The Strategic Prevention Framework What is the Strategic

The Strategic Prevention Framework

What is the Strategic Prevention Framework? • The Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) outlines a process that an organization, initiative, community, or state can follow in order to prevent and reduce the use and abuse of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs. • SPF concentrates on eliminating risk factors and strengthening protective factors.

• Risk factors are those elements within an individual or her environment that make her more susceptible to particular negative behaviors or conditions. • Protective factors are the opposite – those elements within an individual or his environment that make him less susceptible to those negative behaviors or conditions.

SPF has five phases: • • • Assessment Capacity Planning Implementation Evaluation

Some advantages to using SPF: • SPF is inclusive and participatory. • SPF emphasizes the role of the community in prevention. • SPF aims to create long-term social change by focusing on risk and protective factors that can be influenced by short- or mediumterm prevention efforts.

Some advantages to using SPF: (cont. ) • SPF provides communities with proven, evidence-based models to choose from. • SPF provides technical assistance and links to other practitioners and programs. • SPF’s focus on risk and protective factors can improve the long-term well-being of the community.

Some possible disadvantages to using SPF: • Limited resources. • Insistence on the faithful implementation of evidence-based programs. • Administrative load.

Potential stakeholders in SPF: • Members of the population(s) most at risk. • Medical professionals, particularly those who work directly with at-risk populations. • Human service workers. • Alcohol- and drug-treatment professionals, as well as researchers in the field. • Law enforcement officials. • Educators.

Potential stakeholders in SPF: (cont. ) • Elected and appointed public officials and policy makers at the appropriate level. • Parents. • Youth. • Elders. • The business community. • Interested community members.

Using the SPF framework: Phase 1: Assessment • • Form an epidemiological workgroup. Assess community needs and assets. Assess community readiness. Determine the most pressing need that a prevention effort can influence.

Phase 2: Capacity • Start with your core group. • Choose or develop a logic model or theory of practice to guide your effort. • Assess community readiness. • Use what you know about the community’s level of readiness to publicize the issue and encourage participation. • Expand the network of community members interested in preventing substance abuse.

Phase 3: Planning Assemble a planning team. Train the planning team. Analyze local risk and protective factors. Choose the factors you’ll concentrate on. Research and choose an evidence-based approach that can be used with the risk and protective factors you’ve settled on. • Create an overall plan for the effort. • Present the plan to the community and gather support. • • •

Phase 4: Implementation • Hire staff and/or recruit volunteers. • Stick to your plan for the implementation process. • Continue to pay attention to resources. • Keep the community informed.

Phase 5: Evaluation • • Evaluate the process. Evaluate the impact of the program. Evaluate the outcomes. Use the evaluation results to adjust the program to be more effective.