Supervision of facilitators in a multisite study: goals, process, and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE To describe the aims, implementation, and desired outcomes of facilitator supervision for both interventions (treatment and control) in Project Eban and to present the Eban Theoretical Framework for Supervision that guided the facilitators' supervision. The qualifications and training of supervisors and facilitators are also described. DESIGN This article provides a detailed description of supervision in a multisite behavioral intervention trial. The Eban Theoretical Framework for Supervision is guided by 3 theories: cognitive behavior therapy, the Model of Life-Long Supervision, and the empowerment model of culturally responsive supervision. METHODS Supervision is based on the Eban Theoretical Framework for Supervision, which provides guidelines for implementing both interventions using goals, process, and outcomes. RESULTS Because of effective supervision, the interventions were implemented with fidelity to the protocol and were standard across the multiple sites. CONCLUSIONS Supervision of facilitators is a crucial aspect of multisite intervention research quality assurance. It provides them with expert advice, optimizes the effectiveness of facilitators, and increases adherence to the protocol across multiple sites. Based on the experience in this trial, some of the challenges that arise when conducting a multisite randomized control trial and how they can be handled by implementing the Eban Theoretical Framework for Supervision are described.