The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare
The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare

This document was printed from the website of the California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse for Child Welfare (CEBC), which you can access at http://www.cebc4cw.org/

Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) - Implementation Information

Scientific Rating: 1
"Well-Supported by Research Evidence"

Pre-implementation Assessments to be given to organizations or providers in order to measure organizational or individual readiness:

  • The NFP Overview and Initial Planning Q & A: Is NFP Right for You? tool provides a detailed overview of the NFP National Service Office and its components, as well as detailed information that each interested prospective agency should consider before committing to implement the NFP program. This is a step-by-step guide through the most frequently asked questions about the model and its implementation. This tool is not available online, but can be obtained by contacting the NFP Program Developer in your state/region. Please contact the Program Development Team at 866-864-5226 or info@nursefamilypartnership.org to request a copy.
  • Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) has a structured system for agencies that are interested in implementing NFP.
    • NFP Program Developers are located across the county in order to provide regional, on-the-ground support for those interested in implementing the program. There are dedicated program developers assigned to the states of California and Texas. The map of current NFP implementing agencies and contact information for the Program Developers is available at: www.nursefamilypartnership.org/content/index.cfm?fuseaction=showMap&navID=17. Just click on your state (or a state near yours) and a county in it to get the regional program developer.
    • Program Developers meet with interested stakeholders at various levels in local communities, county government, and state government to educate them about NFP, the factors needed to implement the model successfully and with fidelity, and how to find proper funding.
    • The NFP Implementation Application process requires that an interested agency complete a formal written application with accompanying documentation. A review team from the headquarters, NFP National Service Office ( NFP NSO), assesses the agency's readiness to implement the program based on the submitted application. If further information or detail is needed to determine approval, the interested agency will continue to work with the program developer and resubmit. Applications are not available on-line, but can be obtained directly from the regional NFP Program Developer.
    • Once an agency is approved, an NFP Nurse Consultant from the national office provides:
      • Support for the agency in hiring nurses and supervisors.
      • Required NFP Education for agency staff that includes both distance on on-site in Denver education over the course of several months.
  • If you are interested in obtaining additional information, contact the NFP Program Development Team at 866-864-5226 or via email at info@nursefamilypartnership.org.

Implementation Tools for the program (e.g., implementation guides or manuals):

  • The Implementation Application and accompanying guidance documents help an interested agency understand the specifics needed to be successful implementing the NFP program. It provides thorough guidance to complete a comprehensive application for submission to the review team at the NFP NSO. The Application and Guidance are not available online, but can be obtained by contacting the NFP Program Developer in your state/region. The map of current NFP implementing agencies and contact information for the Program Developers is available at: www.nursefamilypartnership.org/content/index.cfm?fuseaction=showMap&navID=17. Just click on your state (or a state near yours) and a county in it to get the regional program developer.
  • The sample budget and budget narrative provide a template to estimate local cost to implement the program. This tool is not available online, but can be obtained by contacting the NFP Program Developer in your state/region. The map of current NFP implementing agencies and contact information for the Program Developers is available at: www.nursefamilypartnership.org/content/index.cfm?fuseaction=showMap&navID=17. Just click on your state (or a state near yours) and a county in it to get the regional program developer.
  • There is a required orientation education process for both NFP nurse home visitors and NFP supervisors that includes training to use the NFP Visit-to-Visit Guidelines with nursing judgment in applying them to each family served. These resources are provided to every nursing team employed by a local implementing agency that is under contract with the NFP NSO to implement the program.
  • The Supervisor Handbook covers subjects the nurse supervisor will need to know in implementing the NFP model.

Fidelity measures:

  • Before becoming a NFP Implementing Agency, there must be assurance by the applying agency of its intention to deliver the program with fidelity to the model tested. Such fidelity requires adherence to all of the Nurse-Family Partnership Model Elements. The elements can be found at www.nursefamilypartnership.org/content/index.cfm?fuseaction=showContent&contentID=37&navID=37.
  • Nurses collect client and home visit data as specified by the NFP NSO, and all data is sent to the NFP NSO's national database. The NFP NSO reports out data to agencies to assess and guide program implementation, and agencies use these reports to monitor, identify and improve variances, and assure fidelity to the NFP model.