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## Breadcrumb

            -  Evidence for Program Improvement 
            -  Self-Regulation Skill-Building 
            -           Adapt program to fit context      

# Adapt program to fit context

## Outcome

### Self-Regulation

## Intervention Family

### Skill-Building Interventions

 Skill-Building Interventions            Adapt program to fit your context                  Emphasize relaxation skills             Use modeling and role-play      

## Adapt Program to Fit Context

## Evidence

The 29 skill-building interventions that were**modified by the study authors or that had more flexible manuals or curricula**showed greater improvements in participants’ self-regulation than those delivered as the curriculum was intended.

Amongst the skill-building programs in our evidence base, those in which the study authors modified an existing curriculum or those with a flexible curriculum that was not rigidly scripted were associated with greater improvements in self-regulation. Modifying a standard curriculum to better suit the particular needs of the participants, the setting, or time constraints may increase engagement, promote equity, and increase the quality of services provided. Similarly, programs that are developed with flexibility in mind are adaptable for a range of participants and issues. In either case, programs that are adaptable require careful thought about the diverse characteristics and challenges faced by participants and the nature of the delivery settings to be most successful.

While there are benefits to using scripted curricula as they are designed, including the possibility of making it easier to attain implementation fidelity, you are the expert of your specific context. Our results suggest that being responsive to your setting and participants with a flexible or modifiable program can result in beneficial outcomes.

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## Assess Feasibility

                          - Participant needs and strengths.  Gather information about your target population’s needs and strengths. Consider the extent to which your current program addresses the range and diversity of participant needs (e.g., sibling relationships) and capitalizes on their assets (e.g., tight-knit community). What adaptations can you make to better tailor your program?
                          - Physical space needs and time constraints.  Is your program limited to a certain physical space or setting that would prevent you from making changes to group size or configuration or adding new or different activities? Are you able to deliver a session in the time you have allotted?
                          - Dosage.  Does your program provide enough hours of content or length of programming to allow participants to practice skills and to reinforce lessons? **Responsiveness.**Does your program allow staff to pivot and adapt on the fly to comments, feelings, or situations as they arise?     Take Action
Consider the following courses of action depending on the results of your feasibility assessment:
- Add content and examples as needed.  Ensure participants can “see themselves” in the program.
- Adapt the program to fit your physical space.  If, for example, it’s a very tight fit to meet in one room as intended, split the group in half and use two rooms.
- Adapt the program to fit your time constraints.  Rather than rushing through 60 minutes’ worth of content if you only have a 45-minute period, break the content up into two sessions.
- Provide more sessions or boosters as needed.  It may be that participants need additional time with program content to internalize skills and practice using them.
- Build in unstructured time.  While you might not be equipped to provide therapy, you may be able to allow for space to be responsive to participants in the moment, such as being able to have a conversation about a challenge a participant is facing.
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