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FAQs

What is NREPP?

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), formerly the National Registry of Effective Programs, is a voluntary rating and classification system for mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment interventions. The system is designed to identify, review, and disseminate information about interventions.

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How many interventions are included in NREPP?

NREPP is a new registry and new intervention summaries are continually being added as reviews are completed. The registry is expected to grow to a large number of interventions over the coming months and years. Please check back regularly to access the latest updates.

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How has the NREPP program been revised and expanded?

NREPP originated as a program to promote model substance abuse prevention interventions that have a strong scientific evidence base. NREPP has expanded to include mental health promotion and treatment as well as substance abuse treatment interventions. As part of this expansion, SAMHSA has revised the review process and review criteria. Interventions are reviewed and classified based on the Quality of Research for specific outcomes achieved, rather than for a global assessment of the intervention. In addition, NREPP also includes a new dimension called Readiness for Dissemination, which is a measure of the availability and quality of training and implementation materials.

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Why was NREPP expanded?

Increasingly, Federal agencies are recognizing the value to the public and to science of a voluntary classification system that summarizes the best current evidence about the effectiveness and utility of interventions. NREPP promises to be a transparent system to promote the dissemination of information on evidence-based interventions to prevent and treat mental and substance use disorders.

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What is the difference between the old criteria and the new criteria?

Reviewers use six Quality of Research criteria to assess outcomes and three Readiness for Dissemination criteria to assess the overall intervention. Earlier versions tended to be measures of general program impact, not specific outcomes, time frames, and populations or settings.

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How will the new criteria affect my program, which was reviewed using the old NREPP system?

Most interventions that received Model Program status under the previous system will be targeted for an expedited review using the current criteria and rating system. All of these interventions will be reviewed and posted to the new NREPP Web site. Programs that received Effective or Promising status will not be reviewed but are listed as Legacy Programs in the Resources section of the NREPP Web site. The current Model Program designations, as well as the existing Model Programs Web site, eventually will be phased out.

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Can I still access content from SAMHSA's Model Programs Web site (the old NREPP)?

Programs from the Model Programs Web site that have been re-reviewed under the current NREPP will be listed in this site's Find Interventions section.

Most Effective and Promising Programs from the Model Programs Web site have consented to be posted in this site's Legacy Programs section.

Many documents from the Model Programs Web site are now available in this site's Legacy Documents section.

Model Programs that have not been re-reviewed and Effective and Promising Programs that have not consented to being placed on this site are listed at http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov.

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Can I appeal a rating?

If applicants have reason to doubt the validity or the accuracy of an NREPP review, they will have an opportunity to initiate a formal appeals process. In these rare cases, NREPP will provide instructions to the applicant on how to proceed with a formal appeal.

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Why aren't prevention and treatment interventions considered under separate criteria?

The developers and Federal sponsors of NREPP believe that the scientific standards for evidence-based practice assessments contained within NREPP apply equally to the prevention and treatment components of behavioral health care.

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Where can I get help if I want to submit my intervention to NREPP, or if I just want more information about NREPP?

Please contact NREPP at 1-866-43NREPP (1-866-436-7377) or e-mail us at NREPP@samhsa.hhs.gov with your questions.

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Will environmental interventions/community-level interventions be included in NREPP?

Yes.

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How do I find out if my project qualifies for submission?

To be considered for NREPP review, please read the information in the Submissions section of this site.

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Will everyone who submits an application be reviewed?

No. Submitted interventions will be reviewed to first determine if they meet the minimum requirements for submission. If they do, then they will be assigned priority points based on whether they meet additional criteria. Specifically, interventions will receive 1 priority point if they have an outcome or outcomes relevant to SAMHSA's current priority areas, and 1 additional priority point if they have been evaluated using a quasi-experimental or experimental research design. Interventions with 2 priority points will receive the highest priority for review. The actual number of reviews conducted each year will depend on available contract resources.

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Can interventions emanating from outside the United States be considered by NREPP?

Yes, if they meet all the NREPP requirements and if they have implementation materials that can be disseminated in the Uinted States.

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Will there be another application cycle?

Due to the large number of interventions already accepted for review, NREPP will not be accepting new submissions until October 1, 2009.

Is there any cost to apply to NREPP?

There is no cost to apply. However, applicants must be prepared to send all relevant intervention materials as well as three copies of all dissemination materials at their own expense.

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What are Legacy Programs?

All programs that received Effective or Promising status under the previous NREPP system are offered the opportunity to be listed on this site as Legacy Programs. Legacy Programs have not been reviewed using the current NREPP criteria and rating system and are intended to be used for historical reference only.

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