Ways to Use the Evidence Based Program Guide
The EBP Guide is a tool to aid in finding the most appropriate evidence-based or evidence-informed practice for a community. The guide is divided into sections, each tailored to a specific category or feature of a well-defined strategy.
Chapter 1 is an alphabetical list table of all the strategies explained in the guide. The list has different categories, featuring Strategy name and links to website, Priority Population, Domain, IOM Category, Setting, CSAP Strategy Type and Level of Effectiveness. By clicking on the title of the strategy you will be taken to the developer’s home page, when available.
Chapters 2-8 offer strategy lists broken down by the variables listed below. After defining the goal of the strategy and determining the best way to reach the audience, please explore the information found in the additional chapters.
Directions
To find a specific category list, click on the table title link (blue and underlined) which will take you to the matching chapter. For instance, to go to chapter 2, which features levels of effectiveness, click on the blue and underlined title “Chapter 2: Effectiveness Tier Levels.” Once there, you can click on a strategy that you are considering which will take you to Chapter 1, the alphabetic list. There you can find additional information as well as resources/links for the strategy website, information on the research or Evidence Based Registry and other category definitions for the strategy.
Chapter 2: Effectiveness Tier Levels
Color Coding System |
Blue: Tier 1: Considered an Evidence-Based Strategy. Implementing the program is likely to result in the intended outcome(s).
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Green: Tier 2: Considered a Promising Strategy. Implementing the program should result in the intended outcome(s).
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Yellow: Tier 3: Considered an evidence-informed or emerging strategy. Implementing the program may result in the intended outcome(s).
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Clicking on Chapter 2: Effectiveness Tier Levels to find a breakdown of the EBP Guide Strategies by Evidence of Effectiveness.
Chapter 3: Strategy by Prioritized Population:
Target population groups are divided into subsections of the population based on census age ranges. There is also groups of unique subgroups that you may want to consider such as Health Disparate and Disproportional populations.
| Pre-K (0-6) | Elementary (5-12) |
| Middle School (11-14) | High School (14-19) |
| College (18-22) | Young Adult (18-24) |
| Parents | Adult (25-44) |
| Older Adult (45+) | Unique populations |
Clicking on Chapter 3: Strategy by Prioritized Population to find a breakdown of the EBP Guide Strategies by Prioritized Populations.
Chapter 4: Strategy by DOMAIN and CONTRIBUTING FACTORS:
The domain is a way to identify the best reach for different contributing (risk and protective) factors which impact behavior. Questions to ask are: “What are the contributing factors (risk and protective factors) that have led to negative behavior?” and “In which domain do these elements belong?”
| Domain | Targeted Elements | Examples of Contributing Factors: |
| Peer/Individual | Factors of individuals and peers that impact substance misuse. | Perceptions of individuals and their peers that encourage substance use.
Individual contributing factors: Uneducated in the negative results of substance use, positive attitude toward substance use, use of substances at a young age, psychological and biological factors, antisocial behavior, sensation seeking or risk-taking, and lack of adult supervision. Peer contributing factors: Peer use, peer standards favoring substance use, activities with peers who favor substance use, and a presence of social activities where use takes place. |
| Family | Factors within families that impact substance misuse. | Contributing factors: Family approvals and actions that encourage substance use include. Family (parent, care giver and sibling) substance use, family management, little or no involvement from parents and/or caregivers, conflict within the family, generational differences in family culture, and low family bonding. |
| School | Factors associated with school environment and substance misuse. | Contributing factors: Lack of commitment to education, poor grades, negative school climate, lenient school policies, and unclear norms about drug use. |
| Community and Societal Environment | Factors related to community environments and society that impact substance misuse. | Community contributing factors: Lack of bonding/attachment to community, community lacks awareness of substance misuse problems, community norms do not discourage misuse, laws do not prevent misuse, and substances are accessible.
Environment/Society contributing factors: Policies do not deter substance misuse, economic deprivation, neighborhood attachment, and lack of implementation of laws. |
Clicking on Chapter 4: Strategy by DOMAIN and CONTRIBUTING FACTORS for a breakdown of the EBP Guide Strategies by Domain and contributing factors.
Chapter 5: IOM Category (Institute of Medicine)
The IOM (National Academy of Medicine) has defined strategy categories based on the service delivery method and targeted population of strategies.
| Category | Types of Strategies Used in this Category |
| Indicated | Approaches intended to prevent substance misuse in high-risk individuals who are showing signs and problem behaviors that could result in them developing addiction. |
| Selective | Strategies that address subgroups of the population that are at higher-than-average risk for substance misuse. |
| Universal | Approaches that address the entire population with the goal of preventing or delaying substance abuse. |
| Universal Direct | Strategies that directly serve an identified group of participants, but members of the group were not selected based on their individual risk. Direct strategies often come in the form of a program that is delivered to a group of identifiable participants such as students. |
| Universal Indirect | Strategies that widely address entire populations who are not individually identified. Interventions support population-based programs and environmental strategies |
Clicking on Chapter 5: IOM Category will take you to a breakdown of the EBP GuidStrategies by IOM Category and level of intervention.
Chapter 6: CSAP Core Strategies (Center for Substance Abuse Prevention)
The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) is a center within SAMHSA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.) CSAP identified six major prevention strategy categories that are effective in preventing substance use disorders.
| Strategy Category | Definitions | |
| Alternatives | Constructive activities and events encouraging a population to participate in safe and healthy recreation that excludes substance use. | Activities are not limited to age groups. These can be family, youth and target population based. Examples of activities conducted, and methods used for this strategy include (but are not limited to) the following: substance free events, dances and parties, leadership activities, community drop-in centers, and community service activities. |
| Community-Based Process | Builds the community’s ability to provide prevention, treatment and recovery through partnerships, coalition building, data acquisition and system enhancement. | Activities that organize and enhance effectiveness of efforts programming in a community and build sustainable outcomes. Measurable efforts can include coordinating and developing inter/intra-agency partnerships, coalition building, and networking. Examples of activities conducted, and methods used for this strategy include (but are not limited to) the following: community and volunteer training of coalition members, staff, key players, political officials, and community leaders, building readiness and data mining across the community, and systematic planning through the SPF process. |
| Education | Two-Way communication and activities between a facilitator and group with the goal of improving life and social skills, increasing knowledge and change attitudes. | Strategies within this category must include the ability to interact and ask questions and are distinguished from the Information Dissemination strategy because there is interaction between the educator/facilitator. These can include positive decision-making, refusal skills, and critical analysis. Examples for this strategy include (but are not limited to): classroom, after school programs, and/or small group sessions, caregiver and family cohorts, and peer leader/helper programs. Diverse and specific subpopulations can benefit from this strategy. |
| Environmental | Focuses on community-level impact through codes, legislation, policies, bills and ordinances. | This community level effort can begin or modify existing scripted and implied community norms so that incidence and prevalence of misuse is decreased. Efforts can be structured within subsections such as community events and schools as well as overall city and county legislation. Examples of methods include (but not be limited to): development of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use policies in schools, maximizing local enforcement actions around availability and distribution of substances, and changing alcohol and tobacco pricing practices and product marketing. |
| Information Dissemination | One-way communication to enhance knowledge and awareness.
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This strategy seeks to change perception and increase knowledge of alcohol, tobacco and drug misuse, abuse and addiction. Examples include (but are not limited to): Publications in newspapers, magazines, and clearinghouse/information resource centers. Also included in this category are media campaigns with brochures/fliers, radio/TV public service announcements, speaking engagements, health fairs/health promotion, event tabling, social media, and information lines. |
| Problem Identification and Referral | Recognize those who are exposed to multiple risk factors for substance misuse and individuals who have experimented with substances where behavior can be shifted through education. | Assessment (problem identification) determines if their behavior can be reversed through education. This strategy does not include treatment needs. Examples include (but are not limited to): Employee assistance programs, Student assistance programs, DUI/DWI education programs and non-treatment cessation programs. |
Clicking on the words Chapter 6: CSAP Core Strategies will take you to a breakdown of the EBP Guide Strategies by CSAP Core Strategy.
Chapter 7: Behaviors Beyond Substance Use
Clicking on Chapter 7: Behaviors Beyond Substance Use will take you to a breakdown of the those EBP Guiide Strategies that are proven effective for other behavior issues such as Bullying, Violence and aggression, Suicide, and other mental health issues.
Chapter 8: Effective Youth Violence Specific Strategies
Clicking on Chapter 8: Effective Youth Violence Specific Strategies will take you to a breakdown of additional strategies that have been proven effective for Youth Violence and Aggression.