Community Assessment

How do exactly know and understand what the problems facing our community are? The simple answer to this questions is do a community assessment. Well what really is a community assessment. Through the past week, I had the opportunity to be part of an advanced community assessment process at the Drug Free Communities Grantees meeting. It reminded me of several things. 1. It is important to define the community of the coalition; 2. Coalitions should take responsibility for everyone in their defined community. 3. Engaging in a community assessment.

1. Definition of the community of the coalition. Is the coalition a community of place, interest or experience. These three distinctions are so vital to how we will interact with individuals and groups and the levels of interaction. Many coalitions are defined by place, geographic boundaries. When this is the case do we truly understand the entire community including its sub-communities and other outside influences? We should name all of the communities in our communities to better understand what is important to them and what their values are.

2. Responsibility. Probably the most significant way coalitions differ from direct service programs such as those who go into schools to provide a curricula is who they take responsibility for. While the program who works with sixth graders in a school may be concerned about what other kids are doing or what the community is doing, they only have resources and the ability to directly affect those sixth graders. Coalitions seek to not only represent their entire community, as defined by the coalition, but to engage in initiatives that take this into account. This is the reason you see coalitions such as The Partnership focuses on initiatives that involve systems and organisations that have a broad reach. We focus on community change involving capacity building, service delivery, and policy change. It is these items that begin to be able to reach the necessary levels in order to affect population level change (i.e. 30 day use among all high school kids)

3. Paul Evensen said that you cannot do a community assessment from behind a desk. True community assessments take people into the community, all of the pieces and parts that make it up. If the coalition focuses on a county, than all parts parts of the county must be taken into consideration central city, suburbs and rural areas. We must not leave out those who are traditionally under served or those who are under served because there is a perception there is not a problem in their community.

These are all things that we must think of when we speak of a community assessment and when we do one. So much of what we do is based upon only quantitative data, with limited qualitative data, and many time our qualitative data does not come from those who provided the quantitative. While this seeks to provide a complete picture it really falls short, especially since the quantitative tells the what and the qualitative tells the why.

On another note there are some other blogs that focus on coalitions across the country. I encourage to check them out the first one is the Community Anti-Drug Coalition's Blog http://prevention.typepad.com/cadcaforumblog/, Charleston Substance Abuse Coalition http://csac-chad.blogspot.com/ and the Missouri Youth Adult Alliance http://myaapreventuad.blogspot.com/2006/11/northland-coalition-receives-national.html
As always happy reading.

Drinking and Downtown Development?

Since when is getting people drunk a viable strategy to downtown revitaliation? Evidently, Toledo believes it is the best thing for our community. I am talking about organized "pub crawls" that take people from bar to bar where they are encouraged to spend money on drinks. But it is "safe" because no one is driving, they are using buses to take people from bar to bar. Well this is all well and good until one of these new tools of economic development gets dropped off at their car to go home. Is this a value we hold true, has our community come to the point where we resort to getting people drunk as the only way to revitalize the downtown? Obviously Channel 24 in Toledo thinks this is a good idea as demonstrated through their promotion of the event, it was their "Big Story"http://http://www.nbc24.com/Global/story.asp?s=5899881. Is this really news? They tried to couch the drinking issue by saying the bus only runs until 9:00 "not late enough to allow people to get drunk, but eat" I did not know that over drinking was time sensitive. If the bus is designed to encourage people to stay downtown and eat than why is it called a "Pub Crawl"? This sends the wrong mesage to our children in our commuity What can you do? Call, write, e-mail our media and commuity leaders and let them know this is just not acceptable.

Recap from Week 1

It appears that someone is reading what we are saying, we have two posts, those of you who are not reading the comments I have contained them in their entirety in this post. The alcohol industry is becoming more and more aggressive in their marketing tactics to our children. It was not too long ago the distilled spirits industry did not advertise on television because of their self imposed ban in advertising in press that has the potential to reach children. The premise of this ban dates back to the repeal of prohibition. Their idea to change their marketing practice was in direct response to their continued loss of market share to beer. They came into our homes through our televisions by making promises that they would not advertise their primary products and not at times when young people are watching. How many of us have seen the advertisements for Bacardi, Captain Morgan and various gin and vodka products at times when our children are watching?

Changing this culture is incumbent upon us, community members, if we don't no one else will. We cannot expect our young people to have the ability to make the right decisions if all around them the media and advertising is telling them this is the right way to live their lives? This can be done by simply turning off the television and taking a stand when we can. There is so much to say on this issue, but this is enough for now. As always, Happy Reading!

Comments from last week
Thank you for this excellent opportunity to consider the questions. I am of the mindset that the advertising done by the alcohol industry is indeed so pervasive that it is actually an accepted norm among most people. The industry has been able to shift the burden of its product consequences and reap extraordinary wealth. I would like to pose another question. How many of our coalition members have viewed the web-based "games" the industry (alcohol and spirits) is putting online? How much more "normal" will alcohol be as a natural part of the next generations thinking and activity as these messages permeate the online environment too? -LaDonna

1. Yes the alcohol industry and how society reacts to the product definitely sends a negative message in our society. It has become so normal that now the industry is looked upon by most as being picked on by those who try to keep the community normal and well functioning. 2. The alternative products offered by the alcohol industry helps to build consumer loyally and name recognition. It seems to be especially influential to kids because of the taboo of what it is and how those products are otherwise forbidden to them. When young people see that the products like BBQ sauce does not hurt them they are more willing and curious to try the real alcohol products. It appears the industry has done good target marketing and found products that can be appealing to young people when they start to drink with more sweet taste.3. There are a number of things that average people can do to stop underage drinking. 1. Join your local community coalition, there is power in numbers and like minded people can help with strategies that will be very effective. 2. Don't buy products or from stores that seem to be predators to our young people. Most areas has a store that sales to young people or do other things that are harmful in our communities, it is our duty not to patronize these places. 3. Support elected officials that make a stand on prevention underage drinking. -Dannie

First Time in the World of Blogging

Alas, it is time to become part of the 21st Century and begin to harness the power of the free publication (the blog) to bring to light the work of coalition and prevention. This forum will focus on those things that can only be solved by the entire community. We hope this forum will force people to think, have a conversation and maybe even inspire to action.

About the author(s) This blog will be serviced by many people who work for or on behalf of a coalition called The Community Partnership, located in Toledo, Ohio. The primary author is Deacon D. who has been working in the substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs) for 16 years and the coalition field for 13 years.

Here are some thoughts to chew on. 1. Is the pervasiveness of the alcohol industry negatively impacting our society? 2. Do their alternative products such as Budweiser BBQ sauce promote underage drinking? and 3. Are there things we ("the average joe") do about underage drinking?
If you have thoughts post them, we will be posting our ideas later in the week.
Happy Reading!!!
Deacon D.