Tom – Page 6 – Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development

What Criteria Does Blueprints Use in Selecting Programs?

Blueprints considers four criteria:

Evaluation quality—Can we be confident in a program’s evaluation
Intervention impact—How much positive change in key developmental outcomes can be attributed to the intervention
Intervention specificity—Is the intervention focused, practical, and logical
Dissemination readiness—Does the program have the necessary support and information to be successfully implemented

Blueprints programs must meet all four criteria. See our Program Criteria page for a more detailed description.

What Is the Difference Between a Promising and Model Program?

Both promising and model programs meet basic Blueprints standards, but model programs meet additional requirements. Promising programs must have evidence from one high-quality experimental or two high-quality quasi-experimental designs, clear findings of positive impact, carefully defined goals, and sufficient resources to help users. Model programs must have evidence from two high-quality experimental or one experimental and one quasi-experimental design of high quality, and in addition to the above criteria (positive impact, defined goals, dissemination capacity), have a sustained impact at least 12 months after the intervention ends. Model programs which have conducted a high-quality “independent” replication have been labeled as Model Plus. Model and Model-Plus programs are deemed ready for widespread use.

What kind of youth programs does Blueprints examine?

Blueprints began with a focus on youth programs to prevent violence, delinquency, and drug use, but it has recently expanded its scope. It now also recommends programs to improve mental and physical health, self-regulation, and educational achievement outcomes. The outcomes of interest involve more than preventing harmful behavior — they also involve positive behaviors and healthy development.

What is Blueprints?

Blueprints is a project at the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Colorado Boulder. It identifies, recommends, and disseminates programs for youth that, based on scientific evaluations, have strong evidence of effectiveness. Blueprints serves as a resource for governmental agencies, schools, foundations, and community organizations trying to make informed decisions about their investments in youth programs. Its ultimate goal is to reduce antisocial behavior and promote a healthy course of youth development.

Announcing Launch of Straight Talk on Evidence Website

In an effort to improve access to credible social program evaluation research, the Laura and John Arnold Foundation is launching a new website called “Straight Talk on Evidence.” The new website aims to clarify often exaggerated evaluation study results for policy and program officials, researchers, journalists, and philanthropic funders to aid in decision making and improve the quality of distributed information. This important work seeks to instill in the evaluation research community a greater sense of accountability, in addition to providing further support for high quality research with genuinely reported results.

Whole Number Foundations Level K

Positive Prevention PLUS

Laws Promoting Evidence-Based Practice: Experiences from Three States

A brief from the Pew-MacArthur Results First Initiative highlights legal strategies employed by three states — Washington, Oregon, and Tennessee — to increase the use of evidence-based programs and practices. Though the laws and the policy domains they affect are diverse, the insights gained from these experiences converge to provide valuable considerations for future evidence-based policymaking.

Issue No. 2

A Letter From Our Director:
Blueprints Process for Selecting Programs

Blueprints’ standards for program certification are recognized as the most rigorous in the field. Many registries solicit nominations and review only those studies submitted by the program developers, potentially omitting studies with null results.

Blueprints not only reviews nominated programs, but also performs an exhaustive search of the literature each month to identify programs addressing outcomes of interest (delinquency, substance use, emotional and physical well-being, academic success, and positive relationships). In other words, a great deal of time and work goes into our selection process. Get the full breakdown of how it all comes together.

Last month, the Blueprints Advisory Board met for its bi-annual meeting, where we conducted a final review for potential Blueprints programs. Stay tuned to find out what programs, if any, made the cut!

Sincerely,

Sharon Mihalic
Director, Blueprints Initiative
Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
Institute of Behavioral Science
University of Colorado Boulder
sharon.mihalic@colorado.edu

Featured Model Program
Body Project
Blueprints Certified: 2015
Ages Served: Late Adolescence – High School, Early Adulthood
Program Outcome: Mental Health – Other, Physical Health and Well-Being
A four-session group intervention to prevent the onset of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating among female high school and college students with body image concerns.

Learn more about Body Project…

Featured Promising Program
Child First
Blueprints Certified: 2016
Ages Served: Infant, Early Childhood – Preschool
Program Outcome: Child Maltreatment, Early Cognitive Development, Externalizing
A two-generation home visitation program, Child First provides psychotherapeutic services and intensive care coordination, while building adult reflective and executive capacity, to prevent or diminish serious emotional disturbance, developmental and learning disabilities, and abuse and neglect among young children.

Learn more about Child First…

Blueprints News & Resources
Relevant articles and helpful resources

Here are a few articles that feature some of our Blueprint’s Model Programs:

Here are some helpful resources:

Enhancing Platforms that Support Local Health Improvement – Georgia Health Policy Center

Mark Your Calendar!
Join us in Colorado next spring for our bi-annual conference. It’s shaping up to be another great event that you won’t want to miss.

Legislative Update
Stay Informed
Legislative support is key to the elevation of our programs. We would encourage you to keep an eye on these bills as they progress.

Our mailing address is:
University of Colorado Boulder | Institute of Behavioral Science | Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence
483 UCB, Boulder, CO 80309

Seventeen Blueprints Programs Listed as Effective in the Surgeon General’s Report

Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health recently named seventeen Blueprints Programs as effective in preventing youth substance abuse. The Blueprints certified programs included four Model Programs and thirteen Promising Programs.

Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health recently named seventeen Blueprints Programs as effective in preventing youth substance abuse. The Blueprints certified programs included four Model Programs and thirteen Promising Programs.

Blueprints Model Programs:

Nurse-Family Partnership
LifeSkills Training
Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students (BASICS)
Project Towards No Drug Abuse

Blueprints Promising Programs:

Raising Healthy Children
Good Behavior Game
Athletes Training and Learning to Avoid Steroids (ATLAS)
Strengthening Families 10-14
Guiding Good Choices
Strong African American Families
Familias Unidas
Positive Family Support-Family Check-Up
Keep Safe
Coping Power
Communities That Care
PROSPER
Project Northland

Author: Tom