How to promote youth well-being across sectors : an evaluation of the YHRK

Printed educational materials (PEMs) represent a useful way to engage with and communicate evidence-based practices to practitioners, including those who represent different sectors and disciplines (Giguere et al. 2012). Relative to alternative approaches, like online platforms and face-to-face delivery, they are inexpensive; easy to distribute; familiar to practitioners; and can address other factors that influence practitioner behaviour, like norms and values (Burgers et al. 2003). Furthermore, findings from a systematic review demonstrate their potential to improve practitioner behaviour (Giguere et al. 2012). Collectively, these features might partly explain the development of PEMs by organisations responsible for the professional development of practitioners and/or capacity building within a system of different services. This chapter presents findings of an evaluation of one such PEM in Australia – the Youth Health Resource Kit (YHRK, New South Wales; NSW Kids and Families, 2014). This evaluation was designed to determine the perceived relevance and utility of the YHRK among practitioners from different sectors who worked with young people.