Purpose: In order for effective innovations to be delivered in community-based settings, it is important to understand the attitudes and beliefs of the service providers (Aarons, 2004). The translation of evidence-based practices (EBP) to community settings is evident in the practice decisions made by clinicians in the delivery of treatment, but it is equally important to explore those beliefs, attitudes, and decisions with first-person accounts to add to the body of knowledge about use of EBP. This is the first study to use a valid quantitative instrument with an indepth interview to explore EBP attitudes.

Method: In this mixed-method study, eighteen practitioners from a community mental health center were interviewed about their EBP beliefs using a qualitative interview guide developed from organizational theory about creating change (Tropman, 1998). In addition, they completed a measure developed for this purpose (EBPAS; Aarons, 2004).

Results: The EBPAS findings for these participants identified a high endorsement of the use of EBP along all four dimensions: 1) intuitive appeal, 2) using EBP when it is required, 3) openness to new practices, and 4) divergence from the belief that EBP are not clinically useful. The qualitative findings yielded issues to be mindful of in the training and implementation phase of EBP. Clinicians expressed the following: 1) fear that adequate training to deliver EBP would not be provided; 2) concern about the level of supervision required to have adequate skills in multiple EBPs; 3) concern that the clients, families, and community stakeholders may not be amenable to the shift to EBP; 4) concern among more senior practitioners that the skills they had used successfully in the past were now outdated; and 5) concern that they would be blamed if the shift to EBP was not successful.

Implications for Practice: Practitioner attitudes are critical to the implementation of evidence-based practice and need to be explored by multiple methods to increase understanding prior to implementation. Additional data points are planned (6 & 12 month)for brief interview follow-up and repeat of EBPAS. Practitioners will be participants in the dissemination of findings at the agency, local and state levels.