Avoiding Obstacles…Creating Buy-in and Generating Institutional Change

Joseph MurrayDirector of Academic Advising and Retention,

Miami University Hamilton

Karen Murray County Coalition Director, Butler County Coalition for Healthy, Safe and Drug

Free Communities

May 13, 2013

Introduce a planning framework for institutional/community-level change to support foster youth.

Purpose of the Training

“A voluntary, strategic alliance . . . to enhance [our ability] to achieve a common purpose by sharing risks, responsibilities, resources and rewards.”

Himmelman

co a li tion (kō´ə lish´ən) v

• Requires Institutional-level strategies.• Usually we only have access to the social and physical environments.• Information is necessary, but not sufficient for behavior change.

Institutional-Level Change

Broad Reach – Can reach an entire population.

Substantial Effects – Have a significant measurable outcome.

Enduring Effects – Have long-term, as well as short-term, effectiveness.

Ease of Maintenance and Cost-EffectivenessRelatively little effort or expense are required for them to function

Effective Institutional-Level Change Strategies

Differences Between Coalitions and Programs

Coalitions ProgramsScaleCoalitions measure success by examining community-level indicators. This applies to all coalition outcomes (short & long- term).

Programs measure change in individuals who have been directly affected by the intervention(s).

Addresses multiple causesCoalitions seek to ensure that all causes of identified problems are addressed

Programs are more focused on single strategies, e.g., food assistance or peer mentoring.

ActorsCoalition activities are diffused and taken by all members with liaison playing a coordinating or supporting role.

Program staff lead the process and are responsible for implementing interventions.

Some are Petrified of Change

And it may not turn out the way you thought!

The Model…

Strategic Prevention Framework

http://captus.samhsa.gov/prevention-practice/strategic-prevention-framework

SAMHSA’s StrategicPrevention Framework (SPF) Process

Sustainability & Cultural Competence

What do we know about foster youth in our community?

Did it work?

What do we need to do differently?

How do we track our plan? Are

there barriers in carrying out our

plan?

Given the problem, what are we going

to do?

What skills/resources do we need and who

needs to be at the table?

Assessment

Capacity BuildingEvaluation

Implementation Strategic Planning

• Identify problems for Foster Youth• Examine conditions that put them at risk• Data Collection:

DemographicNeedsResourcesHistoryReadiness

• Set priorities and goals

AssessmentWhat do we know about

foster youth in our community?

“Community Need”

The gap between what a situation is and what it should be.

Working to determine the…

Data Collection Methods

Foster Youth Support Gap Analysis

Prevention Intervention Recovery

Curricular

Policies

Programs

Functions of a Community Assessment:

1. Establish Priorities2. Diagnose Root Causes3. Locate Resources for Action4. Name and Frame Priority Issues5. Determine Your Strategic Role

Goals for Conducting a Problem Analysis

1. Understand the relationship between community issues.

2. Identify root causes.

3. Validate assumptions with community data.

4. Achieve consensus among coalition members.

5. Establish criteria for selecting interventions.

6. Create a picture of problem and its causes (aka a logic model).

Six Criteria for Effective Problem Statements

1. Name one problem at a time

2. Avoid placing blame

3. Avoid naming solutions

4. Define in terms of behaviors or conditions

5. Are measurable

6. Reflect community concerns

Root Cause (But Why? But Why Here?)

Components:

1. Problem

2. Root Causes / Risk Factors

3. Local Conditions

BUT WHY HERE?

- Specific

- Identifiable

- Actionable

1

2

3

SAMHSA’s StrategicPrevention Framework (SPF) Process

Sustainability & Cultural Competence

What do we know about foster youth in our community?

Did it work?

What do we need to do differently?

How do we track our plan? Are

there barriers in carrying out our

plan?

Given the problem, what are we going

to do?

What skills/resources do we need and who

needs to be at the table?

Assessment

Capacity BuildingEvaluation

Implementation Strategic Planning

Strategic Planning: Logic Model

Problem Statement

But Why?(Root Cause)

But Why Here?(Local Condition)

UnderageDrinking

Favorable ParentalAttitudes

AvailabilityOf Alcohol

Parents Don’t Think Alcohol is Harmful

Parents Hosting Parties

Liquor Stores Not Carding Under 21

Youth Attend College Parties

Local Conditions- Specific- Identifiable- Actionable

Strategic Planning: Logic Model1

Problem Statement But Why?(Root Cause)

But Why Here?(Local Condition)

1

2

3

7 Strategies for Community Change

•Providing Information•Enhancing Skills•Provide Support•Changing Consequences•Enhancing Access/Decreasing Barriers•Physical Design•Modify/Changing Policies

Individual/group focused

Community/ Institutional

Capacity Building:“Increasing the ability and skills of individuals, groups and organizations to plan, undertake and manage initiatives. The approach also enhances the ability of those individuals, groups and organizations to deal with future issues or problems.”

-CADCA Capacity Building Primer

Definition

Key Elements of Capacity Building

• Building Coalition Membership• Organizing the Coalition• Enhancing Leadership• Fostering Cultural Competence in Coalition Work

A Word about Sustainability

The likelihood of a strategy to continue over a period of time, especially after a specific funding ends.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS

Questions

CONTACT INFORMATION

Joseph MurrayKaren Murray murrayje@miamioh.edu kmurray@adasbc.org