We are writing to you with heavy hearts to let you know that the decision has been made to close NEARI Press & Training Center. For all intents and purposes, the Press will no longer be functioning as a publishing house, bookstore, and training center as of September 30, 2019.

There are numerous reasons for this difficult decision. As many of you know, NEARI Press & Training Center was established as a division of NEARI, Inc. about 18 years ago by Dr. Steve Bengis as part of his vision to make the world a safer and better place for children, which included freedom from sexual assault. When it was founded, there were few sources for written materials or web-based and in-person training for clinicians and preventionists. Under Steve’s leadership, and then with Joan Tabachnick at the helm between 2005 and 2016, and Krysten Lobisch as the Marketing and Outreach Coordinator since 2015, the Press filled an important niche in the sexual abuse prevention and sex offender treatment and management fields. Although it never made a profit, NEARI Press & Training Center was a groundbreaking organization that published and provided training about much of the seminal work in the field of sex offender treatment and management. The funding from NEARI, Inc. to the publishing house and training center to support this mission was one of Steve’s great gifts to the field.

Over the intervening years, changes in both the publishing industry and our professional field have forced us to reconsider our place in the market. The climate for small, specialty, print-based publishers has become increasingly challenging. Large publishing houses have entered the field and captured a significant share of the market, and several organizations have taken up web-based training approaches. At the same time, the demand for NEARI’s in-person training decreased as state agencies and providers have reduced training and travel budgets. Despite the importance of Steve’s original vision and our commitment to the mission of the Press, we have sadly concluded that it is no longer economically feasible to continue to operate the Press and Training Center.

Many thanks are in order as we move towards the closing of NEARI Press & Training Center. First of all to you, our community -- colleagues, friends, and customers: thank you for your ongoing support and interest in our books, programs, webinars, and trainings over the years. We have so enjoyed working with you. To our funders, Raliance and Vision of Hope (PCAR), who facilitated the development of our programmatic endeavors, Parent 2 Parent and Prevention 4 Professionals, respectively: thank you so much for your faith in our vision and work. Without you, we could not have contributed to the primary prevention of the development of sexual behavior problems in youth. To our webinar presenters over the years: thank you for being a cornerstone in the professional development of our colleagues and volunteering your time and expertise so generously. And last but very far from least, to our wonderful NEARI Press authors: your books and participation in trainings and webinars have been the lifeblood of this organization. The many resources NEARI Press & Training Center has been able to publish and create would not have been possible without your generosity and brilliance. We are proud and pleased that as your books continue to circulate and be distributed by other publishing houses, the wisdom and expertise you have shared will continue to enrich the field.

We are deeply grateful to all of you -- customers, funders, authors, presenters, and trainers -- for contributing to the success of NEARI Press & Training Center over the years. It has truly been an honor to serve you, collaborate with you, and work together towards a world in which we prevent sexual abuse and respond to it in ways that ensure a safer future for all. As we wind down operations in the next four months, please continue to look for our announcements about book sales and other final information. We hope you’ll utilize the closing of our organization to enhance your professional libraries and your clinical and research practices.

With thanks and abiding appreciation,

Alisa Klein, Director, NEARI Press & Training Center

Craig Latham, Executive Director, NEARI, Inc.

Krysten E. Lobisch, Marketing and Outreach Coordinator