Community Engagement Strategies for Implementation of a Policy Supporting Evidence-Based Practices: A Case Study of Washington State

After nearly two decades of cultivating an evidence based practice milieu in Washington State, the 2012 legislature passed House Bill 2536 (HB 2536) to promote the increased uptake and use of evidence based practices in the child welfare, juvenile justice and child behavioral health systems. The current paper examines stakeholder participation and engagement in HB 2536 during the first year of its implementation. The current paper describes the community response, influence, and engagement during the drafting of the bill language. It then describes initial policy implementation and community engagement efforts within a framework of implementation strategies (Powell et al. in Medical Care Research and Review 69:123–57, 2012). Analysis includes common concerns, statements of support, and suggestions from diverse stakeholder groups. Discussion reviews the lessons learned and future directions, including opportunities for additional collaborations with community stakeholders in the subsequent years of HB 2536 implementation.