Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.)

School

Human Services

Advisor

Aundrea Harris

Abstract

Lack of buy-in is a critical factor when initiating organizational change. Although changes are necessary for growth and sustainability, leadership can be met with resistance. Early childhood mental health consultation is a solution-focused intervention to support early childcare providers and educators to improve child outcomes. The implementation of the program requires a well-defined operational model to have greater effectiveness and efficiency. The present case study explored the leadership experience of buy-in to change during the implementation of an early childhood mental health consultation school-based program in a nonprofit organization in the Midwest region of the United States. The Baldrige Excellence Framework was used as the conceptual lens to assess the organization’s effectiveness through its operational components. Data were collected through four semi-structured interviews and a review of organizational documentation and website. A thematic analysis produced themes related to resistance to change: leadership, infrastructure change, strategic planning, and culture change. Results indicated that leadership, change management, and strategic planning are key factors to influence the culture to change and decrease the experiences with resistance. This study has the potential to create positive social change by providing behavioral health leaders with insights to address resistance to change when implementing an early childhood mental health consultation school-based program.

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