What Is NREPP?

The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) is a searchable online registry of mental health and substance abuse interventions that have been reviewed and rated by independent reviewers.

The purpose of this registry is to assist the public in identifying approaches to preventing and treating mental and/or substance use disorders that have been scientifically tested and that can be readily disseminated to the field. NREPP is one way that SAMHSA is working to improve access to information on tested interventions and thereby reduce the lag time between the creation of scientific knowledge and its practical application in the field.

What Is Evidence-Based?

In the health care field, evidence-based practice (or practices), also called EBP or EBPs, generally refers to approaches to prevention or treatment that are validated by some form of documented scientific evidence. What counts as "evidence" varies. Evidence often is defined as findings established through scientific research, such as controlled clinical studies, but other methods of establishing evidence are considered valid as well. Evidence-based practice stands in contrast to approaches that are based on tradition, convention, belief, or anecdotal evidence.

Evidence-Based Practice in the Context of NREPP

NREPP does not attempt to offer a single, authoritative definition of evidence-based practice. SAMHSA expects that people who use this system will come with their own perspectives and contexts for understanding the information that NREPP offers. By providing a range of objective information about the research that has been conducted on each particular intervention, SAMHSA hopes users will make their own judgments about which interventions are best suited to particular needs.

SAMHSA also recognizes that there is a wide spectrum of possible definitions of "evidence." With this in mind, the agency has aimed to make the NREPP rating criteria and processes as transparent as possible so that all definitions are clear to all NREPP users. To read more about the criteria that are used to determine an NREPP rating, please see our Review Process section.

Has Reality Tour reached NREPP status? Or, is it still in the review process being considered for NREPP listing?

Receiving an NREPP Review (which our program has achieved) assures an Intervention of final summary and posting. There is no other criteria that has to be met. It takes over a year or more for NREPP to finalize the summary of research submitted and then post it with the Intervention listing. All of the programs on the Pending Review list will eventually be listed as an Intervention on the NREPP site.

More explanation can be found on NREPP's website http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/review.asp. The 'Pending Review' category is somewhat misleading by its title. It does not mean that NREPP is still trying to make a decision but rather that the final research summary (or 'review') will be written and posted when NREPP staff gets to it. You may view The Reality Tour status under Pending Review here http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/resources-pending.asp (Listed under T for The Reality Tour)

During the spring of 2009 CANDLE, Inc. worked with CSAP's Centers for the Application of Prevention Technologies to develop an in depth study of the innovative Reality Tour Program.  This study was initially piloted in 2009, and the full study is awaiting funding.  At this point, the small sample size of the pilot study means the results can only be taken as anecdotal evidence.

The following are some summary results from the survey delivered 90 days after attending the Reality Tour Program.

Youth Survey

• 80% have worked on healthy living goals established as part of the Reality Tour Program
• 90% of youth stated the Reality Tour impacted their family in a positive way
• 30% felt the Reality Tour caused their parents to make changes

Parent Survey

• 70% have used resource book Navigating the Teen Years (SAMHSA provided publication)
• 40% used "Talk Cards" to start difficult conversations with their teen
• 100% have used the Reality Tour experience as a way to start the conversation of substance abuse with their child
• 100% think it was necessary to experience the Reality Tour together with their child
• 100% have shared Reality Tour information with a family member and non-family members
• 100% responding that they received parenting guidance and knowledge of indicators that could be a child's first signs of drug involvement
• 100% state the Reality Tour experience has had a direct positive impact on their family
• 90% are now certain they could locate proper community resources in event of a problem with drug & alcohol
• 90% are confident they can make time to talk with their child daily about what is going on in their life
• 50% had helped their child choose a code word to signal parent on a phone call that they needed to be picked up right away because they were in a bad situation.

A NOMS study with pre, post and 30 day follow-up was conducted in conjunction with researchers at the University of Pittsburgh's School of Pharmacy in 2007-2008. This study was submitted to NREPP and gained review acceptance for the Reality Tour.  Below please find some of the findings for the NOMS study.

The 2007 research conducted by the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Pharmacy notes some key findings:

• 42% of youth surveyed (122) report an increase in discussion within the home regarding substance abuse
• 46% of youth reported that discussion in the home was made easier by the Reality Tour experience
• 91% of youth reported they used the information provided within 30 days (39% used the info ‘A lot.”)
• Perception of harm for gateway drugs, tobacco, alcohol, marijuana as well as illicit drugs increased overall
• Knowledge of emerging drug ‘meth’ increased from pre-test 44% to posttest 73%