Rachel Stoler Co-Coordinator, Community Coalition for Teens NE RET Associate

1. Broadening Coalition Membership and Building Community OwnershipRhode Island Substance Abuse Prevention Act (RISAPA)Substance Abuse Prevention Task Forces June 29, 2010 Rachel Stoler Co-Coordinator, Community Coalition for Teens NE RET Associate

2. Learning Objectives • Defining the Work of Your Coalition: Building Healthier Communities • Initiating and Formalizing Partnerships • Identifying Strategies for Recruitment and Retention

3. Why Focus on Coalition Development? • To broaden ownership • To meet requirements of your current funder • To position your task force for funding

4. Coalition Organizational Development Includes: • A broader vision than just substance abuse prevention. • Expanded work to include behavioral/mental health. • Greater focus on positive youth development, school success, workforce development.

5. Coalition Organizational Development Includes: • Community social development and connectedness. • Economic development. • A focus on a vision rather than resolving a problem.

6. A Focus on Healthier Communities Includes: • Environments • Connections between people • Fostering prosperity • Expanded partnerships

7. Healthy Community Outcomes Examples of Outcomes Related to a Healthy Environment • Decrease in the availability of alcohol and other drugs • Adequate stable housing • Increase in public safety • Increase in physical environments that support social connection From “ A Primary Prevention Framework fro Substance Abuse and Mental Health,” San Mateo County Health System: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

8. Healthy Community Outcomes Example of outcomes related to connections between people • A reduced exposure to violence for children and youth • An increase in quality environments for children and youth • An increase in community connections and relationships From “ A Primary Prevention Framework fro Substance Abuse and Mental Health,” San Mateo County Health System: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

9. Healthy Community Outcomes Examples of outcomes related to fostering prosperity • A reduced stigma of mental illness, addiction, and other issues, including sexual orientation, immigration status, language ability, physical ability. • Improved economic self-sufficiency From “ A Primary Prevention Framework fro Substance Abuse and Mental Health,” San Mateo County Health System: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

10. Healthy Community Outcomes Example of Outcomes Related to Expanded Partnerships • An increase stakeholders engaged such as government sector, business community, community members and schools and districts From “ A Primary Prevention Framework fro Substance Abuse and Mental Health,” San Mateo County Health System: Behavioral Health and Recovery Services

11. School Connectedness School Connectedness is the belief by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals. http://www.cdc.gov/healthyYouth/AdolescentHealth/pdf/connectedness.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. School Connectedness: Strategies for Increasing Protective Factors Among Youth. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2009

12. Parent-Child Connectedness Emerging research from the fields of public health, psychology, education and others demonstrates that the condition of "parent-child connectedness" (PCC) serves as an important protective factor for a variety of adolescent health outcomes, including the prevention of adolescent pregnancy, STI and HIV. Program developers at ETR Associates found the prevalence of parent-child connectedness in the health behavior research literature to be compelling. http:/www.etr.org/recapp/documents/research/litreview.pdf Lezin, N., Rolleri, L., Bean, S. & Taylor, J. (2004). Parent-child connectedness: Implications for research, interventions and positive impacts on adolescent health. Santa Cruz, CA: ETR Associates.

13. Positive Youth Development Positive Thinking Leads to Positive Results When society harnesses the positive energy and initiative of youth, good things happen: • Youth believe they can be successful instead of internalizing the negative stereotypes about them that often appear in the media. • Youth engage in productive activities that build job and life skills and reinforce community connections. • Youth grow comfortable questioning and exploring their roles as citizens in a participatory democracy http://www.ncfy.com/publications/pdf/positive_youth_development_an_introduction.pdf

14. Risk and Protective Factors Many youth problems share common risk factors How do we get coalition members to work across problems? Brainstorm: What Are The Challenges? http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/Prevline/pdfs/ctc/Building_Protection_Social_Dev_Strategy_Chart.pdf

15. Who has the shared experience of working in a silo ? • What are some of the challenges in breaking through?

16. Cross-Walking Risk Factors • Tobacco, alcohol, other drug use, anti-social behavior, depression, sexual behavior and drunk/drugged driving are common among young people (Biglan, Brennan, Foster, & Holder, 2004) • These problems are interrelated; moreover the same young people tend to engage in multiple problem behaviors • The approach should concentrate on affecting the risk and protective factors influencing the involvement with multiple problems

17. Success with Common Risk Factors Findings from the Seattle Social Development Project show that 15 years after a childhood intervention ended, the participants reported significantly better mental health, sexual health, and higher educational and economic attainment than a control group. • 11% fewer with mental health disorders • 12% fewer with STDs • 9% more were at or above the median in socio-economic attainment Hawkins, J. D., Kosterman, R., Catalano, R. F., Hill, K. G., & Abbott, R. D. (2008). Effects of social development intervention in childhood fifteen years later. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 162, 1133-1141.

18. Example: Health and Educational Success Communities that promote health and educational success and prevent and reduce problems have the potential to improve youth outcomes across domains. (Biglan, Brennan, Foster, & Holder, 2004)

19. (Biglan, Brennan, Foster, & Holder, 2004)

20. Cross Walking Problems with Sectors Partners Sectors Faith – Based Organizations Healthcare Settings Public Safety Other Sectors? Underage Drinking Mentoring Programs, Education Media Campaign Screening and Brief Intervention Potential Collaboration

22. Cross Walking Risk Factors with Sectors Partners Problem Behaviors Substance Abuse Violence Delinquency Community Laws and Norms Favorable to Misuse Public Health, Public Safety State Level Sector Partners Enforcement, Community Health Center Community level Sector Partners

23. Cross Walking Risk Factors with Data Sources Problem Behaviors Substance Abuse Violence Delinquency Community Laws and Norms Favorable to Misuse NSDUH National Data Sources State YRBS State Data Sources Focus Group Community Data Sources

24. Initiating and Formalizing Partnerships • Who is currently in coalition, what connections do they have to the expanded service model elements? • What additional existing initiatives or coalitions in your community could your coalition connect with? • Who are their key leaders? In your coalition, who could contact them? How do you get them interested? • How do you institutionalize the new connection? Do you need formal documentation? Tip: If you want people to participate in your coalition, you should participate in their coalition or initiative!

25. Recruitment and Retention of Coalition Members • Approach: First do your homework (find out about them) • Set up informational meeting (listen as much as talk) • Give them a clear idea of what’s in it for them.

26. Recruitment and Retention (Cont’d.) • Give them some options for roles, but be prepared to suggest one in particular. • If they will be attending meetings where their initial contact person will not attend, make sure they have a contact person for those meetings who will check in with them before meeting. • Make sure they feel like they are making a valuable contribution via periodic check-ins.

27. Strengthening Community Ownership • Make sure a variety of community entities see the goals of the coalition as linked to their goals: • Alcohol retailers associations • Schools increasing school connectedness/reducing dropout/participating in student surveys • Youth workforce development structures can articulate links with prevention to employer sector • Community volunteers get paid time off to volunteer • Mental health and substance abuse intervention services cross-refer clients • Parent education and involvement

28. Building Leadership Within the Coalition • Reassess how coalition strategies/activities are organized and who is responsible. Are workgroups/committees formed to implement particular activities, or to achieve an overall goal? • What is the current leadership structure? • Can you bring new people into decision-making structures? • Can you compensate people who take a leadership role for implementation—or work out an agreement with their current employer?

29. Developing Coalition Resources • Assess what resources already exist in community and how they may already be supporting goals of the coalition. • Develop a way to communicate within the community about existing and new funding sources—identify which entities are best suited for which funding types, encourage collaboration and subcontracting to maximize value of funds. • Many funders are now looking for evidence of collaboration, evaluation plans, linking your project to the broader community, and sustainability plans.

30. Developing Coalition Resources New funding sources targeting a more integrated approach: • Prevention Prepared Communities • Prevention Institute http://www.preventioninstitute.org/ • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21121&cid=xem-emc-fa Keep track of the changing ONDCP paradigm at http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/strategy/

31. Contact Rachel Stoler NE RET Associate Community Coalition for Teens 278 Main St., Suite 411 Greenfield, MA 01301 Ph: 413-774-1194 x 116 E: rstoler@frcog.org