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

Module 2: Types of Environmental Approaches - Page 23 of 26
Saving Lives Program

The Saving Lives Program in Massachusetts in the late 1980s is an excellent example of the use of collaboration as an environmental strategy. The program employed multiple strategies to reduce alcohol-impaired driving and related injuries and deaths. The core of the program was the creation of task forces comprised of concerned private citizens, organizations, and city officials. The communities developed most of the program initiatives themselves. The tailor-made approach brought results: Over the program's 5 years, cities participating in the program experienced a 33 percent reduction in fatal crashes compared with the 5 years before the program was implemented. ref

Some, but not all, collaborative work involves working in coalition in support of shared goals. Coalitions are teams of individuals usually from different backgrounds and fields who organize to address a community concern. The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) has designed a Web site to help communities form coalitions at http://www.helpyourcommunity.org/

For communities interested in forming coalitions using environmental strategies, SAMHSA has created a useful resource on Roles and Responsibilities of Local Public Agencies categorizing local departments and agencies and their responsibilities for alcohol-related policies. ref

SAMHSA's Guide to Science-Based Practicesref summarizes the research on coalitions (see What Makes An Effective Coalition in Prevention).

Many of SAMHSA's Model Programs use environmental strategies based on effective collaborations. Some of these programs encourage communities to expand participation beyond institutions and professions already involved in the areas of concern. All of them reflect the philosophy that substance abuse prevention must be a community-wide effort.

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