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
Why use the Strategic Prevention Framework?
___SPF is inclusive and participatory.
___SPF emphasizes the role of the community in prevention.
___SPF is open-ended, and encourages communities to find their own solutions.
___SPF aims to create long-term social change by focusing on risk and protective factors that can be influenced by short- or medium-term prevention efforts.
___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.
Possible Disadvantages to Using SPF
___Limited resources.
___Insistence on the faithful implementation of evidence-based programs.
___Administrative load.
When should you use the Strategic Prevention Framework?
___Before there’s a serious problem.
___When resources are available.
___When a community problem has entered the public consciousness, but before it has reached crisis stage.
___When a community problem has reached the crisis stage.
___When there’s public focus on an at-risk population, particularly youth.
___When there’s a community economic development effort underway and people are looking at the community’s quality of life.
___When a grassroots movement for community improvement has arisen, and is looking for a way to address community issues.
Who should use the Strategic Prevention Framework?
___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.
___Elected and appointed public officials and policy makers at the appropriate level.
___Parents.
___Youth.
___Elders.
___The business community.
___Interested community members.
How do you use the Strategic Prevention 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.
___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 use.
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.
___Keep at it indefinitely.