The Development of the Re-Entry Services Implementation Model (RSIM): A Public Sector, Inter-Organizational Implementation Conceptual Framework

Background and Purpose:  Significant investments have been made to develop effective interventions to ameliorate social problems. Given the contextual complexities of the multiple individuals and organizations involved in service development and provision, it is not surprising that a gap persists between the development of such interventions and their successful, sustained implementation.

These complexities are typified in transitional services for criminally justice involved individuals. Prisoner re-entry requires the collaboration between correctional facilities, community service providers, and parole in providing services to help recently released individuals successfully transition back to, and remain in, the community. Social work is at the forefront of these re-entry efforts as exemplified by the smart decarceration grand challenge, and a guiding conceptual framework would help developers and providers navigate the re-entry service complexities and ensure that essential implementation strategies are included. Unfortunately, only one model exists addressing implementation efforts in a criminal justice context. The existing model is not specific to re-entry, limiting its application. The objective of this study is to address this pressing gap in the literature by developing a conceptual framework to guide implementation research questions, constructs, and measurement considerations for re-entry services.

Methods: A review of existing dissemination and implementation models was conducted utilizing the comprehensive Dissemination & Implementation Models in Health Research and Practice database. The initial list (N=87) was refined by excluding models whose primary focus was on dissemination. In addition, a query was submitted to a group of dissemination and implementation experts soliciting their recommendations for models fitting the re-entry services context. Additional models were located using snowball techniques. The resulting pool of models was 12. The first author used an iterative approach to distill the implementation constructs applicable to re-entry work from the pooled models. Criminal justice and re-entry experts as well as experts in implementation science provided feedback during the model’s development.  

Results: The result was the creation of the Re-entry Services Implementation Model (RSIM). RSIM describes the process of evidence-based practice innovation and implementation in organizations involved in the re-entry process. The model is divided into three sections: two system categories (support and delivery) and recipients. All of the sections are couched within their broader macro influences (e.g. policies, funding, and public opinion). RSIM outlines the development and implementation activities associated with each system as well as the inner and outer contexts which influence the execution of those activities.     

Conclusions and Implications:  The Re-entry Services Implementation Model (RSIM) provides a needed tool to better guide the inter-organizational implementation efforts of re-entry services. It combines the leading knowledge of implementation science and re-entry. The model provides enough structure to guide an implementation study from its conception, but is flexible enough to be used by projects who are at more advanced stages. It furthers the social work profession’s efforts to reduce recidivism. For example, one largescale re-entry RCT led by social workers is currently using the model to guide their implementation efforts. The model will be described in detail and adaptions to other substantive areas will be discussed.