The biggest challenge youth advocates and educators face is NOT in finding a program that is proven to work, nor even in finding a way to fund and start it. Over a period of time, most public agencies have funded a whole litany of theoretically excellent programs.

Yet negative outcomes persist. One reason is that implementation of these excellent programs often fails. It fails for a variety of reasons. The Ripple Effects Whole Spectrum Intervention System (WSIS) was designed to enable youth serving organizations to more easily implement evidence­based, scalable, sustainable, tiered interventions to meet the prevention needs of a wide spectrum of users under a whole spectrum of site-specific, real-world circumstances. The Whole Spectrum Implementation Support System includes live, print, digital, and video resources for staff, administrators and parents to facilitate realistic planning and ensure effective implementation, standardized scalability and affordable sustainability.

Live training & support

Ripple Effects live training and print support materials provide a guided process for both district level planning and site­specific adaptation, helping users select from the literally millions of combinations of ways to implement, without losing fidelity to science-based instructional strategies. Training and support materials clearly identify core components and optional elements, for both process and content, for various kinds of use. This provides a framework that explicitly recognizes the importance of both fidelity and adaptation.

Print resources

A comprehensive set of print resources for implementers, parents, technologists and researchers include:

For implementers

• User Guides for Kids, Teens, Staff make it easy to start using the program
• A fill -­in­-the-­blanksImplementation Planning Guide enables implementers to create a realistic plan, based on site specific resources, constraints and student goals
• An Excel template for planning district level objective and timelines
• A set of manuals provide rationales and lesson plans for 60 curricula and treatment configurations to address primary, secondary and tertiary levels of intervention:
• Universal Promotion Curricula
• Targeted Risk Reduction Curricula
• Individualized Positive Behavioral Intervention Treatment Plans
• Individualized Therapeutic Sanction Plans for Juvenile Justice
• Colorful Classroom Posters to reinforce key concepts and promote positive
  school climate
• Training games and resources

For parents

• Personal Trainer Guide that coaches in parenting
• “Eagle Eye” Positive Communication Postcards alerts parents when their children have demonstrated social-emotional competency

For technologists

• Technology Guide with FAQ’s provides technical support for those charged with managing the technology.