Coalition �Sustainability

The Keys to Success

Adapted from “Coalition Sustainability: The Keys to Success,” (2008) from The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s Southeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies.

Participant Outcomes

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• Define sustainability in the context of a community task force, group, or coalition
• Identify the three keys to sustainability
• Relate the three keys to sustainability to the steps of the Strategic Prevention Framework
• Pose questions that are relevant to the development of a sustainability plan

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At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

My thoughts…

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Dandelions (which keep coming back!) represent the sowing of seeds to grow resilient communities!

Sustainability Defined

• Sustainability is the process of ensuring an adaptive prevention system and a sustainable innovation that can be integrated into ongoing operations to benefit diverse stakeholders. (SAMHSA)

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• CADCA defines sustainability as the ability to maintain the human, social, and material resources to achieve your coalition’s long-term goals.

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• Ultimately, sustainability is about maintaining

positive outcomes in communities.

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Once Outcomes Are Achieved

• Achieving outcomes from prevention programs, policies, and practices is the initial desired result.�
• Once positive outcomes occur from these strategies, there is a need to sustain the outcomes.

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Importance of Sustainability

• There is limited emphasis on building support for outcomes during strategy implementation
• Positive outcomes of each strategy must be sustained to reduce substance abuse behaviors and related problems at the community level

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Prevention strategies should be continued because…

• There are documented reductions in substance abuse behaviors.
• They are more cost effective when compared to treatment and incarceration costs.
• The cost savings and impact on related problems will be clear to funders and community members.

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Implications for Practice

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• Sustainability is more than funding.
• Sustainability planning should be included from the beginning.
• Connection to a well-functioning group or coalition can be a great facilitator for sustainability, particularly for community and family prevention programs.

Source: Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention

Support Center, Penn State University

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Moving from Program Orientation�to Outcomes Orientation

Changing drug or substance consumption behaviors at a population level will require a mix of strategies carefully targeted to reduce risks -- relying primarily on environmental and other population-influencing strategies.

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SAMHSA’s �Strategic Prevention Framework�Supports Accountability, Capacity, and Effectiveness �

Assessment

Profile population needs, resources, and readiness to address needs and gaps

Evaluation

Monitor, evaluate, sustain, and improve or replace those that fail

Implementation

Implement evidence-based prevention programs and activities

Planning

Develop a Comprehensive Strategic Plan

Capacity

Mobilize and/or build capacity to address needs

SAMHSA’s �Strategic Prevention Framework Steps

The prevention system must have capacities necessary to:

• plan strategically for, carry out, and sustain prevention strategies with adequate effectiveness, scope, and intensity.
• achieve targeted reductions in substance using behaviors and related consequences experienced by the community.

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Community agencies, institutions, and organizations must work together to:

• strategically leverage and target the system’s existing resources, assets, and capacity.
• continually expand the community’s ability to effectively respond to changing patterns of substance use consumption and consequences.

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Understanding Your Community

• Community needs are regularly assessed.
• Community resources and assets are regularly assessed.
• The project addresses key community needs.
• Community resources are effectively utilized by the project.

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• Project goals are matched with community needs.
• Project needs are matched with community resources.
• The projects accounts for diversity in the community.
• The project has strong local governmental support.
• Community members are involved in program design or implementation.

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Marek and Mancini (2005)

Intentional Sustainability �Includes . . .

• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Community engagement
• Evaluation
• Funding strategies
• Staff development
• Adaptability and flexibility

Source: Marek & Mancini (2007)�

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Sustainability Planning

Sustainability requires a comprehensive plan to address a relevant problem.

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Sustainability planning is the process of identifying and securing resources to maintain this plan.

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Source: CADCA

Research Points to

Three Key Objectives

and

Ten Related Actions ��Necessary for Sustainability �

The Three Key Objectives for Sustainability are:

1. Organizational Capacity
2. Effectiveness
3. Community Support

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The Ten Related Actions:

1. Structures and Formal Linkages

2. Policies and Procedures

3. Resources

4. Expertise

5. Quality and Accountability

6. Document Outcomes

7. Reach and Alignment

8. Relationships

9. Champions

10. Ownership

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Organizational Capacity

Effectiveness

Community Support

Organizational Capacity

The first four Action Steps relate to

Organizational Capacity

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1. Develop administrative structures and formal linkages
2. Adopt supportive policies and procedures
3. Secure diverse resources
4. Acquire appropriate expertise

Key #1

Effectiveness

The next three Action Steps

relate to Effectiveness

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5. Assess Implementation Quality.
6. Assure that the Strategy being implemented is documented as effective for achieving the desired outcomes.
7. Assess the Reach and Alignment.

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Key #2

Community support�

8. Develop and Nurture Positive Relationships
9. Turn Stakeholders into System Leaders and Champions
10. Encourage Ownership

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Key #3

The last three Action Steps relate to

Community Support

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Activity – �Analyzing Internal and �External Partnerships

This activity helps to assess potential partners and explore opportunities for building relationships.

Results of Planning �for Sustainability

• A community system that can flexibly respond to problems by providing ongoing support for a strategic approach to achieve positive results and sustain them.

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• A plan and process that builds the community prevention coalition’s capacity as an effective problem-solving group.

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Continued . . . Results of Planning �for Sustainability

• A forum for successful integration of the Strategic Prevention Framework into the community prevention system

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• Effective use of limited resources to reduce substance use consumption and consequences

Remember . . .

The Keys to Sustainability are about recognizing, assessing, and building the many strengths your communities have to offer.

ODMHSAS

Sources

• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Unlocking the Door to Sustainability: Keys to Sustaining Effective Prevention and Positive Outcomes in Your Community. www.samhas.gov
• Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (CADCA). (2007). Sustainability Primer: Fostering Long-Term Change to Create Drug-Free Communities. http://cadca.org.
• Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (CADCA). 2008. Sustainability Webinar #3. www.coalitioninstitute.org
• Johnson, K., Hays, C., Center, H., & Daley, C. (2004). Building Capacity and Sustainable Prevention Innovations: A Sustainability Planning Model. Journal of Evaluation and Program Planning,
• Marek, L., & Mancini, J. (2007). Sustaining Community-Based Programs: Relationships Between Sustainability Factors and Program Results. Department of Human Development, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS). Keys to Sustainability: Unlocking the Doors to Effective Prevention and Positive Outcomes.
• Penn State EPISCenter, http://www.episcenter.psu.edu

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Contact Information

Luanne Beaudry, MS, CPC-R

Prevention Network

PO Box 4458

East Lansing, MI 48826-4458

800-968-4968 ext 112

pamcampaign@preventionnetwork.org

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