Federal officials freeze mental health education website

HHS officials have frozen the website for a national registry of evidence-based mental health programs, arguing the database's criteria were dangerously flawed, according to The Hill.

The National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, overseen by HHS' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, was created in 1997 to provide organizations and individuals with information on effective mental health and substance abuse programs in their area. However, HHS officials say the registry's standards for inclusion were subpar and argued the database ignored many serious mental disorders.

"I believe at SAMHSA we should not be encouraging providers to use NREPP to obtain evidence-based practices given the flawed nature of the system," said Elinore McCance-Katz, MD, PhD, the assistant secretary for mental health and substance HHS, according to The Hill.

HHS does not plan to remove the website immediately, but Dr. McCance-Katz said the agency's policy lab is reviewing other options, and she clarified the website will not continue in its current form.

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