[Editor's note: This letter was sent to the editor of the Los Angeles Times in response to an article that was recently summarized by Join Together.]

We were surprised and disappointed to read that our program Families and Schools Together (FAST) was found to have "no positive effect" in preventing drug abuse among students.

In fact, FAST was identified in 2003 as a Model Program by the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The SAMHSA Model Programs featured on their Web site as the article stated have been “tested in communities, schools, social service organizations, and workplaces across America, and have provided solid proof that they have prevented or reduced substance abuse and other related high-risk behaviors.” FAST, as a program on this list, was reviewed by SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP).  

In the last ten years, five randomized controlled studies have been conducted on FAST, and each project targeted some of our nations most vulnerable 6-7 year old children and families (low-income African American, Latino, Southeast Asian/Hmong and rural Native Americans). To date, all of the publications on these studies in peer-reviewed journals have showed positive results. Interested readers can view a bibliography of these recent articles as well as several evaluations attesting to FAST's effectiveness on target populations in California, New Orleans, Florida, and Germany on our Web site.
 
In order to strengthen program implementation, the FAST National Training and Evaluation Center was created in 1998 and dedicated to the dissemination and evaluation of FAST. Additionally, FAST has received support from the U.S. Department of Justice since 2001 to create a national quality assurance structure that involves certification of trainers, evaluation and technical assistance strategies to ensure FAST is being implemented with fidelity. 

Another randomized controlled trial of FAST is currently being conducted through the University of Southern California. We anticipate that the results will confirm our earlier findings, but we also recognize that the lessons learned from any research project present an opportunity to advance the knowledge of how to improve the lives of children and families, which is worth the investment.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lynn McDonald, FAST Program Founder
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Patricia Davenport, CEO
FAST National Training & Evaluation Center

Families and Schools Together (FAST) is a multifamily group intervention designed to build protective factors for children (4 to 12 years old) and empower parents to be the primary prevention agents for their own children.  Since its beginnings in Madison, Wisconsin, the FAST program is now implemented regularly nationally in 45 states and internationally in five countries (Canada, Germany, Australia, Austria, and Russia).