Two weeks ago I attended and presented at the Forum on Prevention and Early Intervention for Children and Youth at Croke Park, Dublin. The Forum started on May 27 with an exhibition of projects funded through the Prevention and Early Intervention Programme (OMC), Dormant Accounts Flagship Projects, Children’s Services Committees, and other demonstration projects supported by government and the Atlantic Philanthropies. As I walked around to the different exhibits, two things struck me: enthusiasm and movement.

The project team member’s enthusiasm for what they were doing came through as if they were shouting a cheer during a European Cup Football Match. Strong research exists to support the value added element of enthusiasm when working on evidence-based projects and programs – the outcomes are even better when the program is implemented with quality and enthusiasm. Movement was the second descriptor from this event for me. I left that night feeling as though a movement has begun: one that involved making a lasting difference in children and youth’s lives. The movement involves leaving standard operating procedures behind and adopting innovation and evidence as the cornerstone of how services engage their stakeholders and the types of programs they utilize.

There is much that I could write about the next day of the Forum, from Dr. Ramey’s insightful and engaging presentation about early childhood intervention, to Ms. Langford’s presentation about sustaining and mainstreaming innovative best practices, to Mr. Keenan’s summary of the workshops to the Secretary of General to the Government of Ireland – Mr. McCarthy. However, what I choose to write about is an important albeit brief conversation that I had with Ms. Lynda Wilson from Barnados, Northern Ireland. After a workshop that I co-presented on sustainability, Ms. Wilson and I were having a brief conversation walking to the main hall for lunch. We were discussing how complex this work is and the need to really focus in on the particulars if this effort to utilize evidence-based programming is going to stick and have the lasting effects. I comment how important it is to have time to really think through the planning process before charging off to engage in implementation. Such planning includes developing a clear quality monitoring system that promotes learning and improvement of implementation.

Ms. Wilson followed that up with this statement, “Yes, I find creating headspace an essential ingredient for successful implementation.” I stopped in my tracks and said, “hold on what is headspace?” She explained that this is time to think and reflect about the work one is doing in terms of what is going right and what might need some attention. Ms. Wilson went on to say that this time is very important for success and sustainability of programs; however, she also noted how difficult it is for her and her staff to make time for headspace. I agreed that in working on a large rollout of evidence-based programs in the states that we too have found that scheduling time for ‘headspace’ to be absolutely essential for several reasons. First, it provides an opportunity for individuals to reflect on their efforts and make adaptations for improvement if necessary (also to celebrate successes). Second, when time is designated for group headspace, we have found there is a sense of belonging among the implementers that enables them to keep going when the going is rough. For the project I have been working on, group headspace has allowed for innovative problem-solving that I am convinced could not have been accomplished without the thinking of the entire group. Group headspace has also been a place where proactive thinking has taken place. Anticipation of issues and challenges occurs during these times and it enables the group to think of strategies in advance.

Thus, the message here is take time for headspace! Set up a time for your staff to meet and discuss the success and issues with their implementation. Utilizing headspace, and being deliberate about planning it, will only stand to further advance the field of prevention science and more importantly increase the likely success of these programs over time.