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Author ORCID Identifier
Date Available
6-30-2026
Year of Publication
2026
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
College
Education
Department/School/Program
Educational Leadership Studies
Faculty
Beth Rous
Faculty
John Nash
Abstract
Behavioral health agencies often struggle to translate the Transformational Collaborative Outcomes Management (TCOM) framework into practice when implementation is externally mandated. This study examined how educational leaders can support meaningful use of TCOM tools under a Midwestern state’s October 2024 requirement that behavioral health providers use the state Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths assessment in service planning.
Using a Mixed Methods Action Research design, the study progressed through six phases: Diagnosis, Reconnaissance, Planning, Acting, Evaluation, and Monitoring. The Diagnosis Phase identified a knowledge-to-practice gap and weaknesses in implementation support infrastructure. Practitioner surveys administered immediately after training and six months into implementation revealed declining perceptions of value and fit alongside increasing feasibility barriers. Results suggest that feasibility may function as a threshold condition within Proctor et al.’s implementation outcomes framework rather than as a parallel early-stage outcome.
The findings informed an implementation support package that included a case-based service planning workbook, leadership communication and rollout guidance, a fidelity checklist, and optional evaluation tools. Three state leaders evaluated the package across acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility measures. The study proposed the Design and Handoff Model for mandated implementation contexts, emphasizing that externally designed supports depend on leadership for enactment and sustained use.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2026.336
Archival?
Archival
Recommended Citation
Mergen, Lauren K., "FROM MANDATE TO MEANING: DESIGNING IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORTS FOR ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SERVICE PLANNING" (2026). Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences. 165.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/edsc_etds/165
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Community-Based Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Leadership Studies Commons, Other Mental and Social Health Commons
