Northeast > Resources > Topic Specific > National Prevention Resources and Policies > NREPP criteria for model programs

I am interested in submitting my program for review by CSAP’s National Registry of Effective Preventive Programs (NREPP). What process and criteria does NREPP use to assess program effectiveness?

Sources for finding candidates:

If you want CSAP to consider your program for NREPP review, you should first know what sources they use to find candidates. NREPP uses four main sources:

• Existing scientific literature: NREPP staff review research reports and scientific journals to identify potential programs.

• Effective programs assessed by other agencies
  Other government agencies and non-governmental organizations also endorse successful prevention programs. Although these organizations have different sets of criteria, they help NREPP identify successful programs. For more information about federal and other research agencies’ listings of successful programs go to http://www.hhd.org/capt/agencies.asp.

• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
  Using final reports submitted by its grantees, CSAP sends NREPP description and outcome information on behalf of the programs developed, tested, and implemented by those grantees.

• General solicitations to the field
  Responding to invitations from CSAP—posted on its website, http://preventionregistry.org/ mailed directly to agencies in the field, and announced at national conferences—program developers are encouraged to send to NREPP documentation of their successful prevention efforts.

Review process:

Once you submit your program for consideration, your materials are sent out to a team of reviewers. Review teams consist of experts in prevention research methodology and programs. These reviewers independently read, analyze, and score programs using the following 15 criteria:

• Theory—the degree to which programs reflect clear and well-articulated principles about substance abuse behavior and how it can be changed.

• Intervention fidelity—how the program ensures its consistent delivery.

• Process evaluation—whether program implementation was measured.

• Sampling strategy and implementation—how well the program selected its participants and they received it.

• Attrition—whether the program retained participants during its evaluation.

• Outcome measures—the relevance and quality of measures for the evaluation.

• Missing data—how the developers addressed incomplete measurements.

• Data collection—the manner in which data were gathered.

• Analysis—the appropriateness and technical adequacy of data analyses.

• Other plausible threats to validity—the degree to which the evaluation considers other explanations for program effects.

• Replications—number of times the program has been used in the field.

• Dissemination capability—whether program materials are ready for implementation by others in the field.

• Cultural- and age-appropriateness—the degree to which the program addresses different ethnic-racial and age groups.

• Integrity—overall level of confidence that program findings are rigorous.

• Utility—overall usefulness of program findings to inform prevention theory and practice.

For more information and definitions about the criteria go to http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov

If your program is considered effective based on these criteria it will be endorsed as Model, Effective, or Promising.

Model, Effective, and Promising Programs:

• A program is considered Effective if it is science-based, and produces consistently positive patterns of results. Only programs positively effecting the majority of intended recipients or targets are considered effective.

• A program will be considered Model if the NREPP review team appointed your program as an effective program, and an agency agrees to participate in CSAP’s dissemination efforts. Model programs also provide training and technical assistance to practitioners who wish to adopt a program in order to ensure that the program is implemented with fidelity.

• A program will be considered Promising if it provides useful and scientifically defensible information about what works in prevention, but has yet to gather sufficient scientific support to standards set for effective/model programs. Promising programs are sources of guidance for prevention practitioners, although they may not be as prepared as Model programs for large-scale dissemination.

Much of the information in this FAQ comes from the website: http://www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov/

Related CAPT Products:

• Strengthening Families and Protecting Children from Substance Abuse http://www.captus.samhsa.gov/northeast/resources/prevention_materials/critical_components/strengthening.cfm

• Northeast CAPT’s Database of Effective Prevention Programs http://www.hhd.org/capt/default.asp

Please contact the Northeast CAPT at capt@edc.org for more information.