Logic Model for Youth Substance Abuse & Use Prevention Programs in OAS Member States

1. Logic Model for Youth Substance Abuse & Use Prevention Programs in OAS Member States September 14, 2005 Ottawa, Ontario Wanda Jamieson & Tullio Caputo

2. Logic Model Overview • What is a logic model? • It’s a picture of how a program works. • It can take many forms. • It is useful to validate the theory of change of a program. • Why develop a logic model? • It can help OAS Member States to strategically focus their prevention efforts; learn more about how their programs work & make continuous improvements. • Its value “is in the process of creating, validating, and then modifying the model.”W.K. Kellogg Foundation (1998) http://www.wkkf.org.

3. Key Results of Literature Review • What we did: • Review of literature published since 2002, to focus on identifying objectives, activities, expected outcomes, challenges, & performance indicators and best practices in measuring youth substance abuse prevention. • Narrowed search to 30 key articles, including 24 meta-analyses. • What we learned: • There is greater demand for evidence-based approaches, yet few programs are designed & evaluated according to basic evaluation/scientific standards • Evaluation challenges include limited evaluation research/technical capacity, program fidelity & adaptation, site recruitment, diversity of youth population, participant retention, lack of tested outcome measures. • It is possible to conceptualize a model of prevention (universal, selective & indicated prevention) and to identify anticipated outcomes.

4. Ultimate Outcomes • The Prevention of Youth Substance Use and Abuse contributes to the following Ultimate Outcomes: • Reduction in demand for illicit drugs and harmful substance by youth & • Reduction in the health, social and economic costs associated with substance use/abuse among youth. • Assumptions: • Programs that focus on a combination of information, education and cognitive and behavioural skills training, and which use interactive delivery methods are likely to be more effective. • Effective prevention is a work in progress. Further research is required to fully develop theories of youth substance use/abuse and rigorous evaluation is needed to determine what type or combination of prevention works best and for whom.

5. Universal Prevention • Activities include: • Educating & raising awareness of use and abuse and its consequences; promoting healthy lifestyle choices & behaviours, building social competence • Outputs: • Many are school or classroom based programs or promotional campaigns and may be linked to other healthy lifestyle initiatives • Reach: • General youth population • Immediate Outcomes: • Increase in knowledge & awareness of use/abuse & consequences • Enhanced capacity to make informed, healthy decisions • Longer-term Outcomes (both intermediate and ultimate): • Provides a base contribution to intermediate and longer-term outcomes

6. Selective Prevention • Activities include: • Some activities similar to universal prevention. • Greater emphasis on creating opportunities for healthy lifestyle choices; motivating positive change & teaching cognitive/behavioural skills e.g. refusal/resistance. • Outputs include: • School and community-based programs in settings populated by youth at risk • Links with related services to engage and reach out to youth; strengthen family support and involve youth in alternative activities (leisure) • Reach: • Youth at risk population • Immediate Outcomes: • Increase in knowledge & awareness of use/abuse & consequences • Enhanced capacity to make informed, healthy decisions • Increased knowledge of healthy alternatives • Prevented/delayed onset of regular use • Longer-term Outcomes (both intermediate and ultimate): • Provides a base of knowledge, skills and potentially behavioural change which will contribute to intermediate and longer-term outcomes

7. Indicated Prevention • Activities include: • Some activities similar to universal prevention & indicated prevention. • Greater intensity and targeting of activities to create opportunities for healthy lifestyle choices & behaviours; motivate positive change & teach cognitive/behavioural skills to influence thinking and behaviour • Outputs include: • School and community-based programs • Motivational interventions (e.g. with youth who have been apprehended using substances); • Links with related services to engage and reach out to youth • Family support, including skills training/therapy • Alternative activities (leisure) • Reach: • Youth at risk of regular/heavy use of dependency • Immediate Outcomes: • Increase in knowledge & awareness of use/abuse & consequences • Enhanced capacity to make informed, healthy decisions • Increased knowledge of healthy alternatives • Prevented/delayed onset of regular use • Longer-term Outcomes (both intermediate and ultimate): • Provides a base of knowledge, skills and potentially behavioural change which will contribute to intermediate and longer-term outcomes

8. Research & Evaluation • Activities include: • Undertaking research studies • Developing theories and concepts about substance use/abuse prevention • Monitoring program performance • Undertaking evaluations • Undertaking program reviews, meta-analyses to determine what works. • Outputs include: • Research documents (e.g. on substance use/abuse patterns) • Theories and conceptual frameworks about youth substance use/abuse and its prevention • Evaluation documents (e.g. logic models, frameworks, plans, studies) • Promising/best practices • Recommendations for ministerial and legislative bodies • Reach: • Program Developers, Practitioners and Decision Makers • Immediate Outcomes: • Increased knowledge base on effective prevention • Dissemination and update of promising and best practices • Longer-term Outcomes (both intermediate and ultimate): • Provides a base of knowledge, skills and potentially behavioural change which will contribute to intermediate and longer-term outcomes

9. Questions?