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Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - MHS6409
Tracking Number - 5333

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Current Status: Approved by SCNS - 2016-07-01
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: Required - PhD in BCS. To GC. Approved; To USF Sys 4/21/16; to SCNS after 4/28/16. Nmbr 6491 apprd as 6409 eff 7/1/16

Detail Information

  1. Date & Time Submitted: 2015-11-19
  2. Department: Mental Health Law & Policy
  3. College: BC
  4. Budget Account Number: 582000050
  5. Contact Person: Howard Goldstein
  6. Phone: 9749613
  7. Email: hgoldstein@usf.edu
  8. Prefix: MHS
  9. Number: 6409
  10. Full Title: Evidence Based Practices in Behavioral & Community Sciences
  11. Credit Hours: 3
  12. Section Type: D - Discussion (Primarily)
  13. Is the course title variable?: N
  14. Is a permit required for registration?: N
  15. Are the credit hours variable?: N
  16. Is this course repeatable?: N
  17. If repeatable, how many times?: 0
  18. Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Evidence-Based Practice
  19. Course Online?: C - Face-to-face (0% online)
  20. Percentage Online: 0
  21. Grading Option: R - Regular
  22. Prerequisites: None
  23. Corequisites: None
  24. Course Description: Explores and applies strategies used to judge and identify evidence-based practices in assessment, intervention, and therapeutic practices in behavioral health and related areas.

  25. Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Needed for new program/concentration/certificate
  26. What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? 7-10 students per year, perhaps more as it will be open to students in any graduate program for whom it may be applicable.
  27. Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? No
  28. What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) PhD
  29. Objectives: The course will explore the current movement to identify “Evidence-Based Practices” (EBP). Students will critically analyze this movement and how they might guide its future.

    a. Students will critically analyze strategies proposed for judging and identifying EBP in human development, behavioral health, community science, education, psychology, and related fields.

    b. They will refine a set of criteria for evaluating evidence for intervention practices.

    c. The bulk of the coursework will involve applying evaluation criteria to a body of literature of students’ choices and preparing a systematic review paper suitable for submission for publication.

  30. Learning Outcomes: At the end of this course, students will be able to:

    • access and evaluate public databases and research literature related to evidence-based practices.

    • identify criteria appropriate for evaluating evidence for assessment and intervention practices appropriate to different stakeholders in the behavioral health field.

    • critically analyze strategies proposed for evaluating EBPs and developing practice guidelines.

    • apply a set of criteria for evaluating evidence for a particular intervention practice employed in their field.

    • critically review the literature to determine the level of evidence that exists for various behavioral health assessment and intervention practices.

    • differentiate evidence-based practices and best practices and how these have shaped the development of professional practice standards and guidelines.

    • discuss the importance of and strategies for technology transfer and dissemination related to evidence-based practices.

  31. Major Topics: • Understanding Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs)

    • Critically reviewing findings related to EBPs based on different research methods

    • Different approaches used to identify and develop EBPs

    • Perspectives on EBPs in assessment, diagnosis, and triage/referral to different levels of services

    • EBPs in adult mental health services

    • EBPs in child and adolescent behavioral health prevention and treatment services

    • EBPs in substance abuse and co-morbidity/co-occurring disorders

    • Calculating effect sizes in group and single-case experimental designs

    • Implementation science approaches to technology transfer & dissemination

    • Cultural competency and responsivity issues

  32. Textbooks: None
  33. Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases: Weekly reading include published articles and book chapters:

    Cook, T.D. (2001). Sciencephobia: Why education researchers reject randomized experiments. Education Next, Fall, 63-68.

    Colditz, G.A. (2012). The promise and challenges of implementation and dissemination research. In R.C. Brownson, G.A. Colditz, & E.K. Proctor (Eds.), Dissemination and implementation research in health: Translating science to practice (pp. 3-22). Oxford Press.

    Norcross, J. C., Beutler, L. E., & Levant, R. F. (2006). Evidence-based practices in mental health: Debate and dialogue on the fundamental questions (pp. 13-56). American Psychological Association.

    Kratochwill, T. R., & Stoiber, K.C. (2002). Evidence-based interventions in school psychology: Conceptual foundations of the procedural and coding manual of Division 16 and the Society for the Study of School Psychology Task Force. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 341-389.

    Lewis-Snyder, G., Kratochwill, T. R., & Stoiber, K.C. (2002). Evidence-based intervention in school psychology: An illustration of task force coding criteria using group-based research design. School Psychology Quarterly, 17, 423-466.

    Gersten et al. (2005). Quality indicators for group experimental and quasi-experimental research in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 149-164.

    Horner, R.H. Carr, E.G., Halle, J., McGee, M, Odom, S., & Wolery, M. (2005). The use of single subject research to identify evidence-based practice in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 165–179.

    Goldstein, H., Lackey, K. C., & Schneider, N. J. (2014). A new framework for systematic reviews: Application to social skills interventions for preschoolers with autism. Exceptional Children, 80, 262-280.

    Thompson, B., Diamond, K., McWilliam, R., Snyder, P., & Snyder, S. (2005). Evaluating the Quality of Evidence from Correlational Research for Evidence-based Practice. Exceptional Children, 71, 181-194.

    Brantlinger, E., Jimenez, R., Klingner, J., Pugach, M., & Richardson, V. (2005). Qualitative studies in special education. Exceptional Children, 71, 195-207.

    Taxman, F.S., & Belenko, S. (2012). Implementing evidence-based practices in community corrections and addiction treatment (pp. 19-56), Springer Publishers.

    National Association of Drug Court Professionals (2015). Adult drug court best practice standards, Volume II, (pp. 1-25). Alexandria, Virginia.

    American Psychiatric Association (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), Washington, D.C., pp. 5-24, 99-105, 490-497.

    Hiller, M. L., Belenko, S., Welsh, W., Zajac, G., & Peters, R. H. Screening and assessment: An evidence-based process for the management and care of adult drug-involved offenders. In C. G., Leukefeld, J. Gregrich, & T. Gullotta (Eds.). Handbook on evidence-based substance abuse treatment practice in criminal justice settings (pp. 45-62). New York: Springer Publishing.

    Institute of Medicine (2015). Psychosocial interventions for mental and substance use disorders: a framework for establishing evidence-based standards, pp. 1-28, 44-63. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

    Norcross, J. C., Beutler, L. E., & Levant, R. F. (2006). Evidence-based practices in mental health: Debate and dialogue on the fundamental questions, pp. 1-12, 57-105. American Psychological Association.

    Chorpita, B. F., Daleiden, E. L., Ebesutani, C., Young, J., Becker, K. D.,…Starace, N. (2011). Evidence-based treatments for children and adolescents: An updated review of indicators of efficacy and effectiveness. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 18, 154-172.

    Marinchak, J.S., & Morgan, T.J. (2012), Behavioral treatment techniques for psychoactive substance use disorders. In S.T. Walters & F. Rotgers (Eds.), Treating substance abuse: Theory and technique (pp. 138-166), New York: Guilford.

    Carroll, K.M., & Rounsaville, B.J. (2006). Behavioral therapies: The glass would be half full if only we had a glass. In Miller, W. R., & Carroll, K. M. (Eds.), Rethinking substance abuse (pp. 223-239). New York: Guilford.

    Mueser, K.T., & Gingerich, S. (2012). Treatment of co-occurring psychotic and substance use disorders. Social Work in Public Health, 28(3-4), 424-439.

    Taxman, F.S., & Belenko, S. (2012). Implementing evidence-based practices in community corrections and addiction treatment, (pp. 129-150), Springer.

    Thompson, B. (2007). Effect sizes, confidence intervals, and confidence intervals for effect sizes. Psychology In The Schools, 44(5), 423-432.

    Maggin, D. M., Swaminathan, H., Rogers, H. J., O’Keeffe, B. V., Sugai, G., & Horner, R.H. (2011). A generalized least squares regression approach for computing effect sizes in single-case research: Application examples. Journal of School Psychology, 49, 301-321.

    Parker, R.I., Vannest, K., & Davis, J. (2011). Effect size in single-case research: a review of nine nonoverlap techniques. Behavior Modification, 35, 303-322.

    Colditz, G.A. (2012). The promise and challenges of dissemination and implementation research. In R.C. Brownson, G.A. Colditz, & E.K. Proctor (Eds.), Dissemination and implementation research in health: Translating science to practice (pp. 3-22). Oxford Press.

    Dearing, J.W., & Kee, K.F. (2012), Historical roots of dissemination and implementation science. In R.C. Brownson, G.A. Colditz, & E.K. Proctor (Eds.), Dissemination and implementation research in health: Translating science to practice (pp. 55-71). Oxford Press.

    McMillen, C. (2012), Dissemination and implementation in social service settings. In R.C. Brownson, G.A. Colditz, & E.K. Proctor (Eds.), Dissemination and implementation research in health: Translating science to practice (pp. 384-399). Oxford Press.

    Aarons, G. A., Hurlburt, M., & Horwitz, S. M. (2011). Advancing a conceptual model of evidence-based practice implementation in public service sectors. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 38(1), 4-23.

  34. Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: 1. Attendance and participation in class discussion (10%)

    2. Presentation and discussion of a set of EBP Criteria (25%)

    3. Critical review of intervention research (65%)

    Grading Scale

    Grades will be assigned on the basis of total points accumulated on the graded activities and assignments. The following grades are possible:

    Letter GPA Final grade Number of Points

    A 4.0 90-100 90-100

    A- 3.7 88-89 88-89

    B+ 3.3 85-87 85-87

    B 3.0 80-84 80-84

    B- 2.7 78-79 78-79

    C+ 2.3 75-77 75-77

    C 2.0 70-74 70-74

    C- 1.7 68-69 68-69

    D+ 1.3 65-67 65-67

    D 1.0 60-64 60-64

    F -- below 60 below 60

  35. Assignments, Exams and Tests: There are no exams or tests. Assignments include:

    1. Attendance and participation in class discussion (10%)

    The major task for the term is to refine a set of criteria for evaluating evidence for professional practices. All students are expected to contribute to the selection and refinement process during class discussions. Thus, 1 point for attendance and 1 point for contributing to discussion will be given for each session.

    2. Presentation and discussion of a set of EBP Criteria (25%)

    Students will select a set of criteria adopted by a professional organization or agency to present to the class. In addition to describing the criteria and how they are applied, the student will lead a discussion of pros and cons of the approach. They also will present a critical analysis of one or more systematic reviews using that approach.

    3. Critical review of intervention research (65%)

    a. Select a topic (an intervention or therapeutic approach) of interest to conduct a systematic review.

    b. Compile a comprehensive list of relevant articles that are suitable for review.

    c. Develop a table for summarizing critical features of the articles reviewed.

    d. Develop a table for applying EBP criteria to individual articles and establish reliability of the ratings provided.

    e. Summarize results of the analysis of articles. Evaluate the state-of-the-evidence for the chosen clinical or educational practice based on a systematic review of the body of literature and develop recommendations for the field based on findings.

    f. Complete manuscript using APA Style suitable for submission for publication.

  36. Attendance Policy: Students are expected to attend all classes. If students need to miss a class for any reason, they are expected to contact the instructor by e-mail before the class session. Students are responsible for material covered in class if they are absent and for turning in assignments.

    Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)

    In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Canvas, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

  37. Policy on Make-up Work: Students experiencing problems related to this course or in other areas that may interfere with successful participation in the course are strongly encouraged to speak with the instructor as soon as these problems arise. Students requiring special arrangements or assistance should discuss their needs with the instructor in advance. This policy applies to missed deadlines and make-up work. If prior arrangements have not been made, assignments turned in late, i.e., after the date specified on the syllabus, will be eligible to receive a maximum of 50% of the possible points for that assignment.
  38. Program This Course Supports: PhD in Behavioral and Community Sciences
  39. Course Concurrence Information: This course could be applicable to any graduate program in behavioral sciences, e.g., Aging Studies, Social Work, Criminology, Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health, Applied Behavior Analysis, Communication Sciences & Disorders, Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, as well as graduate programs in Education and Public Health.


- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.