Evidence-based Program Registries

Evidence-based Program Registries PDF

The following websites contain registries, or lists of evidence-based programs that have met specific criteria for effectiveness. Program registries are typically sponsored by federal agencies or other research organizations that endorse programs at different rating levels based on evidence of effectiveness for certain participant outcomes. The registries listed below cover a range of areas including substance abuse and violence prevention as well as the promotion of positive outcomes such as school success and emotional and social competence. Generally, registries are designed to be used for finding programs for implementation. However, registries can also be used to learn about evidence-based programs that may serve as models as organizations modify aspects of their own programs. 

Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention 
http://www.sprc.org/featured_resources/ebpp/index.asp
This registry, developed by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, includes two registries of evidence-based programs. The first draws directly from a larger registry- that of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP). Users interested in finding out more about programs drawn from this registry will be directed to the NREPP site. The second registry was developed by SPRC in 2005 and lists Effective and Promising evidence-based programs for suicide prevention. This portion has fact sheets in PDF format for users interested in learning more about the listed programs.  

California Child Welfare Clearinghouse
http://www.cachildwelfareclearinghouse.org/
This is a program listing designed to inform the California child welfare community of research evidence for specific child welfare related programs. The registry programs can be accessed by a complete program listing or by child welfare related topic areas. The programs listed by topic area are all the recommendations of experts in that particular topic area. The programs are rated on a scale of one to five for strength of research evidence and a scale of one to three for child welfare relevance, where the number one indicates the highest rating.

Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Blueprints for Violence Prevention 
http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/blueprints/index.html
This research center site provides information on model programs in its “Blueprints” section. Programs that meet a strict scientific standard of program effectiveness are listed. These model programs (Blueprints) have demonstrated their effectiveness in reducing adolescent violent crime, aggression, delinquency, and substance abuse. Other programs have been identified as promising programs. Endorsements are updated regularly, with programs added to and excluded from the registry based on new evaluation findings.

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
http://www.casel.org/programs/selecting.php
The Safe and Sound report developed at CASEL lists school-based programs that research has indicated are effective in promoting social and emotional learning in schools. This type of learning has been shown to contribute to positive youth development, academic achievement, healthy behaviors, and reductions in youth problem behaviors. Ratings are given on specific criteria for all programs listed, with some designated “Select” programs. This registry has not been updated since programs were reviewed in 2003.

Exemplary and Promising Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools Programs 
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/exemplary01/index.html
The Department of Education and the Expert Panel on Safe, Disciplined and Drug-Free Schools identified nine exemplary and 33 promising programs for this 2001 report.  The report, which can be found at this site, provides descriptions and contact information for each program. The focus is on programs that can be implemented in a school setting whether in the classroom, in extracurricular activities, or as after-school programming.

Helping America’s Youth
http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/ContentPage.aspx?cpid=55
This registry is sponsored by the White House and was developed with the help of several federal agencies. Programs focus on a range of youth outcomes such as academic achievement, substance use, and delinquency, and are categorized as Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 according to their demonstrated effectiveness. The registry can be searched with keywords or by risk or protective factor, and is updated regularly to incorporate new evidence-based programs.

Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technology (CAPT) Database of Prevention Programs
http://www.hhd.org/search/node/ 
This site features a simple or advanced search function to find substance abuse and other types of prevention programs and determine their effectiveness according to a variety of criteria. Also included is information about the sources those agencies used for their evaluations, contact information, websites, domains, relevant references, and a brief description of each program.

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Model Programs Guide
http://ojjdp.ncjrs.org/programs/mpg.html
The OJJDP Model Programs Guide is a user-friendly, online portal to prevention and intervention programs that address a range of issues across the juvenile justice spectrum. The Guide now profiles more than 200 programs - rated Exemplary, Effective, or Promising - and helps communities identify those that best suit their needs. Users can search the Guide’s database by program category, target population, risk and protective factors, effectiveness rating, and other parameters. This registry is continuously updated and contains more programs than other well-known registries, although many of these are Promising rather than Exemplary or Effective.

Promising Practices Network on Children, Families and Communities
http://www.promisingpractices.net/programs.asp
A project of the RAND Corporation, the Promising Practices Network website contains a registry of Proven and Promising prevention programs that research has shown to be effective for a variety of outcomes. These programs are generally focused on children, adolescents, and families. The website provides a thorough summary of each program and is updated regularly. 

Social Programs that Work, Coalition for Evidenced-Based Policy
http://www.evidencebasedprograms.org/
This site is not a registry in the conventional sense of the word in that it does not include and exclude programs based on some criteria of effectiveness. Instead, it summarizes the findings from rigorous evaluations of programs targeting issues such as employment, substance use, teen pregnancy, and education. Some of the programs have substantial evidence of their effectiveness, while others have evaluation results suggesting their ineffectiveness. Users are welcome to sign up for emails announcing when the site is updated.

Strengthening America’s Families: Effective Family Programs for Prevention of Delinquency
http://www.strengtheningfamilies.org/
This registry summarizes and rates family strengthening programs which have been proven to be effective. Programs are designated as Exemplary I, Exemplary II, Model, or Promising based upon the degree, quality and outcomes of research associated with them. A program matrix is also included, which can be helpful in determining “at a glance” which programs may best meet community needs. This registry was last revised in 1999.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices
http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/
The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable database with up-to-date, reliable information on the scientific basis and practicality of interventions. Rather than categorizing programs as Model, Effective, or Promising, NREPP rates the quality of the research findings separately for each outcome that has been evaluated, as well as readiness for dissemination. Users can perform customized searches to identify specific interventions based upon desired outcomes, target populations and settings. 

Youth Violence: A Report of the Surgeon General 
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/youthviolence/chapter5/sec3.html
This report designates programs as Model or Promising and goes further than many other registries to also include a “Does Not Work” category. General approaches and specific programs for the prevention of youth violence are described at three levels of intervention: primary, secondary and tertiary. This report has not been updated since its publication in 2001, but it is rare in that it discusses the cost-effectiveness of the programs.

What Works Wisconsin: Evidence-based Parenting Program Directory
http://whatworks.uwex.edu/Pages/2parentsinprogrameb.html
This directory provides an overview of currently available evidence-based parenting programs, a subset of the larger body of evidence-based programs. It is intended to serve the needs of parent educators, family practitioners, program planners and others looking for effective programs to implement with parents and families. The directory is divided into three sections: section one focuses on parenting education/training for parents of children within a single age range; programs in section two include options for parenting education/training across multiple age ranges; and section three consists of multiple-component programs where one of the components is parenting education.