Measuring Evidence-Based Treatment Strategies in Youth Community Mental Health Care: the Evidence-Based Strategies Scale

While there are established measures for fidelity to specific evidence-based treatments, there is no widely accepted, feasible measure of the use of evidence-based treatment strategies in youth mental health (MH) care. This study examined the factor structure of a provider self-report measure of evidence-based treatment strategy use, the Evidence-Based Strategies Scale (EBSS). MH providers completed the EBSS as part of a larger mailed survey. The factor structure of the EBSS was examined using exploratory factor analysis in a national, multidisciplinary sample of MH providers (N = 1092), and confirmatory factor analysis was subsequently conducted to replicate this factor structure in a state-wide, multidisciplinary sample of Medicaid MH providers (N = 780). Findings indicated a three-factor structure, representing working alliance, youth-focused, and family-focused evidence-based treatment strategies factors. The EBSS offers a potential method for measuring the evidence-based treatment strategies being delivered in youth community MH care, though more research is needed.