Evidence-Based Practices Guide: Resource Matrix

This page provides an on-line version of our matrix of evidence based program collections. For more information, please click here.       

Please click on the resource name in the left-hand column to jump directly to the annotated description, which provides a direct link to the resources.

Resources for Evidence-Based Programs by Topic Area
Resource Injury/Violence Prevention Preventing Chronic Disease
Healthy Dev. Injury Violence Mental Health Subst Use Sexual Health Obesity Phys Act Tobacco
Advocates for Youth*
Center for the Study and Prev. of Violence*
CDC, The Comm. Guide and Other Divisions*
CDC Division of Adol. and School Health
CDC Center for Chronic Disease Prev. and Health Promotion
CDC National Center for Injury Prev. and Control
Child Trends LINKS
Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy*
ETR Ass., Resource Center for Adol. Preg. Prev.
Find Youth Info*
National Campaign to Preve.Teen Preg.*
National Cancer Institute: RTIPs
Office of Adol. Health*
OJJDP Model Programs Guide (MPG)*
Promising Practices Network*
Sociometrics
SAMHSA*
Suicide Prev. Resource Center*
Surgeon General*
UCLA Center for Mental Health in Schools
What Works
 *= Implementing Tools Available

Click any resource to jump directly to description. 

ADVOCATES FOR YOUTH
www.advocatesforyouth.org/
Advocates for Youth is dedicated to advocacy and the creation of programs and policies that help young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health. The “Programs that Work” section of the website features the report, Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections. Updated in 2012, the report outlines 36 programs that have been proven to reduce teen pregnancies and the contraction of sexually transmitted infections. After reviewing the criteria for inclusion and the outcomes achieved by the programs (e.g., “Delayed Initiation of Sex,” “Increased Monogamy”), the report provides detailed descriptions of each program and contact information. The “Programs that Work” section also includes similar reports in additional areas (clinical serves and contraceptive access, preventing repeat pregnancies, and programs for Latinos), and provides links to collections of evidence-based programs. The organization offers resources, technical assistance, and training to promote use of evidence-based programs to improve adolescent sexual health.

Back to Table

CENTER FOR THE STUDY AND PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE (CSPV), UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER
http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/
Previously known as Blueprints for Violence Prevention, this site has been expanded to include evidence-based programs for problem behavior, education, emotional well-being, physical health, and positive relationships, and is now known as Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development. The site provides information about programs that were identified through an extensive and rigorous review process. Successful evidence-based programs are identified as Model Programs. Each program description contains information about program components, targeted outcomes, results, costs, and contact information for those who would like to obtain program materials. The site allows users to search by program outcomes, target population, program specifics, risk and protective factors, and key words. It also contains resources including publications, a program database, and program information to assist with the development and evaluation of programs to improve developmental outcomes for adolescents and young adults.

Back to Table

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers numerous resources for evidence-based programs out of its different centers. Below is a list of the different tools available, organized by center within CDC.

GUIDE TO COMMUNITY PREVENTIVE SERVICES
http://www.thecommunityguide.org/
The Community Guide is the official collection of all findings from the reviews of the Community Preventive Services Task Force, an independent team of experts appointed by the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify successful population health interventions. The group provides leadership in the evaluation of community, population, and health care system strategies to address a variety of public health and health promotion topics, including Adolescent Health. Each topic contains a list of interventions with their corresponding task force ratings and a summary of the research conducted to evaluate their effectiveness. The website provides additional information about the Task Force and its review process.

Back to Table

DIVISION OF ADOLESCENT AND SCHOOL HEALTH (DASH
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/
This website contains the Registries of Programs that are Effective in Reducing Youth Risk Behaviors, including federal and non-federal listings of effective programs. The site also contains implementation tools from DASH and other CDC agencies for health professionals and school personnel related to school health policies and programs, as well as school health education profiles, data, Best Practices, Promising Practices, “Success Stories,” guidelines, tools for program planning and evaluation, and funding sources on a variety of health topics. The site also contains data on relevant youth behaviors monitored by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).

The following guidelines are available on the DASH web site:

Back to Table

NATIONAL CENTER FOR CHRONIC DISEASE PREVENTION AND HEALTH PROMOTION
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/index.htm
This Center takes the public health approach to addressing preventing and controlling chronic diseases. Its website includes a Recommendations page that lists several tools and resources addressing physical activity and nutrition, tobacco use, oral health and other areas.

Two agencies within NCCDPHP—the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity and the Office on Smoking and Health—offer additional evidence-based resources for adolescents:

DIVISION OF NUTRITION, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, NUTRITION AND OBESITY
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/
DNPAO aims to lead strategic public health efforts to prevent and control obesity, chronic disease, and other health conditions through regular physical activity and good nutrition. Resources include:

OFFICE ON SMOKING AND HEALTH
http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/
The Office on Smoking and Health houses Tobacco Intervention and Prevention Source (TIPS), which offers many resources including, Best Practices for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs, an evidence-based guide to help states plan and establish effective tobacco control programs. This report is not specific to adolescents but does address prevention programs, school and community programs, and policy interventions targeting young people. The guide lists examples of strategies and activities in each program category and provides examples of evidence-based programs being implemented by selected states. It also offers recommended state funding levels for each program category.

Back to Table

NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL
http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/
NCIPC works to reduce morbidity, disability, mortality, and costs associated with injuries, including both unintentional and violence related injuries. The NCIPC web site includes information on unintentional injury and prevention including bike safety, home and recreation injury, and motor vehicle related injuries. The site includes data, publications and research, program information, and federal agency grant information. The Center developed Best Practices of Youth Violence Prevention: A Sourcebook for Community Action, which provides a comprehensive overview of evidence-based programs for youth violence prevention. Contact information is provided for those who would like more information on highlighted programs or to obtain implementation tools such as curricula or training guides.

Other CDC resources include:

o   Community Health Online Resource Center: An online database featuring webinars, model policies, toolkits, databases, fact sheets, and other tools to support environmental changes that address obesity and tobacco use.

o   VERB: A social marketing campaign aimed at increasing and maintaining physical among tweens (youth age 9-13).

Back to Table

CHILD TRENDS
http://www.childtrends.org/
Child Trends is a non-profit, nonpartisan children’s research organization that collects and analyzes data; conducts, synthesizes, and disseminates research; designs and evaluates programs; and develops and tests promising approaches to research in the field. The website offers Lifecourse Interventions to Successfully Nurture Kids (LINKS), a compendium of out-of school evidence-based programs. Users have the option to view the entire list, or select programs by specific criteria. There are several syntheses of LINKS programs organized by Program Population, Program Outcome, and Program Approach. The Child Trends website also includes efforts to define measures of positive youth development, and a series of briefs about “what works” in program approaches to support adolescent health and development.

In partnership with NAHIC, Child Trends published a 2012 brief entitled Improving the Lives of Adolescents and Young Adults: Out-of-School Time Programs that have Significant Positive Impacts. This fact sheet identifies 43 rigorously evaluated out-of-school time programs for adolescents or young adults that have somewhat to very sizeable and statistically significant positive impacts on select outcome categories, which include behavior problems, substance use, reproductive health, social-emotional health, life skills, education, and physical health.

Back to Table

COALTION FOR EVIDENCE-BASED POLICY
http://evidencebasedprograms.org/
The Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy is a non-profit, nonpartisan organization, whose mission is to increase government effectiveness through rigorous evidence about “what works.” The organization uses the criteria identified through the “Congressional Top Tier Evidence Standard” to identify effective programs. The website lists different interventions by topic area, addressing social issues ranging from prenatal/early childhood to international development. It highlights several interventions relevant to the adolescent and young adult age groups including teen pregnancy prevention, substance abuse prevention/treatment, and mental health. The website also provides related information including resources for selecting and implementing evidence-based programs.

Back to Table

ETR ASSOCIATES, RESOURCE CENTER FOR ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY PREVENTION (RECAPP)
http://www.etr.org/recapp/
ETR provides leadership, educational resources, training, and research on health promotion with an emphasis on sexuality and health education. The Resource Center for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (ReCAPP) provides information, evaluated program materials, and tools for teachers and health educators aiming to reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors among adolescents. The website’s “Evidence-Based Programs”section contains descriptions of over 20 Evidence-Based Programs, their theoretical frameworks and training information (including contact information), and evaluation fact sheets. The web site also contains guidelines for adapting evidence-based programs, as well as an online catalogue of health education resources, including brochures and curricula, as well as professional skill-building tools.

Back to Table

FIND YOUTH INFO
http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/
FindYouthInfo.gov was created by the federal Interagency Working Group on Youth Programs, a group composed of representatives from 18 federal departments and agencies. It provides a fairly comprehensive set of interactive tools and resources to help youth-serving organizations and community partnerships create effective programs for youth. The main website features a program directory, which allows users to search for programs based on risk or protective factors, and also provides a list of programs with impact ratings and appropriate age ranges. There is also a separate Guide to Evidence and Innovation,which consists of various tools that can be used by program planners to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs.

Back to Table

NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO PREVENT TEEN PREGNANCY
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan campaign to improve the well-being of children, youth, and families by reducing teen and unplanned pregnancy. The web site offers fact sheets, data, research, polling data, public education materials, news, and an effective programs database. The website also includes the 2012 report, Curriculum-Based Programs that Help Prevent Teen Pregnancy. This document lists evidence-based programs by evaluation design.

Back to Table

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH, Research-tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs)
http://rtips.cancer.gov/rtips/index.do
Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, RTIPs is a searchable database designed to provide program planners and public health practitioners with easy and immediate access to research-tested materials. The database allows the user to search from over 100 programs by health topic, setting of the program, materials available, location of program, and characteristics of the target population including age, race/ethnicity, and gender. It includes programs addressing topics like cancer screening, diet and nutrition, physical activity, smoking, and more. The programs are reviewed by a panel of experts in the field, sponsored by the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices. RTIPs provides detailed descriptions of each program and its evaluation, as well as key findings and outcomes of the interventions. It also provides links to related materials and associated downloads when applicable.

In addition to RTIPs, hosted by the National Cancer Institute, other Institutes within NIH provide several resources such as research papers, conference reports and program descriptions, related to prevention. These include: the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NIHCD); the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH); and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Back to Table

OFFICE OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/resources-and-publications/info/parents/just-facts/physical-health.html (Fact sheet for parents)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Adolescent Health website provides information for parents and teens on teen mental, physical, and reproductive health, as well as substance use and relationships. In addition to a resource center with information about different adolescent health topics, it offers a list of evidence-based programs related to teen pregnancy prevention that is organized by name and evaluation setting.

Back to Table

OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE AND DELINQUENCY PREVENTION Model Program Guide
http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/
OJJDP, a component of the Office of Justice Programs within the U.S. Department of Justice, supports states, local communities, and tribal jurisdictions in their efforts to develop and implement effective programs for juveniles. It focuses on preventing and responding to juvenile delinquency and victimization. OJJDP strives to strengthen the juvenile justice system’s efforts to protect public safety, hold offenders accountable, and provide treatment and rehabilitative services tailored to the needs of juveniles and their families. The Model Program Guide Site organizes programs by topic and allows users to search by selected characteristics of the community’s target population, including age, gender, ethnicity, program type, and special populations. It also indicates whether programs are “effective,” “promising,” or have “no effects.”

Back to Table

PROMISING PRACTICES NETWORK, RAND CORPORATION
http://www.promisingpractices.net/
The Promising Practices Network website, operated by the RAND Corporation, highlights programs that have been rigorously evaluated and found to be effective in improving outcomes for children, youth and families. Its Programs that Work database includes programs aimed at improving outcomes related to adolescent use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, sexual activity, and youth violence. Other outcomes addressed include high school graduation and family-related outcomes. The website allows users to search by general outcome area, or by a specific indicator within an outcome area. Each program is assigned either a Proven or a Promising rating,based on PPN’s evidence criteria. A program overview, evaluation findings, implementation considerations, contact information and resources are provided for each program.

Back to Table

SOCIOMETRICS
http://www.socio.com/
Sociometrics is a for-profit research and development firm specializing in social science research applications that produces research-based products and services for a variety of different audiences. There are several different resourcesavailable for users to identify evidence-based programs of interest. Sociometrics’ Program Archives on Sexuality, Health, and Adolescence (PASHA) contains replication kits for programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy and STD/HIV/AIDS. PASHA identifies programs that have been evaluated and demonstrated success as Promising Programs. Programs whose evaluations have not consistently shown success but meet certain criteria are identified as Best Practices. A table organized by program goal and setting with descriptions of each program allows users to select the appropriate program. Users can also define their own search criteria in the following categories: setting, population, program goal and program approach. Once selected, users can purchase an implementation kit for a single program or the complete collection of PASHA Program Packages. In addition to PASHA, Sociometrics offers several subscription-based evidence-based program resources on HIV and substance abuse (YSAPPA). The website also offers guidance for adapting evidence-based programs.

Back to Table

SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES ADMINISTRATION
http://www.samhsa.gov/
This web site features a comprehensive clearinghouse on mental health and substance abuse related data and publications, and some reports specific to adolescents. It also includes a list of funding opportunities and features updated news items and legislation.

SAMHSA hosts the National Registry of Evidence Based Programs and Practices(NREPP) which offers a searchable clearinghouse of promising, effective, and model programs that are reviewed by experts in the field. The programs address substance use and mental health, and include clinical interventions as well as social interventions. Each program listing includes a description of the program focus, targeted outcomes, target population, costs, evaluation design and outcomes, replications of the program, and ordering information. There is a simple keyword search feature, as well as an advanced search feature that allows users to identify programs based on specific aspects of the program.

In addition to NREPP, SAMHSA store allows users to search all publications for evidence-based programs by issue, condition, disorder, substance, treatment, prevention, recovery, and professional and research topics. It consists of different publications that can be ordered or purchased for electronic use. There are also free implementing resources such as Identifying and Selecting Evidence-Based Interventions for Substance Abuse Prevention, which promotes implementation of evidence-based programs for prevention, and Preventing School Violence: A Sustainable Approach, which highlights a program that engages communities to prevent substance abuse and promote safe school environments.

SAMSHA also offers support for professional implementing effective programs through its Collaborative for the Application of Preventive Technologies, a national substance abuse prevention training and technical assistance system dedicated to strengthening prevention systems and the nation’s behavioral health workforce.

Back to Table

SUICIDE PREVENTION RESOURCE CENTER
http://www.sprc.org/bpr/section-i-evidence-based-programs
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center is devoted to advancing the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. The website contains a Best Practices Registry that lists evidence-based programs that are specifically related to suicide prevention. The site links to the SAMHSA’s NREPP listing of each program, which allows users to view a description of its components, targeted outcomes, target population, costs, research conclusions, and contact information for those who would like to obtain program materials. It provides technical assistance, training, and materials to increase the knowledge and expertise of suicide prevention practitioners and other professionals service people at risk for suicide.

Back to Table

SURGEON GENERAL’S HOME PAGE
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/
The web site for the Office of the Surgeon General makes available a variety of Reports of the Surgeon General, Calls to Action, and conference proceedings on topics such as mental health, violence, tobacco use prevention, physical activity, nutrition, and sexual behavior. Although only a few reports are specific to youth, most include youth as part of a lifespan perspective. Reports include reviews of what research tells us about effective prevention and highlights effective programs. Calls to Action lay out national guidelines and strategies for addressing health issues. All publications can be downloaded from the web site.

Back to Table

UCLA SCHOOL MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT: CENTER FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS
http://smhp.psych.ucla.edu/
This web site hosts a clearinghouse of articles and materials designed to assist service providers in delivering mental health services in schools. By clicking on “Quickfind Clearinghouse” users can select “Model Programs Information” for a list of technical assistance packets on various types of programs. Packets address topics such as violence prevention programs and school based health centers. The website also features an information resource with several annotated lists of evidence-based interventions for school aged children and adolescents.

Back to Table

WHAT WORKS CLEARINGHOUSE, INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION SCIENCES
http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/
The What Works Clearinghouse, an initiative within the Department of Education, reviews research on the different programs, products, practices, and policies in education. Topic and outcome domains cover children and youth with disabilities, dropout prevention, student behavior, and more. Users can search interventions by topic/outcome, subcategories, age of target population, effectiveness rating, extent of evidence, and delivery method. Descriptions provide report summaries as well as full reports describing the research evaluating the interventions. Contact information is provided so that interested users can get more information from the developers.

Back to Table

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey , the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

 

August 2014