Guidance

TASK 5: Increase Community Readiness

The following strategies are recommended by the National Institute on Drug Abuse:35

  • Stage 1: Community tolerance / no knowledge
  • Hold small-group and one-on-one discussions with community leaders to identify the perceived benefits of substance misuse and abuse and how community norms reinforce use
  • Have small-group and one-on-one discussions with community leaders on the health, psychological, and social costs of substance misuse and abuse, in order to change perceptions among those most likely to be part of the group that initiates program development
  • Stage 2: Denial
  • Offer educational outreach programs to community leaders and community groups interested in sponsoring local programs focusing on the health, psychological, and social costs of substance misuse and abuse
  • Use local incidents that illustrate the harmful consequences of substance misuse and abuse in your one-on-one discussions and educational outreach programs
  • Stage 3: Vague awareness
  • Offer educational outreach programs on national and state prevalence rates of substance misuse and abuse and prevalence rates in communities with similar characteristics
  • Conduct local media campaigns that emphasize the consequences of substance misuse and abuse (see The Do's and Don'ts of Effective Messaging for Substance Abuse Prevention for guidance on designing a consistent and effective message for your local media campaign)
  • Include local incidents that illustrate the harmful consequences of substance misuse and abuse in all outreach efforts
  • Stage 4: Preplanning
  • Offer educational outreach programs to community leaders and sponsorship groups that communicate the prevalence rates and correlates or causes of substance misuse and abuse
  • Provide educational outreach programs that introduce the concept of prevention and illustrate specific prevention programs adopted by communities with similar profiles
  • Conduct local media campaigns emphasizing the consequences of substance misuse and abuse and ways to reduce demand for illicit substances through prevention programming (see The Do's and Don'ts of Effective Messaging for Substance Abuse Prevention for guidance on designing a consistent and effective message for your local media campaign)
  • Stage 5: Preparation
  • Offer educational outreach programs to the general public on specific types of prevention programs, their goals, and how they can be implemented
  • Provide educational outreach programs for community leaders and local sponsorship groups on prevention programs, goals, staff requirements, and other startup aspects of programming
  • Conduct a local media campaign describing the benefits of prevention programs for reducing consequences of substance misuse and abuse (see The Do's and Don'ts of Effective Messaging for Substance Abuse Prevention for guidance on designing a consistent and effective message for your local media campaign)
  • Stage 6: Initiation
  • Offer in-service educational training for program staff (paid and volunteer) on the consequences, correlates, and causes of substance misuse and abuse and the nature of the problem in the local community
  • Conduct publicity efforts associated with the kickoff of the program
  • Hold a special meeting with community leaders and local sponsorship groups to provide an update and review of initial program activities
  • Stage 7: Institutionalization/stabilization
  • Lead in-service educational programs on the evaluation process, new trends in substance misuse and abuse, and new initiatives in prevention programming, with trainers either brought in from the outside or with staff members sent to programs sponsored by professional societies
  • Conduct periodic review meetings and special recognition events for local supporters of the prevention program
  • Publicize local efforts associated with review meetings and recognition events
  • Stage 8: Confirmation/expansion
  • Lead in-service educational programs on the evaluation process, new trends in substance misuse and abuse, and new initiatives in prevention programming, with trainers either brought in from the outside or with staff members sent to programs sponsored by professional societies
  • Conduct periodic review meetings and special recognition events for local supporters of the prevention program
  • Present results of research and evaluation activities of the prevention program to the public through local media and public meetings (see Strategies for Working with the Media for more information)
  • Stage 9: Professionalization
  • Provide continued in-service training of staff
  • Continue to assess new drug-related problems and to reassess targeted groups within community
  • Continue to evaluate program efforts
  • Provide regular updates on program activities and results to community leaders and local sponsorship groups; share success stories with local media and at public meetings
Tool
SAPC Planning Tool