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• Program Directory
• Background & Methodology
• Research
• Nominate a Program

Eligibility Requirements

FindYouthInfo.gov welcomes nominations of programs for inclusion in its Program Directory. To be considered, a program must target an at-risk youth population and/or explicitly aim to prevent or reduce one or more of the following problem behaviors in a universal or selective juvenile (under age 18) population:

• Academic problems
• Aggression/violence
• Youth gang involvement
• Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use
• Delinquency
• Family functioning
• Gang activity
• Sexual activity/exploitation
• Trauma exposure

For example, an academic enrichment program would not qualify if applied to a universal population, but would be eligible if directed toward an at-risk population. Conversely, a tobacco cessation curriculum applied to a universal population would be eligible because it directly affects tobacco use as a risk factor.

Eligible programs may address problem behaviors at any point along the continuum of youth services, from prevention and intervention through residential care to reentry. Programs can include, but are not limited to, delinquency prevention, probation, youth courts, restitution programs, community service, school-based programs, conflict resolution, parent training, mentoring, restorative justice, and home confinement.

Minimum Evidence Requirements

• The program must be evaluated with at least a quasi-experimental research design. Eligible study designs may include experimental with random assignment, nonequivalent, and one-group pre-test/post-test studies. Non-experimental and case study designs are excluded.
• The study design must involve a comparison condition, which can be no treatment, treatment as usual, a placebo treatment, a straw-man alternative treatment, or a time period.
• The program evaluation must demonstrate one or more positive outcomes. Results must be published in a peer-reviewed publication or documented in a comprehensive evaluation report.
• The program evaluation must document the program implementation (i.e., the fidelity of the program).

Review Process

An application submitted online will be confirmed by email within 24 hours after all the required materials are received. An application submitted via mail will be acknowledged with an email notification within 30 days of receiving the required materials. The person submitting the nomination will receive the notification.

Submissions will be reviewed and scored along several dimensions, including:

• the degree to which the program is based on a clear, well-articulated conceptual framework;
• the degree to which the program was implemented as designed;
• the ability of the research design to establish a causal association between the treatment and outcome; and
• the degree to which the evaluation findings support the program treatment.

Include the following information when submitting a program for consideration:

• A detailed description of the program intervention, target population, and target setting.
• Detailed information about the research methodology used to evaluate the program's effectiveness.
• Detailed information about the evaluation outcomes and findings, including findings on research objectives and performance.
• A contact name and address, phone number, and e-mail for the program.

Programs will be reviewed on a rolling basis in order to keep the Program Directory as current as possible. A triage system will be used to categorize programs based on their potential for inclusion. The entire review process typically takes several months.

• Category 1 consists of programs that do not meet the minimum requirements to warrant inclusion in the Program Directory. The contact person for a program in this category will be notified by the administrative staff.
• Category 2 programs meet the prima facie evidence for inclusion. The programs in this category will be initially reviewed internally by a set of Ph.D.-level reviewers from DSG to validate the evidence. If the evidence is validated, a review package will be assembled and sent to the external peer review panel.
• Category 3 programs clearly meet the minimum requirements. A review package for these programs will be assembled immediately and sent to the external review panel. The peer review process includes a three-person review panel that will consist of two external subject matter experts and a Ph.D.-level researcher from DSG.

How to Nominate a Program

Follow the steps below to submit a program nomination:

Step 1. Fill out the online nomination submission form below. Please be sure to specify the title of the program.

Step 2. Email all relevant peer-reviewed publications or reports and any documentation (e.g., manuals, process guides, tools, training materials) that describes the details of the program to Stephen Gies at sgies@dsgonline.com. Include the program title as the subject.

Step 3. Be sure to click "Submit" after completing the form.

Program Nomination Form

If you have any issues concerning your submission, please contact:
Dr. Stephen Gies
Deputy Project Director
Model Programs Guide
Development Services Group, Inc.
7315 Wisconsin Ave.
Suite 800 East
Bethesda, MD 20814
sgies@dsgonline.com

 

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