______
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 1, 2013
CONTACT: CONTACT:
Gerad Godfrey Nora L. Drexler
Corporate Affairs Manager Lead & Seed Program Developer
Alutiiq, LLC National Lead & Seed Project Manager
907-762-9457703-399-1825
New NREPP Program Champions Community Behavior Change
Vienna, VA (11/1/13) – The Lead & Seed school and community drug prevention program has been reviewed by the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) and is now included in the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP). Lead & Seed, a prevention program designed to reduce and prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, received perfect 4.0 scores for both Implementation Materials and for Training Resource materials and high scores for Quality Assurance by NREPP. The overall Readiness for Dissemination score rates the quality of Lead & Seed curriculum materials, web site, training, technical assistance, and overall support infrastructure. The Lead and Seed program received high ratings consistent with the impact of the curriculum on improving protective factors and reducing risk factors, as well as reduction in use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana.
Stephen Gingrich, National Program Manager for Alutiiq LLC, stated that "Alutiiq is proud that the Lead & Seed program has received such outstanding scores. The program reflects Alutiiq’s mission of exceptional service and proven results. The NREPP review reflects the effectiveness and quality of our program. Our dedicated team worked hard to develop the highest quality materials, training and support structure.”
Lead & Seed curriculum program developer and Alutiiq National Project Manager, Nora L. Drexler,added that “Individual approaches to prevention with other programs are only one-dimensional and focus exclusively on changing individual behavior with disregard for the environmental contexts, compared to the Lead & Seed environmental approach to prevention.”
Lead & Seed program evaluator, Dr. Pam Imm, commented, “There appears to be some key features in this program, such as youth involvement and a focus on environmental changes, that have contributed to these positive results. This is one program that shows how changes in environmental conditions can lead to decreases in self-reported use of alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana. “
NREPP is part of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA)efforts to help community organizations and state and local officials make informed decisions about evidence-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of mental and substance use disorders. The searchable resource provides users with a way to identify mental health and substance abuse interventions that have been evaluated and rated by independent reviewers. Review processes generally take several months to complete and involve identifying, reviewing, and disseminating information about programs; NREPP reviewers are recruited, selected, and approved by SAMHSA based on their experience and areas of expertise.
###
About the Lead & Seed Drug Prevention Program:Lead & Seed is an environmentaldrug prevention program for schools or communities that is youth-driven and adult-supported. It has been replicated in all regions of the United States. The program focuses on underage alcohol consumption, prescription drug misuse, drunk driving, marijuana and illicit drug use. It involves an interactive, 2-day trainingwith youth leaders from middle and/or high school and adults who will work with the youth to capture the desired outcomes. The team developsa logic modelusing compelling data from their community assessment to drive the process for innovative solutions and sustainability of positive outcomes. The empowered team promotes community mobilization, social marketing techniques, leadership skills and other advocacy measures to make necessary changes in their physical, socio-cultural, economic and legal environments. The Lead & Seed program uses SAMHSA’s 5-step Strategic Prevention Framework to emphasize that (1) Changes in the environment can be successfully collected and tracked, (2) Youth empowerment initiatives have successful outcomes, (3) Multiple and comprehensive outcomes can bedemonstrated and that (4) Success can be achieved by targeting environmental conditions, such as accessibility and availability. This program brings community passion to power. For more information visit
About Alutiiq, LLC
Alutiiq, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Afognak Native Corporation, an Alaska Native corporation formed under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Alutiiq has diverse operations nationwide, with core competences in: operations and maintenance, logistics services, construction services, security services, youth services, training, information technology services, oil field services, leasing and bioenergy. Learn more about Alutiiq at