National Initiative Pivots Amid a Global Pandemic: Lessons Learned From the InSideOut Initiative

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) caused disruptions and challenges across the globe, and many public health interventions focused on addressing immediate and emergent needs directly related to COVID-19. At the same time, other community health needs persisted, and intervention collaborators faced new challenges with reaching their communities. One such intervention was the InSideOut Initiative, a systems approach aimed at creating more supportive cultures for school-aged athletes by assisting school leaders, athletics administrators, and coaches with developing social and emotional competencies. Formerly, an initiative dependent on in-person trainings, as a result of COVID-19, InSideOut needed to pivot their approach. InSideOut executives and intervention collaborators were interviewed to better understand what adaptations were made and what lessons were learned to continue their mission. Findings point to three primary themes: prioritizing the community, implementation innovations, and being open to content additions and adaptations. Future public health interventions could benefit from incorporating community assessment, remaining open to social innovation, actively looking for new solutions, and integrating formative, process, and outcome evaluation processes.