Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116400

Richard Finkbiner, PhD, NREPP, Manila Consulting Group, 6707 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 315, McLean, VA 22101, 571 633 9797, rfinkbiner@manilaconsulting.net and Robin Pugh Yi, PhD, NREPP Team, Manila Consulting Group, 6707 Old Dominion Drive, Suite 315, McLean, VA 22101.

The evolution of the process for identifying and assessing substance abuse treatment and prevention effectiveness for SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) has provided extensive opportunities to examine the meaning of "What works?" The past two years in particular have witnessed systematic efforts to modify NREPP in light of advances in evaluation science, such as acceptance of effect size as an outcome and use of sophisticated statistical techniques to compensate for the lack of a random assignment between treatment and comparison groups. The revised procedures for NREPP respond to several recurring methodological questions in the evaluation of substance abuse prevention and treatment. These questions include: (1) the definition of "practice" and "program"; (2) the criteria that define an acceptable outcome for effective substance abuse treatment and effective prevention of drug use; (3) the rigor of acceptable evidence of performance, and (4) incorporation of consumer acceptability and real-world utility in the assessment of effectiveness. This presentation explains how the criteria for effectiveness and revised review procedures adopted by NREPP during 2005 respond to these methodological issues. It concludes by providing suggestions on how the creators of substance abuse treatment and prevention programs and practices can prepare their submissions to comply with the new standards.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Awareness of specific recent changes in the evaluation procedures and criteria employed by SAMHSA's National Registry for Effective Programs and Practices.
• 2. Identification of the linkages between the adoption of these procedures and criteria and the evolution of the meaning of "What works?" in substance abuse treatment and prevention.
• 3. Improved skills in preparing submissions for NREPP evaluation.

Keywords: Evidence Based Practice, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.