eNewsletter or Blog
June Newsletter: The Strategic Prevention Framework
Step 4: Implementation
The key to positive outcomes in substance misuse prevention is using evidence-based programs and practices that produce the intended results. This is accomplished when prevention practitioners select, plan for, and carefully implement those interventions.
Sometimes a practice or program will need to be adapted. This adaptation may be identified early in the planning process or may be discovered later. Monitoring the implementation process is necessary to identify areas of concern. The sooner the need for adaptation is identified, the better your prevention outcomes will be. SAMHSA has identified 5 guidelines to consider when balancing fidelity and adaptation.
Retain core components. Evidence-based programs are more likely to be effective when their core components are maintained.
Build capacity before changing the program. Rather than change a program to fit local conditions, consider ways to develop resources or to build local readiness so that it can be delivered as it was originally designed.
Add rather than subtract. Doing so decreases the likelihood of important program elements (i. e.., those that are critical to program effectiveness) getting lost.
Adapt with care. Even when programs and practices are selected with great care, there may be ways to improve their appropriateness for a unique focus population.
If adapting, get help. Knowledge experts, such as program developers, can provide information on how a program has been adapted in the past, how well these adaptations have worked, and what core components should be retained to maintain effectiveness.1
Published: June 3, 2020
eNewsletter or Blog
On February 19th, Dr. Parissa Ballard, Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine, presented what I thought was a fascinating webinar, sponsored by our Region IV Prevention Technology Transfer Center. Her topic: The Benefits of Engaging Youth in Communities: Insights and Evidence from Developmental Science.
One of the things I noted in my brief introductory remarks to the webinar was that while youth engagement is a mainstay of current prevention efforts, the argument for it usually revolves around the value of this approach for a local coalition’s efforts to achieve a goal, such as passage of a local ordinance (e.g., a social host ordinance), or getting the word out about an important prevention practice (e.g., locking up medications in the home). Many of us know from experience that youth can garner attention and have a significant voice in these kinds of efforts—such as when a well-organized group of youth come to a city or county council meeting to voice their support for passage of a public health ordinance.
Dr. Ballard presented this argument, but she also discussed why and how youth engagement is associated with benefits for the youth themselves. For example, Dr. Ballard and her colleagues found in their research that volunteering as a youth is associated with healthier behaviors and mental health as youth age into young adulthood (Ballard, Hoyt, & Pachucki, 2019).
For me, one of the most important takeaways from Dr. Ballard’s webinar was that when it comes to youth engagement, one size does not fit all! The potential benefits for youth, and for coalitions, are likely to be different for very young adolescents (ages 10 to 14) than they are for middle adolescents (ages 15 to 19) and young adults (ages 20 to 24) (see Slides 20-32 of the webinar, (Suleiman, Ballard, Hoyt, & Ozer, 2019).
Click HERE to watch the webinar.
References
Ballard, P., Hoyt, L., & Pachucki, M. (2019). Impacts of adolescent and youth adult civic engagement on health and socioeconomic status in adulthood. Child Development, 90(4) 1138-1154.
Suleiman, A., Ballard, P., Hoyt, L., & Ozer, E. (2019). Applying a developmental lens to youth-led participatory action research: an examination and integration of existing evidence. Youth & Society, 1-28.
Published: March 31, 2020
Multimedia
Central East Webinar Series: Implementing Evidence-Based Prevention Approaches
Part 3: Selecting and Implementing Evidence-Based Prevention Strategies
Josh Esrick, MPP, and Emily Patton, MS
July 18, 2019, 1-2 PM EST | View series page | View all Central East series
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This is part three of a four-part webinar series hosted by the Central East PTTC that focuses on implementing evidence-based prevention approaches.
With the many substance use-related issues currently facing preventionists, and the often-limited prevention resources available, it is vital that stakeholders select and implement evidence-based prevention strategies to address them. This webinar describes and walks through the different kinds of evidence-based strategies, how to determine which strategies will be the best conceptual and practical fit for a community, and how to modify strategies during the implementation process.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Overview the extent of evidence-based prevention strategies that exist
Describe the key considerations for selecting a strategy to implement
Walkthrough the implementation planning process and how to appropriately modify evidence-based strategies
PRESENTER
Josh Esrick, MPP is a Senior Policy Analyst with Carnevale Associates. Josh has extensive experience in substance use prevention; researching, writing, and presenting on best practice and knowledge development publications, briefs, and reference guides; and developing and providing training and technical assistance to numerous organizations at the Federal, state, and local level. He developed numerous SAMHSA Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies’ (CAPT) products on strategies to prevent opioid misuse and overdose, risk and protective factors for substance use, youth substance use prevention strategies, youth substance use trends, emerging substance use trends, the potential regulations surrounding marijuana legalization, as well as numerous other topics.
Emily Patton, MS holds a Masters of Science in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University and a Postgraduate Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Edinburgh. She offers significant professional experience in the fields of public policy development and analysis, criminal justice research, data collection and analysis, program development, and performance management.
Published: July 18, 2019
Multimedia
Informing Prevention 6-Part Webinar Series on Adolescents
Part 3 of 6
The Effective Use of Epidemiological Data
In this webinar you will learn how to determine the scope of a problem for your target population. You will learn where to access and ways to analyze epidemiological data.
PDF Slides
Presenter: Jason Burrow-Sánchez, PhD
Published: April 16, 2019