parent and child embrace

Evidence-based Prevention Programs

Registry of programs approved for use by providers in the delivery of prevention services.

Evidence Based Prevention Programs

OASAS maintains and updates this registry of approved evidence-based programs that providers should utilize in their delivery of prevention services. The registry includes early intervention programs to help youth who exhibit elevated risk factors and are using substances, as well as educational and multi-component programs which focus on improving risk and protective factors at home and in the community.

Please also review Promising Programs and Practices (PPP), a list of prevention program options for our providers to consider implementing.
 


Registry of Evidence-Based Programs

Additional details and guidance on how to implement each of these programs can be found here.

Program

Risk or Protective Factor

Substance Use Outcome

Active Parenting (4th Ed.)
A video-based education program designed to
teach parents how to raise a child by using encouragement,
building self-esteem, active listening, effective communication,
and problem- solving.

Risk Factors:

-Parental Attitudes Towards Drugs
-Family Conflict

N/A

Active Parenting of Teens
Increases protective factors that prevent and
reduce alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use; irresponsible
sexual behavior; and violence. 

Risk Factors:

-Family Management Problems
-Parental Attitudes Towards Drugs
-Low Commitment to School
-Favorable Attitudes Toward Drug Use 

N/A

All Stars - Booster
Designed to be delivered one year after Core. It includes
nine 45-minute sessions that reinforce (but do not duplicate)
lessons learned in Core.

Risk Factors:

-Low Commitment to School
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

N/A

All Stars Core
A school- and community-based intervention that
addresses prosocial behaviors that help students
get along with each other and, at the discretion of the
teacher, addresses postponing premature sexual activity.

Risk Factors:

-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

A demonstrated decrease in:
Drug use

BASICS
Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College
Students (BASICS) is a prevention program for college
students who drink alcohol heavily and have experienced
or are at risk for alcohol-related problems.

N/A

A demonstrated decrease in:

Alcohol use

Building Skills
A 12-lesson curriculum designed to help 5th graders
avoid or reduce high-risk behaviors, including
substance abuse, by improving their inter- and
intrapersonal skills. 

Risk Factors:
-Low Commitment to School
-Early Initiation of Drug Use
-Early Initiation K-5) of Problem Behavior

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

N/A

Challenging College Alcohol Abuse
A social norms and environmental management
program that reduces high-risk drinking and related
negative consequences in college students 18 to 24
years old.

Risk Factor:
-Social Norms Favorable Towards Substance Use

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use

Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC)
Creating Lasting Family Connections is a family-
focused program that aims to build the resiliency of
youth aged 9 to 17 years and reduce the frequency
of their alcohol and other drug use.

Risk Factors:
-Family Conflict
-Parental Attitudes Towards Drugs
-Academic FailureFriends who use Drugs
-Early Initiation of Drug Use

Protective Factors:
-Community Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
-Family Attachment

A demonstrated decrease in:

Alcohol use
Drug use

Early Risers Skills for Success
A multicomponent, developmentally focused,
competency-enhancement program that targets 6-
to 12-year-old elementary school students who are
at high risk for early development of conduct
problems, including substance use. 

Risk Factors:
-Family Management Problems
-Early Initiation (K-5) of Problem Behavior

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

N/A

Families and Schools Together (FAST)
A 2-year, multifamily group intervention designed to
build relationships between and within families,
schools, and communities (particularly in low-income
areas) to increase all children's well-being,
especially as they transition into elementary school.

Risk Factors:
-Low Commitment to School
-Academic Failure

Protective Factors:
-Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
-School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement

N/A

Familias Unidas
A family-based program for Hispanic families conducted in Spanish. It is designed to prevent conduct disorders; use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes; and risky sexual behaviors by improving family functioning. The intervention is delivered primarily through multi-parent groups, which aim to develop effective parenting skills, and family visits, during which parents apply skills while interacting with their adolescent.

Risk Factor:

-Family Management Problems

-Family Conflict

Decrease in recent substance use (alcohol, drugs)
Family Spirit
Family Spirit® is an evidence-based, culturally tailored home-visiting program to promote optimal health and wellbeing for expectant Indigenous/American Indian mothers and their children. Family Spirit combines the use of paraprofessionals from the community as home visitors and a culturally focused, strengths-based curriculum as a core strategy to support young families. Parents gain knowledge and skills to promote healthy development and positive lifestyles for themselves and their children. 63 lessons are taught between pregnancy and the child’s 3rd birthday

Risk Factor:

Depressive Symptoms

A demonstrated decrease in: 

Marijuana Use, Illicit Drug Use

PAX Good Behavior Game
Classroom behavior management strategy for
elementary school integrated into standard
curricula. GBG uses a game format with teams with
rewards for pro-social behavior. Provider is the
“coach” and capacity builder.

Risk Factor:
-Early Initiation (K-5) of Problem Behavior

A demonstrated decrease in: 
Alcohol use
Drug use 
Tobacco use
Violent/criminal behavior

Guiding Good Choices
A drug use prevention program that provides
parents of children in grades 4 through 8 (9 to 14
years old) with the knowledge and skills needed to
guide their children through early adolescence. It
seeks to strengthen and clarify family expectations
for behavior, enhance the conditions that promote
bonding within the family and teach skills that allow
children to resist drug use successfully.

Risk Factors:
-Family Management Problems
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use
-Early Initiation of Drug Use

Protective Factors:
-Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 
-Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 
-Social Skills

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco use
illicit drug use

Incredible Years - Child Dinosaur
The child program aims to strengthen children's social
and emotional competencies, such as understanding
and communicating feelings, using effective problem-
solving strategies, managing anger, practicing
friendship and conversational skills, and behaving
appropriately in the classroom.

Risk Factors:
-Early Initiation (K-5) of Problem Behavior
-Family Management Problems

Protective Factors:
-Family Rewards for Prosocial Involvement 
-School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement
-Social Skills

N/A

Incredible Years - Parent Program
The parent programs focus on strengthening parent-
child interactions and relationships, reducing harsh
discipline, and fostering parents' ability to promote
children's social, emotional, and language
development. 

Risk Factors
-Family Management Problems
-Problem Behavior

N/A

Keepin' it Real
Designed to help students assess the risks associated
with substance abuse, enhance decision making and
resistance strategies, improve antidrug normative
beliefs and attitudes, and reduce substance use. The
curriculum places special emphasis on resistance
strategies represented in the acronym REAL: Refuse
offers to use substances, Explain why you do not want
to use substances, Avoid situations in which
substances are used, and Leave situations in which
substances are used.

N/A

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco use
Marijuana use

Life Skills Training (LST) - Elementary
A school-based program that aims to prevent alcohol,
tobacco, and marijuana use and violence by targeting
the major social and psychological factors that
promote the initiation of substance use and other
risky behaviors. LST is based on both the social
influence and competence enhancement models of
prevention.

Risk Factor:
-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

N/A

Life Skills Training (LST) - High School
The Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) High School program is a highly interactive, skills-based program designed to promote positive health and personal development for youth in grades 9 or 10. The program is comprehensive, dynamic, and developmentally designed to promote mental health, social-emotional (SEL) skills and positive youth development.
Protective factor: Social Skills Marijuana & Alcohol

Life Skills Training (LST) - Middle School
A school-based program that aims to prevent alcohol,
tobacco, and marijuana use and violence by targeting
the major social and psychological factors that
promote the initiation of substance use and other
risky behaviors.

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

Risk Factors:
-Early Initiation of Drug Use
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco
Drug use
Marijuana use.

Lions - Quest
Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence (SFA) is a universal
and comprehensive curriculum for students in grades
6–8 with the aim of fostering a positive learning
environment, teaching social and emotional skills,
promoting prosocial behavior, and preventing drug
and alcohol use.

Protective Factor:
Social Skills

A demonstrated decrease in:
Marijuana use

Olweus Bullying Prevention
OBPP is used at the school, classroom, and individual
levels and includes methods to reach out to parents
and the community for involvement and support.
These efforts are designed to improve peer relations
and make the school a safer and more positive place
for students to learn and develop.

Risk Factor:
Early initiation of Problem Behavior

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco use 
Marijuana use

Parenting Wisely
A set of interactive, computer-based training
programs for parents of children ages 3-18 years.
Based on social learning, cognitive-behavioral, and
family systems theories, the programs aim to increase
parental communication and disciplinary skills.

Risk Factors:
-Family Conflict
-Family Management
-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

Protective Factor:
-Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement

N/A

PATHS
A comprehensive curriculum promoting emotional
and social competencies and reducing aggression
and behavior problems in elementary school-aged
children while simultaneously enhancing the
educational process in the classroom. Although
primarily focused on the school and classroom
settings, information and activities are also included
for use with parents.

Risk Factors:
-Academic Failure
-Early Initiation (K-5) of Problem Behavior

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

N/A

Positive Action - Elementary
Positive Action is a systematic educational program
that promotes an intrinsic interest in learning and
encourages cooperation among students. It works by
teaching and reinforcing the intuitive philosophy that
you feel good about yourself when you do positive
actions.

Risk Factors:
-Academic Failure
-Low Commitment to School
-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco use
Drug use

Positive Action - Middle School
Positive Action is a systematic educational program
that promotes an intrinsic interest in learning and
encourages cooperation among students. It works by
teaching and reinforcing the intuitive philosophy that
you feel good about yourself when you do positive
actions.

Risk Factors:
-Academic Failure
-Low Commitment to School
-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco use
Drug use

Preventure
Preventure is a school-based intervention aimed to
reduce drug and alcohol use while improving
emotional well-being. Students who demonstrate
certain personality profiles as identified through a
screening questionnaire participate in a two 90-
minute workshop. The workshops focus on motivating
teens to understand their personality type that may
lead to certain emotional or behavioral reactions.
Specialized workshops include sensation seeking,
impulsivity, anxiety sensitivity, and negative thinking. 

Risk Factor:
-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Marijuana use
Illicit drug use

Project Towards No Drug (TND) Abuse
A drug use prevention program for high school youth.
The current version of the curriculum is designed to
help students develop self-control and
communication skills, acquire resources that help
them resist drug use, improve decision-making
strategies, and develop the motivation to not use
drugs. It is packaged in 12 40-minute interactive
sessions to be taught by teachers or health
educators. 

N/A

A demonstrated decrease in:
Drug use

Protect You/Protect Me
A 5-year classroom-based alcohol use prevention and
vehicle safety program for elementary school
students in grades 1-5 (ages 6-11) and high school
students in grades 11 and 12. The program aims to
reduce alcohol-related injuries and death among
children and youth due to underage alcohol use and
riding in vehicles with drivers who are not alcohol-
free.

Risk Factor:
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

N/A

Refuse, Remove, Reasons High School Education (RRR)
A substance abuse prevention program that is
designed to reduce high school students' favorable
attitudes toward the use of alcohol, tobacco, and
other drugs (ATOD); decrease their misperception of
normative peer ATOD use, and increase their refusal
skills for ATOD use.

Risk Factor:
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

A demonstrated decrease in:
Tobacco use
Marijuana use

Respond in Peace & Positive Ways (RIPP)
A school-based, violence prevention program for
middle school students, which teaches skills for
positive communication. RIPP is a primary prevention
program intended for all students rather than for only
those who are at a higher risk for violence.

Risk Factors:
-Low Commitment to School
-Engage in Other Problem Behavior

N/A

Second Step - Elementary Grades K-5
A universal, classroom-based program for children in
kindergarten through fifth grade, which is designed to
increase school success and decrease problem
behaviors by promoting social-emotional competence and self-regulation. The Second Step program
consists of a skills-focused, social-emotional learning
(SEL) curriculum that emphasizes skills that strengthen
students’ ability to learn, have empathy, manage
emotions, and solve problems.

Risk Factor:
-Engage in Other Problem Behavior

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

N/A

Second Step - Middle School Grades 6-9
A universal, classroom-based intervention for children
in grades six through eight, which is designed to
increase school success and decrease problem
behaviors by promoting social-emotional
competence. The Second Step program consists of a
skills-focused, social-emotional learning (SEL)
curriculum that emphasizes directly teaching students
how to strengthen their ability to learn, have empathy,
manage emotions, and solve problems.

Risk Factor:
-Engage in Other Problem Behavior

N/A

SPORT Prevention Plus Wellness
A motivational intervention designed for use by all
adolescents, it integrates substance abuse prevention
with health promotion to help adolescents minimize
and avoid substance use while increasing physical
activity and other health-enhancing habits, including
eating well and getting adequate sleep.

Risk Factors:
-Early Initiation of Drug Use
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

Protective Factor:
-Family Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 

A demonstrated decrease in:

Alcohol use
Tobacco use
Drug use

Staying Connected w/Your Teen
Staying Connected with Your Teen is a video- and
workshop-based program that get parents and teens
working together to enhance communication and
family management practices and decrease conflict.

Risk Factors:
-Family Conflict
-Family Management

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Drug use
Tobacco use

Strengthening Families Program (Orig.)
A family skills training program designed to increase
resilience and reduce risk factors for behavioral,
emotional, academic, and social problems in children
3-16 years old. SFP comprises three life-skills courses
delivered in 14 weekly, 2-hour sessions.

Risk Factor:
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use 
Marijuana use

Strengthening Families Program - 10-14
Family skills training for parents and youth 10-14 (SFP
10-14). This intervention designed to enhance school
success and reduce youth substance use and
aggression among 10- to 14-year-olds.

Risk Factor:
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use
Tobacco use
Marijuana use

Strong African American Families Program
The Strong African American Families (SAAF) Program is a culturally personalized, family-centered intervention for African American youth, and their caregivers. SAAF is based on a developmental model of processes through which program participation has been shown to protect African American (AA) youth from the initiation and escalation of risk behaviors.

Risk Factor:

-Family Management Problems
-Parental Attitudes Favorable Towards Drugs
-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior
-Early Initiation of Drug Use
-Favorable Attitudes Towards Drugs

Protective Factor:

-Social Skills

A demonstrated decrease in: Alcohol use

Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)
A school-based group intervention for students who have been
exposed to traumatic events designed to teach cognitive and
behavioral skills, such as social problem solving, psychoeducation,
and relaxation.

Risk Factor:
-Problem behavior
-Depression

N/A

Teen Intervene
Teen Intervene is a brief, early intervention program
for 12- to 19-year-olds who display the early stages of
alcohol or drug involvement. Integrating stages of
change theory, motivational enhancement, and
cognitive-behavioral therapy, the intervention aims to
help teens reduce and ultimately eliminate their
substance use.

Risk Factor:
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

Protective Factor:
-Social Skills

A demonstrated decrease in:
Alcohol use

Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) - Elementary
Too Good for Drugs (TGFD) is a school-based
prevention program for kindergarten through 12th
grade that builds on students' resiliency by teaching
them how to be socially competent and autonomous
problem solvers. The program is designed to benefit
everyone in the school by providing needed
education in social and emotional competencies and
by reducing risk factors and building protective
factors that affect students in these age groups.

Risk Factors:
-Early Initiation of (K-5) of Problem Behavior
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use"

Protective Factors:
-School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 
-Social Skills

N/A

Too Good For Drugs (TGFD) - Middle School
A school-based prevention program for kindergarten
through 12th grade that builds on students' resiliency
by teaching them how to be socially competent and
autonomous problem solvers. The program is
designed to benefit everyone in the school by
providing needed education in social and emotional
competencies and by reducing risk factors and
building protective factors that affect students in
these age groups.

Risk Factors:
-Academic Failure
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use
-Favorable Attitudes Towards Drug Use

Protective Factors
-School Opportunities for Prosocial Involvement 
-Social Skills 

A demonstrated decrease in:

Alcohol use
Tobacco use
Marijuana use

Too Good For Drugs & Violence (TGFDV) - High School
A school-based, universal substance abuse
prevention program that is designed to teach
students skills and attitudes that enhance well-being
and reduce the use of alcohol and drugs.

Risk Factors:
-Parental Attitudes Favorable Towards Drugs
-Attitudes Toward Drug Use
-Friends Who Use Drugs
-Perceived Risk of Drug Use

Protective Factor:
- Social Skills

N/A

Too Good For Violence (TGFV) – Elementary/Middle School
Too Good for Violence (TGFV) is designed to enhance
prosocial behaviors and skills and improve protective
factors related to conflict and violence.

 

Risk Factor:
-Early Initiation (K-5) of Problem Behavior

Protective Factors:
-Social Skills
-Prosocial Involvement

N/A

Triple P – Level 2 Selected
Triple P – Positive Parenting Program [Level 2 – Selected Triple P] are seminars for parents interested in general information about promoting their child’s development.

Risk Factors:

-Family conflict
-Family management problems
-Family history of problem behavior,
-Early initiation of problem behavior

N/A

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program [Level 3 Group]
Intervention for parents of children 0 to 12 years old
that aims to prevent problems before they arise and
create family environments that encourage a child’s
healthy development.

 

Risk Factors:
-Family Conflict 
-Family Management Problems
-Family History of Problem Behaviors
-Depression

Protective Factors:
-Stress Management
-Prosocial Involvement 

N/A

Triple P – Positive Parenting Program [Level 4 Group]
Small group intervention for parents of children 0 to 12 years old. This version is for parents with concerns about their child’s behavior who require intensive training in positive parenting or those who wish to learn a variety of parenting skills to apply to multiple contexts.

Risk Factors:

-Family Conflict

-Family Management Problems

-Early Initiation of Problem Behavior

Protective Factors:

-Social Skills

N/A

Triple P Teen – Positive Parenting Program [Level 3 Group]
The Teen Triple P Discussion Group Series includes parent discussion groups on commonly encountered problems such as getting teenagers to cooperate, coping with teenagers’ emotions, reducing family conflict, and building teenagers’ survival skills. The discussion groups are designed to provide an overview of the positive parenting principles for all parents who are interested.

Risk Factors:

-Family Conflict

-Family Management Problems

N/A

Triple P Teen – Positive Parenting Program [Level 4 Group]
Small group intervention for parents of teens. This version is for parents with concerns about their teen’s behavior who require intensive training in positive parenting or those who wish to learn a variety of parenting skills to apply to multiple contexts.

Risk Factors:

-Family Conflict

-Family Management Problems

Protective Factors:

-Social Skills

N/A