The Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Support project (EPIS) represents a collaborative partnership between the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), and the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC), College of Health and Human Development, Penn State University, with funding and support from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Pennsylvania Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs (DDAP).
EPIS supports the dissemination, quality implementation, sustainability, and impact assessment of a menu of proven-effective prevention and intervention programs, and conducts original translational research to advance the science and practice of evidence-based prevention.
Additional key partners
- Cross Systems Prevention Workgroup (CSPW)
EPIS along with broad representation from state-level policy makers, county leadership, local human services providers and coalitions, is exploring the need for a cross-agency, comprehensive, strategic prevention plan focused on preventing and reducing youth problem behaviors.
- PROSPER
PROSPER delivers some of the evidence-based prevention education programs on the PCCD menu of supported programs, and uses a coalition model that integrates well with CTC. PROSPER provided the empirical data supporting the sequence of Life Skills Training and SFP:10-14 for long term prevention of substance misuse and problem behavior, which informed the development of the OMPP project. Most recently, PROSPER and EPIS teams have worked in collaboration with the LST and SFP:10-14 program developers to adapt these interventions for online use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Pennsylvania Department of Education
- University of Pittsburgh Program Evaluation & Research Unit (Pitt PERU)
- Pennsylvania National Guard Counterdrug Joint Task Force
EPIS partners with the Pennsylvania Counterdrug Joint Task Force through the National Guard ‘s Civil Operations by helping to create and promote drug-free communities through coalition building and support, most often using the Strategic Prevention Framework.