Overview
In 1996, the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence (CSPV), at the University of Colorado at Boulder, with funding from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, designed and launched a national violence prevention initiative to identify violence prevention programs that are effective. The project, called Blueprints for Violence Prevention, has identified 11 prevention and intervention programs that meet a strict scientific standard of program effectiveness. Program effectiveness is based upon an initial review by CSPV and a final review and recommendation from a distinguished Advisory Board, comprised of seven experts in the field of violence prevention. The 11 model programs, called Blueprints, have been effective in reducing adolescent violent crime, aggression, delinquency, and substance abuse. Another 18 programs have been identified as promising programs. To date, more than 600 programs have been reviewed, and the Center continues to look for programs which meet the selection criteria.
Soon after the initiation of Blueprints, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) became an active supporter of the project and provided funding to CSPV to sponsor program replications in sites across the United States. As a result, Blueprints has evolved into a large-scale prevention initiative, both identifying model programs and providing training and technical assistance to help sites choose and implement a set of demonstrated effective programs with a high degree of integrity.
While the designers of each program provide training and consultation to sites, CSPV monitors the quality of replication by conducting a detailed and comprehensive process evaluation at each site. Little is known about the implementation problems that cause many programs to fail. A CSPV objective is to build this body of knowledge about implementation by accumulating data on the Blueprints replication sites regarding problems encountered, attempted solutions, which worked or didn’t work and why. We also collect useful data for screening potential replicators such as organizational capacity needed, funding stability, commitment, resources, etc., required for a high probability of success.
Overall, the Blueprints Initiative sets a gold standard for implementing exemplary, research-based violence and drug programs and for implementing these programs with fidelity to the models. The work that is being conducted will help to bridge the gap between knowledge (research) and practice and inform the users of programs of the barriers that must be overcome in order to achieve maximum success.
