National Outcome Measures

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. With a vision to create "a life in the community for everyone," the National Outcome Measures (NOMs) were developed by SAMHSA in partnership with states and jurisdictions as the data strategy for measuring the success of the agency's block grant programs and key initiatives. In addition, NOMs were designed to meet the various reporting requirements of the federal government.

There are two primary federal activities that are concerned with the effectiveness and accountability of federal programs: the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and the Performance Assessment Rating Tool (PART) administered by the White House Office of Management and Budget. While each has its own distinct purpose and reporting requirements, NOMs are an attempt to create a single mechanism for meeting a variety of reporting requirements. As of September 2007, all grantees from any of SAMHSA s centers currently report, or will be required to report, relevant NOMs data.

SAMHSA administers grants and programs through its three centers: the Center for Mental Health Services, the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Each center is obligated to develop and maintain systems for collecting NOMs data in order to measure outcomes and maintain accountability for the centers' unique missions.