When the Torch Is Passed, Does the Flame Still Burn? Testing a “Train
the Supervisor” Model for the Child STEPs Treatment Program
John R. Weisz
Harvard University
Ana M. Ugueto
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Jenny Herren
Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Lauren K. Marchette
Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School
Sarah Kate Bearman
The University of Texas at Austin
Erica H. Lee
Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Kristel Thomassin
University of Guelph
Alisha Alleyne and Daniel M. Cheron
Judge Baker Children’s Center, Harvard Medical School
J. Lindsey Tweed
Maine General Health, Augusta, Maine
Jacqueline Hersh
Appalachian State University
Jacquelyn N. Raftery-Helmer
Worcester State University
Adam S. Weissman
The Child and Family Institute, New York, New York, and
Teacher’s College, Columbia University
Amanda Jensen-Doss
University of Miami
Objective: We assessed sustainability of an empirically supported, transdiagnostic youth psychotherapy
program when therapist supervision was shifted from external experts to internal clinic staff. Method:
One hundred sixty-eight youths, aged 6 –15 years, 59.5% male, 85.1% Caucasian, were treated for
anxiety, depression, traumatic stress, or conduct problems by clinicians employed in community mental
health clinics. In Phase 1 (2.7 years), 1 group of clinicians, the Sustain group, received training in Child
STEPs (a modular transdiagnostic treatment + weekly feedback on youth response) and treated
clinic-referred youths, guided by weekly supervision from external STEPs experts. In Phase 2 (2.9 years),
Sustain clinicians treated additional youths but with supervision by clinic staff who had been trained to
supervise STEPs. Also in Phase 2, a new group, External Supervision clinicians, received training and
John R. Weisz, Department of Psychology, Harvard University; Ana
M. Ugueto, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science
Center at Houston; Jenny Herren, Department of Psychiatry and Human
Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University; Lauren
K. Marchette, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance,
Harvard Medical School; Sarah Kate Bearman, Department of Educa-
tional Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin; Erica H. Lee,
Department of Psychology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Med-
ical School; Kristel Thomassin, Department of Psychology, University
of Guelph; Alisha Alleyne and Daniel M. Cheron, Judge Baker Chil-
dren’s Center, Harvard Medical School; J. Lindsey Tweed, Edmund M.
Ervin Pediatric Center, Maine General Health, Augusta, Maine; Jac-
queline Hersh, Department of Psychology, Appalachian State Univer-
sity; Jacquelyn N. Raftery-Helmer, Department of Psychology, Worces-
ter State University; Adam S. Weissman, The Child and Family
Institute, New York, New York, and Department of Psychology, Teach-
er’s College, Columbia University; Amanda Jensen-Doss, Department
of Psychology, University of Miami.
This research was funded by grants (to John R. Weisz) from the Annie E.
Casey Foundation, the Norlien Foundation, and the John D. and Catherine T.
MacArthur Foundation. We thank them for their support but acknowledge that
the findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of the authors
alone and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of these Foundations.
We are grateful to all the participating clinic leaders, clinicians, children,
and caregivers, and we extend special thanks to Sylvie Demers, Alice
Dunworth, Blanca Gurrola, Karen Mosher, and Barbara Piotti.
Author John R. Weisz receives royalties from sales of Modular Ap-
proach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or
Conduct Problems.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to John R.
Weisz, Department of Psychology, Harvard University, William James
Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. E-mail: john_weisz@
harvard.edu
This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.
This article is intended solely for the personal use of the individual user and is not to be disseminated broadly.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
© 2018 American Psychological Association 2018, Vol. 86, No. 9, 726 –737
0022-006X/18/$12.00 http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000331
726