| Community psychology has long espoused the view that significant reductions in the prevalence and severity of mental illness will take place as a result of effective approaches which follow the principles of community psychology. Community psychology has also advocated program evaluation in order to demonstrate effectiveness and corresponding improvement in mental health. The diffusion of innovations literature has assumed that innovation diffusion produces a state superior to the one which existed prior to the introduction of the innovation. The existing literature in these fields, community intervention, program evaluation, and innovation diffusion, demonstrates a lack of studies which investigate the assumptions of each area. This study examined the effects of a community psychology program, the "Training the Trainers" project. The project diffuses information concerning older adults and mental health from the state hospital psychiatric staff, to county mental health and senior services staff, to direct-service providers in local communities. The evaluation also investigated the community psychology goals of the project on a variety of levels using a variety of methods. While few effects were statistically significant, the information obtained from the in-depth program evaluation provides insight into the issues involved with community psychology interventions, multi-level program evaluations, innovation diffusion, mental health services and needs of older adults, and the network of community services and providers. |
