Evidence-Based Practices and Prevention

Advantage uses evidence-based, evidence-informed practices, strategies, and treatment and preventive interventions when providing services for its clients. Evidence-based practice is a process that brings together available research, professional expertise, and input regarding individuals to identify and deliver services that have been demonstrated to achieve positive outcomes. Generally, these programs and practices are specific techniques and intervention models that have been shown to have positive outcomes and contribute to a person’s behavioral health recovery.

Advantage uses the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices (NREPP) developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to assist in the determination of whether a particular intervention meets programmatic needs. It is a searchable database of scientifically based resources. The NREPP provides general information, ratings, and a list of studies and materials reviewed about each intervention. Although SAMHSA stopped supporting the NREPP website in 2018, the searchable database is maintained by the Pew Charitable Trust at https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/data-visualizations/2015/results-first-clearinghouse-database.

Advantage keeps a listing of the evidence-based programs and practices that are used in its services. Additionally, Advantage uses screening and assessment instruments that are determined to be reliable to help measure outcomes and continually evaluate the effectiveness of its programs.

Although not an exhaustive listing, these are examples of some of the evidence-based treatment and prevention interventions being used at Advantage:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): a therapeutic model to aid individuals in managing the way they think and perceive themselves and the world.
Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model (TREM): a group therapy model that focuses on individuals who have a history of being exposed to sexual and physical abuse.
Motivational Interviewing (MI): a collaborative, person-centered form of guiding to elicit and strengthen motivation for change.
Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP): a person-centered/self-designed prevention and wellness process that anyone can use to get well, stay well, and make their life the way they want it to be.
Seeking Safety: a manualized, evidence-based curriculum treatment individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder and harmful behaviors
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): a manualized, evidence-based, cognitive, skills therapy emphasizing psychotherapy and group skills training classes to help people learn and use new skills and strategies to develop a life they experience as worth living. DBT skills include skills for mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Mental Health First Aid: an adult public education program aimed at improving participants’ knowledge of and modifying their attitudes and perceptions about mental health disorders and related issues. The program is designed to help individuals learn how to respond to those who are experiencing one or more acute mental health crises or who are in the early stages of one or more chronic mental health problems.
Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT): a manualized, evidence-based curriculum treatment individuals with criminal thinking.
Adult Needs and Strengths Assessment (ANSA): an evidence-based evaluation and assessment tool used to measure the acuity of symptoms and severity of dysfunction.
Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS): an evidence-based evaluation and assessment tool used to measure the acuity, symptom, and severity of dysfunction.
Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS): an evidence-based scale to measure the severity of suicidal ideation and behavior.
MATRIX Model: an intensive, outpatient treatment approach for individuals with substance use disorders that integrates aspects of several treatment approaches, including cognitive-behavioral therapy contingency management, motivational interviewing, 12-step facilitation, family involvement, and supportive/person-centered therapy.