Although a number of trauma treatments for youth have demonstrated efficacy in research settings, the promise of these treatments has not yet been realized via widespread implementation in usual care settings. Implementation science, the scientific study of methods to increase the adoption, uptake, and sustainment of evidence-based practices (EBPs), can help to inform this research-to-practice gap. This chapter applies principles from implementation science to review what has been learned so far about the dissemination and implementation of EBPs for youth impacted by trauma in the United States and the next steps for this field. First, the chapter describes the large-scale efforts that have been made in the United States to disseminate and implement these EBPs. Second, it applies an implementation science framework, the exploration, preparation, implementation, and sustainment framework, to organize what has been learned from these efforts about barriers and facilitators to implementation and sustainability. Third, a case study is presented illustrating how this knowledge was applied to develop a trauma-informed system of care in Philadelphia. Finally, the chapter offers research and practical recommendations to improve the dissemination and implementation of EBPs for trauma-affected youth.
