Center Briefs
These NCMHPYVP publications summarize prevention research and practice in several domains.
- Key Strategies for Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention I: Working with Children and Families
- Key Strategies for Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention II: Working with the Classroom and the School Environment
- Key Strategies for Violence and Substance Abuse Prevention III: Working in the Community
General Resources and Publications
These resources describe the theory and practice of evidence-based prevention. For information on particular evidence-based prevention programs, or compendiums of evidence-based prevention programs, see Resource and Information on Evidence-Based Programs, below.
Critical Components of Prevention
(http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/critical/index.html)
This series of short publications highlight effective prevention practices by domain. The series was developed by Northeast CAPT, a project funded by CSAP to support the application of science-based substance abuse prevention programs and strategies at the regional, state, and local levels, and enhance collaboration between and within each level.
- Changing the Larger Environment: Critical Components (http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/critical/envicr/envicr.html)
- Family-based Prevention: Critical Components (http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/critical/familycr/familycr.html)
- School-based Prevention: Critical Components (http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/critical/schoolcr/schoolcr.html)
- Science-based Prevention Strategies (http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/critical/sciencestrat/sciencestrat.html)
- Strengthening Families and Protecting Children from Substance Abuse (http://www.northeastcapt.org/products/critical/stengthfamily/
strengthfamily.html)
Science-Based Substance Abuse Prevention: A Guide (http:/www.northeastcapt.org/csap/papers/part1.pdf) describes the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s conceptual framework and methodology for designing and assessing scientifically-defensible programs for substance abuse prevention. It explores the principles that define research findings as scientifically defensible and how specific principles are used to identify scientifically defensible prevention principles and prevention models. Part 3. of this series – Principles of Substance Abuse Prevention (http:/www.northeastcapt.org/csap/papers/part3.pdf) – describes the research on risk factors in substance abuse and the empirical knowledge base for scientifically defensible substance abuse prevention programs. Part 2. of this series is a print version of the SAMHSA Model Programs website (described above). We suggest using the online version of this resource for the most current information on particular evidence-based programs.
Selecting Research-Based Prevention Programs for Your School
(http://www.k12coordinator.org/onlinece/onlineevents/selecting/index.htm) is an online workshop in which participants follow Patty Franklin, a fictional middle school prevention coordinator, as she selects a research-based program for her school. This workshop provides tips, tools, and resources needed to locate and select the research-based program, or combination of programs, that is most likely to be effective in a particular school and community. The workshop helps participants do the following:
- Consider ways to convince skeptical faculty that research-based prevention can make a difference
- Review a system for organizing information about different exemplary and promising prevention programs
- Examine some of the positive effects of prevention programs in the areas of student health, social skills, and school performance
- Explore various factors that can affect a school's ability to effectively implement the program(s) it selects
This workshop was developed by the Drug Prevention & School Safety Program Coordinators National Training and Technical Assistance Center at Education Development Center, Inc.
Systems of Care: Promising Practices in Mental Health (http://cecp.air.org/promisingpractices/) is an annual monograph series describing the lessons learned from projects funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program. This multi-million dollar grant program was designed to demonstrate effective approaches to serving the needs of children with serious emotional disturbances. The systems of care described in these monographs provide a promising solution for these children and their families by coordinating or integrating the services and supports they need across all of these public service systems and developing, demonstrating, and evaluating new approaches to delivering services in a coordinated, comprehensive, and effective manner.
The monographs cover a wide-range of issues on research-based programming for children with emotional disturbances, including cultural competency, family involvement, evaluation, sustainability, collaboration, promising practices, and training strategies. The series is produced by the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice.
Resources and Information on Evidence-Based Programs
The following resources identify, describe, and provide information on evidence-based programs. All of these resources offer some indications of each program’s effectiveness and target audience, as well as contact information for the program developer or organization disseminating the program.
SAMHSA Model Programs: Effective Substance Abuse and Mental Health Programs for Every Community. (http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov/)
The programs featured on this site have demonstrated that they have prevented or reduced substance abuse and related high-risk behaviors. All of the programs on this site have been reviewed by SAMHSA's National Registry of Effective Programs (NREP). Each program is categorized as either promising, effective, or model. A short summary and contact information is available for each program. Other resources on effective programs can be found in the Publications section of this website.
Exemplary and Promising Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools Programs 2001 (http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/exemplary01/index.html) is a report by the U.S. Department of Education’s Expert Panel on Safe, Disciplined, and Drug-Free Schools, which describes 9 exemplary programs and 33 promising programs that can help promote safe, disciplined, and drug free schools. A summary of each program includes its area of emphasis (e.g. violence prevention or the prevention of alcohol, tobacco, and other drug abuse), grade level, duration, cost, evidence for efficacy, and information on how to contact the program developer/disseminator.
Safe and Sound: An Education Leader's Guide to Evidence-Based Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Programs (http://www.casel.org/projects_products/safeandsound.php) Based on a three-year study funded by the Institute of Education Sciences and the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Sound reviews 80 multiyear, sequenced SEL programs designed for use in general education classrooms. Safe and Sound was produced by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, an NCMHPYVP Technical Partner.
Preventing Mental Disorder in School-Aged Children: A Review of the Effectiveness of Prevention Programs (http://www.prevention.psu.edu/) is a report developed by the Research Center for the Promotion of Human Development, Pennsylvania State University for the Center for Mental Health Prevention of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The goals of this report were to:
- identify critical issues and themes in prevention research with school-age children and families,
- identify universal, selective, and indicated programs that reduce symptoms of both externalizing and internalizing disorders,
- summarize the state-of-the art programs in the prevention of mental disorders in school-age children,
- identify elements that contribute to program success, and
- provide suggestions to improve the quality of program development and evaluation
The report describes 34 prevention programs for children ages 5 to 18 that produce improvements in specific psychological symptoms or in factors directly associated with increased risk for child mental disorders.
Systems of Care: Promising Practices in Mental Health (http://cecp.air.org/promisingpractices/) is an annual monograph series funded by the Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program to demonstrate effective approaches to serving the needs of children with serious emotional disturbances. The series is produced by the Center for Effective Collaboration and Practice (a project of the American Institute for Research) and described at greater length under Resources and Information on Evidence-Based Programs, above. Several of the volumes in this series are devoted to describing promising practices and exemplary research-based programs.
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence Effective Programs Blueprints (http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/index.html). CSPV reviewed more than 600 prevention programs and organized the best of these programs into three categories:
- Blueprints Model Programs, which have passed the most rigorous tests for program effectiveness
- Blueprints Promising Programs, which have passed some of the Model Programs tests and thus show some promise of effectiveness
- Favorable Programs, that should be considered if a school or community does not find, or cannot afford, a Model or Promising Program.
CSPV Effective Programs Blueprints Overview provides summary information, including target audience, program contents, and contact information for the developer or disseminator, of each program. Most of the programs chosen as a Blueprints Model Program is described in a volume of the Blueprints for Violence Prevention Series (http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/publications/blueprints.html), a series of short publications available for purchase from the CSPV.
Guide to Community Preventive Services: Systematic Reviews and Evidence-Based Recommendations (http://thecommunityguide.org/) is a project of a non-Federal taskforce appointed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This task force meets quarterly to review and assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community health preventive services, and issue recommendations, in a number of areas, including the following:
- violence (http://thecommunityguide.org/violence/default.htm)
- tobacco (http://thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/default.htm)
- mental health (http://thecommunityguide.org/mental/default.htm) (Note: The systematic review of mental health recommendations is due to be published in Spring, 2004)
- alcohol (http://thecommunityguide.org/alcohol/default.htm) (Note: There is not yet an anticipated date for the release of the recommendations on the prevention of alcohol abuse)
Promising Practices Network (PPN) on Children, Families, and Communities (http://www.promisingpractices.net/default.asp) is a Rand Corporation project that highlights programs and practices that credible research indicates are effective in improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. This site provides information to decision makers, practitioners, and program funders who need reliable information on program effectiveness. The site includes information on violence prevention and substance abuse prevention programs, as well as programs that effect children’s mental health and cognitive development. Information on each program includes the behaviors or health issues the program is designed to effect, program overview, target audience, evaluation findings, funding, and a bibliography.
Building a Successful Prevention Program: Step 6. Select and Implement Best Practices (http://casat.unr.edu/westcapt/bestpractices/bestprac.htm) includes a database of programs SAMHSA Model Programs and the U.S. Department of Education’s Exemplary and Promising Programs. This database can be searched in a number of ways, including the domain in which it should be implemented (community, school, family, or individual/peer), protective factors addressed, appropriate target audience, the institution that has rated it effective, and whether it is a universal, indicated, or selective strategy. The database is a product of the Western CAPT and funded by CSAP.
Publications Available Online
Getting to Outcomes 2004: Promoting Accountability Through Methods and Tools for Planning, Implementation and Evaluation
(http://www.rand.org/publications/TR/TR101/TR101.pdf) by M Chinman, P Imm, and A Wanderman. Santa Monica: Rand Health, 2004.
This manual presents a ten-step process that enhances practitioners’ prevention skills while empowering them to plan, implement, and evaluate their own programs. It was specifically designed to help agencies, schools, and community coalitions improve programs aimed at preventing or reducing drug and tobacco use among youth. The manual includes text and worksheets and can be applied to any type of prevention programming. It includes chapters on needs and resources assessment; goals and objectives; choosing best practice programs; ensuring program “fit;” capacity,
planning, process, and outcome evaluation; continuous quality improvement, and sustainability.
