CONTENTS

About This Course

Table of Contents

1. An Introduction to Environmental Strategies
2. Types of Environmental Approaches
3. Putting Environmental Strategies To Work

Supplements
References
Resources

Environmental Strategies for Prevention
A Guide To Helping the Prevention Professional Work Effectively in the Community

The Environmental Prevention Model

In the last module, we visited Prevention, U.S.A., and learned that changing norms, reducing the availability of substances, and creating and enforcing regulations can help create an environment that supports people making healthy choices. But how do communities move from point "A" - an unhealthy environment that puts youth and others at risk -- to point "B" -- a place like Prevention, U.S.A.?

If the last module offered a birds' eye view of Prevention, U.S.A., this module offers a road map for getting there.

SAMHSA'S Strategic Prevention Framework Steps

As with all prevention activities, environmental strategies should be incorporated into what is called a "Prevention Framework" or action plan. CSAP has developed a step-by-step model to help prevention professionals develop and implement action plans. ref The five basic steps are as follows:

• Step One: Needs Assessment
  What is the substance abuse or other problem in the community? What needs to be changed?
• Step Two: Capacity Building
  What resources and skills are available at the agency level? What resources are available in the community? What is the community's readiness for change? How can collaborations occur?
• Step Three: Program Selection
  What issues/areas need concentrated efforts? What options are available that have been evaluated and shown to be effective? Which among these options provides the "best fit" for this particular area?
• Step Four: Implementation
  What are the expected outcomes? How will these outcomes be measured? How will they be documented and analyzed?
• Step Five: Evaluation
  How is the general impact on the community assessed? What is this impact? How can the plan of action be improved in light of these outcomes?

For more information on using evaluation data go to Wading Through the Data Swamp.