a system of care. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2006 Jun;45(6):749-56. doi: 10.1097/01.chi.0000215154.07142.63. PMID: 16721326.

In which we interview Rani Elwy about her work at the intersection of implementation science and policy as she served as a Robert Wood Johnson health policy fellow in the US Senate focusing on menopause care. We discuss menopause policy, stigma, implementation and deimplementation challenges for menopause care, and what it was like to work as a policy fellow for Senator Patty Murray. Discussed on today's show:  Bauer MS, Kirchner J. Implementation science: What is it and why should I care? Psychiatry Res. 2020 Jan;283:112376. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.04.025. Epub 2019 Apr 23. PMID: 31036287. Lane-Fall MB, Curran GM, Beidas RS. Scoping implementation science for the beginner: locating yourself on the "subway line" of translational research. BMC Med Res Methodol. 2019 Jun 28;19(1):133. doi: 10.1186/s12874-019-0783-z. PMID: 31253099; PMCID: PMC6599376.

We interview Katherine Rizzolo about her work with Lilia Cervantes on implementing policies to provide dialysis care in the undocumented immigrant population. We talk about how the experience of undocumented immigrants differs from those with citizenship without insurance, tools she used from implementation science in this work, the path to policy change in Colorado, and the role of implementation science in policy change. Ah, implementation science: making common sense and decency incredibly rigorous. Mentioned on today's show: Cervantes L, Rizzolo K, Tummalapalli SL, Wainstein M, Glasgow RE, Jolles MP. Use of a Context- and Equity-Focused Implementation Science Framework to Aid the Design of Clinical Trials. J Am Soc Nephrol. 2025 Jun 1;36(6):1197-1200. doi: 10.1681/ASN.0000000633. Epub 2025 Jan 17. PMID: 39823190; PMCID: PMC12147963. Cervantes L. Dialysis in the Undocumented: Driving Policy Change with Data. J Hosp Med. 2020 Aug;15(8):502-504. doi: 10.12788/jhm.3319. PMID: 31891561; PMCID: PMC7518140. Nilsen, P. Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implementation Sci 10, 53 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0242-0 Proctor EK, Powell BJ, Baumann AA, Hamilton AM, Santens RL. Writing implementation research grant proposals: ten key ingredients. Implement Sci. 2012 Oct 12;7:96. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-7-96. PMID: 23062065; PMCID: PMC3541090. Rizzolo K, Ressalam J, Robledo K, et al. Participant Experiences in a Kidney Failure Care Intervention in the Navigate-Kidney Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(11):e2548506. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.48506

We interview Leopoldo Cabassa and Dani Adams about implementation sciences' role in Psychedelic Assisted Therapy. We talk about the evidence for psychedelic assisted therapy, its implementation barriers and facilitators, the role of implementation science in moving psychedelic assited therapy from the clinic to the field, and we'll get them started on some excellent rants about implementation science. Discussed during the show: Trickett, E. J. (2011). From “water boiling in a Peruvian town” to “letting them die”: Culture, community intervention, and the metabolic balance between patience and zeal. American Journal of Community Psychology, 47, 58-68. Raghavan, R., Bright, C. L., & Shadoin, A. L. (2008). Toward a policy ecology of implementation of evidence-based practices in public mental health settings. Implementation Science, 3, 1-9. Palinkas, L. A., Allred, C. A., & Landsverk, J. A. (2005). Models of research-operational collaboration for behavioral health in space. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 76(6), B52-B60. https://socialwork.columbia.edu/directory/heidi-l-allen https://sites.wustl.edu/centerforpsychedelics/ @daniadams  

We talk with Sara Landes about how she became interested in implementation science, her work in the Department of Veterans Affairs, hybrid trials, and her fond memories of a special rental car company. Then we get Sara started on a rant about hybrid trial reviews. The views expressed by Dr. Landes in this podcast are those of Dr. Landes and do not reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the United States Government. Bauer, M. S., & Kirchner, J. (2020). Implementation science: What is it and why should I care?. Psychiatry research, 283, 112376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.04.025

We talk with the nicest person in Implementation Science, Byron Powell about how his dream of being a high school social worker and basketball coach was derailed by the irresistible siren song of implementation science, the meaning of interventions and implementation strategies, the utility of mechanism diagramming using approaches like logic models and causal pathway diagrams, and Kevin and I get Byron started on a rant about implementation science. Contact Byron @byron_powell on X Discussed during today's show: Geng, E. H., Nash, D., Phanuphak, N., Green, K., Solomon, S., Grimsrud, A., Sohn, A. H., Mayer, K. H., Bärnighausen, T., & Bekker, L. G. (2022). The question of the question: impactful implementation science to address the HIV epidemic. Journal of the International AIDS Society, 25(4), e25898. https://doi.org/10.1002/jia2.25898 Powell, B.J., Waltz, T.J., Chinman, M.J. et al. A refined compilation of implementation strategies: results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project. Implementation Sci 10, 21 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-015-0209-1 Pullmann, M. D., Dorsey, S., Duong, M. T., Lyon, A. R., Muse, I., Corbin, C. M., Davis, C. J., Thorp, K., Sweeney, M., Lewis, C. C., & Powell, B. J. (2022). Expect the Unexpected: A Qualitative Study of the Ripple Effects of Children's Mental Health Services Implementation Efforts. Implementation research and practice, 3, 26334895221120797. https://doi.org/10.1177/26334895221120797 Smith, J. D., Li, D. H., Merle, J. L., Keiser, B., Mustanski, B., & Benbow, N. D. (2024). Adjunctive interventions: change methods directed at recipients that support uptake and use of health innovations. Implementation science : IS, 19(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-024-01345-z

This is the second of two episodes where Kevin King and I conduct short interviews with several Early Career Researchers at last year’s ABCT conference in Seattle. On this episode, we first interview Noah Triplett, discussing his work in the juvenile justice system on diversion and flexible facilitation and implementation of MH services in Kenya. Second, we interview Kayla Farise, who will describe her work with implementing services for families experiencing homelessness, Parent Child Interaction Therapy and cultural factors associated with intervention fidelity. Lastly, we talk with Margaret Crane, who describes her work on implementation policy, financing, and organizational factors associated with implementation success. https://healthpolicyresearch-scholars.org/scholars/noah-triplett/  https://www.kaelafarrise.com/ https://psych.med.brown.edu/people/margaret-crane-phd

Today, we’ll have a conversation with a collection of some of the greatest minds in implementation science about the operationalization of the two most important constructs in Implementation Science: interventions and implementation strategies. Sounds easy, right? In the 20-odd years that Implementation Science has been around, we’ve figured this out, haven’t we? Not really. Today’s show is a recording from an informal discussion of council of experts including Aaron Lyon, Bryan Weiner, Cara Lewis, Pedja Klasnja, Byron Powell, Shannon Dorsey, Rosemary Meza, and Kevin King. Referenced during today's show: Curran, G.M. Implementation science made too simple: a teaching tool. Implement Sci Commun 1, 27 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-020-00001-z Eldh, A.C., Almost, J., DeCorby-Watson, K. et al. Clinical interventions, implementation interventions, and the potential greyness in between -a discussion paper. BMC Health Serv Res 17, 16 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-016-1958-5

This is the first of two episodes where Kevin King and I conduct short interviews with several Early Career Researchers at last year’s ABCT conference in Seattle. On this episode, we first interview Mallory Dobias, whose work focuses on improve teen access to mental health supports using digital technologies, and empowering young people in interventions. Second, we’ll interview Andrea Ng, who will describe her work on a measurement feedback system for school therapists.