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How Is NREPP Unique?

Frequently, those who work in the field of substance abuse and violence prevention ask, what's the difference between this list of promising, effective, and model programs and others? The NREPP team noted that there are several key distinctions.

“NREPP is an active list rather than a one-time process,” explained Ms. Schwinn. “You can submit your program and its evaluation results on a rolling basis, you can appeal a decision, you can ask questions during the process, and you can resubmit with additional data later. In addition, developers receive feedback from the reviewers rather than a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. This feedback helps them improve their program for future submission.”

“NREPP is not static,” Dr. Hennessy noted. “One of our longer term goals is to periodically re-review programs within a five-year time frame to account for the continual
evolution of science.”

“SAMHSA’s vision is that NREPP serve as the leading national resource for practical, contemporary, and reliable information on effective interventions to prevent and/or treat mental and addictive disorders,” he continued. “SAMHSA has made a firm commitment to promoting the current programs and to assisting new and emerging programs to move up the ladder of scientific evidence.”

Using NREPP

Before selecting any science-based program or strategy, schools and other community groups must always first assess the needs of their school and community, examine what resources are available, and consider the training that is required to properly deliver a particular program with fidelity to the model.

How can educators use NREPP to assist in this process? SAMHSA’s Model Programs Web site (www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov) offers a number of tools to help communities identify and select programs that best meet the needs of the problems or target populations they have identified. These include:

• A programs-at-a-glance chart that allows users to compare Model Programs by target population addressed, target setting, cost, and other factors;
• Fact sheets that describe each Model Program in detail;
• A list of Frequently Asked Questions about the NREPP process; and
• Links to potential funding resources.

To learn more about NREPP or to obtain detailed information about the SAMHSA Model Programs, visit www.modelprograms.samhsa.gov or call 866-43NREPP.