Evidence-Based Practices:
Online Registry
SAMHSA recently unveiled a new Web site for the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), part of the Agency’s Science to Service Initiative.
Designed over a 3-year period with input from scientists, health care service experts, and members of the public, the updated NREPP system will reach organizations across the Nation and disseminate timely and reliable information about effective interventions to prevent and treat mental and substance use disorders.
The new system helps states, territories, community-based organizations, and others to identify service models that may address their particular regional and cultural needs, and match their specific resource capacity.
With its online debut, NREPP provides both descriptive information and ratings for use by multiple audiences including treatment counselors, drug clinics, mental health centers, physicians, and other health care providers.
“The new NREPP is a major advance in SAMHSA’s work with the National Institutes of Health—specifically the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and the National Institute of Mental Health—to translate substance abuse and mental health research findings into practice,” said SAMHSA Administrator Terry L. Cline, Ph.D.
As more interventions become available through NREPP, the adoption of effective, evidence-based services will move more quickly, which will help expand SAMHSA’s Science to Service Initiative, Dr. Cline said.
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Key Features
The new NREPP system includes the following key features:
A searchable database that can be customized by users to identify specific interventions based upon desired outcomes, target populations, and/or service settings.
Separate Web pages that provide salient information about each NREPP intervention, including a brief descriptive summary and the complete contact information for the intervention developer.
Two independent ratings (on a 0 to 4 scale) are provided by trained experts for each NREPP intervention. One rates the quality of the research evidence for intervention outcomes; the second rates the availability of actual materials and trainings. With these materials, typical providers in routine service settings can get the support they need to adopt the intervention.
A clearly articulated process—including an annual Federal Register notice—for soliciting submissions to NREPP that address service needs and gaps in the substance abuse and mental health fields.
“The new NREPP system allows stakeholders to quickly identify and evaluate key outcomes for a variety of interventions,” said Kevin Hennessy, Ph.D., Science to Service Coordinator at SAMHSA’s Office of Policy, Program, and Budget. “The system will help users determine whether certain services would work well in specific local efforts to prevent or treat mental and substance use disorders.”
NREPP currently contains approximately 25 interventions and is supported in the President’s Fiscal Year 2008 Budget (see President's Budget Sustains Key Programs). Because more than 200 interventions are currently in the queue for NREPP review, with additional interventions submitted each year, monthly additions of 5 to 10 new interventions are expected.
To view the new NREPP Web site, visit www.nrepp.samhsa.gov. 
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Starting Your Search |
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NREPP is a good place to start researching the interventions that might work for your organization.
The information provided through NREPP is best viewed as a starting point for further investigation. SAMHSA recommends that NREPP users consider all available information carefully, contact intervention developers, and consult additional resources before making decisions about the use of specific interventions.
For more information, visit www.nrepp.samhsa.gov. |
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