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Section 3. Identifying Strategies and Tactics for Reducing Risks

You understand that:

___Risk reduction involves finding out what in your community leads to the problem you're trying to prevent and then working to cut down on those factors.

___Protective factors are those things that keep whatever it is you're trying to prevent from occurring.

___A strategy is a broad step in a plan to accomplish a specific goal.

___A tactic is a specific step you take to complete a strategy.

You understand the following reasons for including members of the community in the process of selecting risk reduction strategies:

___It can help change community norms and values, which are often tied to risk and protective factors.

___It creates a wider base of support for changing behavior.

___It can give you a better sense of what resources are available to you in the community.

___It can help galvanize public support for your initiative.

___It is more likely to lead to long-term changes.

You have considered including people from the following groups in the process of selecting risk reduction strategies:

___Local law enforcement

___Religious leaders

___Local government officials

___School administrators, teachers, PTA members, school board members

___Health and human services agencies

___Local media representatives

___Youth and parents

___Local businesspeople

___Members of the target population you serve

You understand the following reasons for including members of the target population in the process of selecting risk reduction strategies:

___Giving the target population a say helps establish trust

___Affected communities are often stronger and more resourceful than we give them credit for

___It can give your group a better understanding of what the community needs

___It can also increase community awareness of who you are and what you do

Selecting risk reduction strategies:

___Research to find out what other groups with missions similar to your own have done

___Attend conferences and workshops

___Get involved in regional and national coalitions

___Sign on to an email list for people who do the same type of work you do

___When you examine a possible strategy that has been used in another community, think about how it would work with your own community

___Conduct your own research and see what original strategies you can come up with on your own

You understand the following characteristics of an effective risk reduction strategy:

___The strategy works to increase protective factors

___The goals, methods to be used for data collection, evaluation, and feedback, and specific roles and duties of all staff, volunteers, and any other personnel are clearly defined

___The strategy approaches risk reduction in a manner appropriate to your target population

___The strategy employs early intervention

___The strategy makes the best possible use of available resources

___If addressing multiple risk factors, it's probably best to use multiple strategies

You've asked the following questions when evaluating prevention strategies you're considering:

___Does the strategy address known risk factors?

___How will the strategy reduce risk and/or increase protective factors?

___Is the strategy likely to reach your target population?

___Is the strategy set up in a way in which it can be evaluated?

You're familiar with risk reduction strategies related to changing individual behavior:

___incentives or disincentives

___increasing (or reducing) time and effort for target behaviors

___providing support

___arranging mentors

___enhancing resources

___changing environmental design to remove barriers or enhance accessibility

___changing policy (creating, modifying, or terminating)

___providing information

___modeling

___skills training

___providing feedback on progress

You're familiar with risk reduction strategies related to organizational and community development include:

___public awareness and media campaigns

___community assessment and monitoring

___coalition building

___modifying access to products and services

___integrating and coordinating local agencies and resources

___developing resources to enhance family and peer support

___enforcement of existing policies and laws

___advocacy and nonviolent protest

___changing policies and laws

You understand some of the common tactics used in risk reduction:

___Information campaigns

___Street outreach

___Community outreach

___Peer education

___Risk reduction counseling

___Direct action