CADCA National Coalition Institute

Moving Your Coalition into a Web 2.0 World

Everybody's talking about it. Are you on Facebook? Do you Twitter? Did you see the latest viral video on You Tube? And now CADCA asks have you seen Connected Communities? The choices are endless and just when you think you're getting a handle on what's out there--BANG!--a dozen new tools have been introduced. So how do you navigate in a Web 2.0 world when you feel like you're just mastering e-mail?

First, remember that Web 2.0 is not about technology!

This probably seems like a crazy statement, but, in fact, Web 2.0 is a set of tools that may help you communicate in a quicker, less expensive, more efficient way. Think of social media applications (such as a blog) like the pots and pans of communication. These tools use the Internet to move your messages and when used as dissemination vehicles, they hold little difference to the tools you likely use now--press releases, public service advertisements, posters and billboards. Web 2.0 tools, also know as social media, simply help you distribute your messages farther and faster.

Remember also that Web 2.0 is about conversation and sharing!

This is great news for digital immigrants (those of us who did learned typing on a typewriter or word processor) and digital natives alike. We've all been involved in conversations and it's likely that we were taught to share before heading off to kindergarten or even pre-school. Social media tools help us to communicate and share our opinions with others, whether they're in the next cubicle or thousands of miles away. Tools like social networks (e.g., Connected Communities) offer opportunities to collaborate with other coalitions without the expense or time needed to get everyone in the same room.

Now that you're feeling a little better about social media, you'll want to know how and where to start. That's the easy part. Start on the Technology/Social Media page of the Institute's Web site or by reading the social media section of Telling the Coalition Story: Comprehensive Communication Strategies. Then give one or two applications a try. Take the time to experiment by developing a blog that you don't make public. Set up a profile on Facebook and then create a page for your coalition. Post your holiday photos on Flickr and share them with family members.

You also can participate in the Connect…Communicate...Collaborate: How Community Coalitions Are Making Social Media Work workshop at CADCA's Mid-Year Training Camp in Louisville, Ky., in July. Or respond to this blog  with a comment or question. That's how we can get the conversation started and moving in the right direction for your coalition.

This post was written by Sue Stine, Sr. Manager for Dissemination and Coalition Realtions for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may reach Sue by sending an e-mail to sstine@cadca.org.

Knowing the Difference between Community Mobilizing and Community Organizing

Often we hear about community organizing and community mobilizing.  I never knew there was a difference between the two. Although the two terms seem synonymous, I recently found out that there are some significant differences. Learning the distinction between the two caused me to open my eyes to the intricacies of the many important processes and steps that successful coalitions find innate. I realized that in order to implement strategies to achieve population-level reductions in substance abuse, it is entirely likely that a coalition will need to get large numbers of folks to take action. 

 

So what is the difference anyway?

Community mobilizing is when experts drive the action of an issue and they are the ones who know the solutions. Community mobilizing is categorized as issue oriented, its process is driven by action, and it can be a confrontational process.  On the other hand community organizing is when issues arise out of a community consensus. This process is goal oriented and not confrontational because everyone agrees that this issue exists and is important. A hybrid of both community mobilizing and community organizing efforts are both crucial if a coalition wants to achieve real outcomes.

 

So why is this important to your coalition?

Effective coalitions need to be about changing policies, practices, and systems.  Your coalition should be a change agent in your community. You need other people in your community who are on your side, fighting hard for your issue too. For example, suppose you want to enact an ordinance to ban public consumption of booze in county parks because of problems that arise regularly there. A change in policy is needed but you are facing a tough vote from the city council.  You are probably going to need people to testify, write letters, call their councilperson, etc. In short you will probably need to know which community mobilizing/organizing strategies you should use to get your desired outcome. 

 

To learn more about community mobilizing and organizing, check out the upcoming CADCA National Coalition Institute’s Webinar ,“Community Mobilizing for Coalitions” on Thursday, May 21, 2009 from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Coalition experts Michael Sparks and George Vasquez will be presenting this Webinar and bring a rich enthusiasm along with a wealth of mobilizing/organizing experience to share with coalitions.

To register for the session, go to the  following URL [http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB228UPNF9D6U].

This post was written by Rachael Seda, Associate for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may reach her at rseda@cadca.org.

La importancia de un mapeo comunitario

As CADCA's International Programs expand, we will, from time-to-time, reprint an English blog in Spanish or Portuguese. This is a Spanish-language version of Eduardo Hernandez' April 6, 2009 blog post titled "Why you should consider an environmental scan."

Las coaliciones anti-drogas deben precisar modificar los entornos problemáticos existentes en la comunidad. Pero para realizar esa meta, primero se tiene que identificar las zonas o lugares de alto riesgo donde ocurren la mayoría de los problemas relacionados con el uso de las drogas ilícitas o el abuso de bebidas alcohólicas. No obstante, es notable el número de coaliciones que se basan sus diagnósticos comunitarios en datos epidemiológicos sobre la prevalencia e incidencia del consumo de drogas y bebidas alcohólicas. Datos de esa índole, aunque de suma importancia para entender como se manifiesta la problemática en la comunidad, no les indica el contexto o los lugares donde los jóvenes consumen drogas. La falta de ese tipo de información motiva a muchas coaliciones a realizar un mapeo de los entornos en su comunidad.

Examinemos el ejemplo de problemas de alcohol. Usted ha encontrado los datos de números de arrestos por delitos relacionado con el uso de alcohol, manejar en estado de ebriedad, y el uso de alcohol entre poblaciones específicas. Pero se necesita un análisis más profundo para conseguir una perspectiva más completa del problema en su comunidad. Así que usted podría hacer un mapeo que incluye las preguntas y la información siguientes:

El número y ubicación de expendios de licor. ¿Hay muchas tiendas de licores y cantinas en su comunidad, o en algunos vecindarios? ¿Se puede comprar alcohol en los supermercados, las bodegas, las droguerías, las gasolineras? ¿Venden a menores de edad? ¿A qué hora se acaba la venta de bebidas alcohólicas en la comunidad?

¿Dónde se consume licor? ¿Al lado de cantinas y restaurantes, parques públicos, festivales comunales, los encuentros deportivos, aparcamientos, edificios abandonados, etc.?

¿Cómo es promovido alcohol en su comunidad? ¿Existen mercados con anuncios de licor por todas partes de las ventanas y paredes? ¿Hay muchas "happy hour" u otros tipos de promociones? ¿Hay muchas carteleras con anuncios de alcohol en su comunidad?

¿Hay anuncios en los expendios de licor que indican que una persona debe tener la edad legal para entrar o comprar alcohol?

Estos son algunos de los elementos que usted puede incluir en su mapeo. Note el énfasis en DONDE específicamente ocurren los problemas. Su coalición puede hacer un impacto a reducir las tasas de consumo con un enfoque claro de las áreas donde problemas ocurren. Considere lo que usted quizás averigüe si combina los resultados de su mapeo con datos de la policía local.

Para empezar, sugiero que la coalición forme un equipo que llevará a cabo un mapeo. Aquí debo agregar que he visto algunas coaliciones enfatizar la participación de jóvenes y adolescentes en esta actividad. Ellos le pueden ayudar a buscar datos, hacer preguntas, sacar fotografías, o hacer presentaciones artísticas de los resultados del mapeo. También, es importante asegurar que su coalición incluye residentes de la zona del mapeo.

Una vez que usted tiene su equipo, seleccione una metodología para documentar la información. Identifique las preguntas que usted desea contestado y cómo usted reunirá y analizará los datos. Recuerde que hay mucho más preguntas que las que indiqué arriba.

Pero querría realmente oír de algunas coaliciones acerca de sus experiencias con hacer un mapeo de los entornos problemáticos de su comunidad. ¿Con qué barreras se encontró usted? ¿Qué lecciones aprendidas le pueden compartir con otras coaliciones? ¿Si usted lo volviera hacer otra vez, qué haría usted diferente? Gracias.

This post was written by Dr. Eduardo Hernández-Alarcón, CADCA's Director of International Programs and Deputy Director for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may reach Dr. Hernandez at ehernandez@cadca.org.

Why you should consider an environmental scan

Coalitions are well-positioned to change the problem environments that exist within their communities. But to do so, they first must discover the high risk areas that cause alcohol and other drug problems. However, I have noticed that when conducting their community assessment coalition leaders often focus primarily on epidemiological data that provide AOD consumption rates. Such data, as important as they may be, will not give you information on the context or place of substance use in your community.

The lack of such information is one compelling reason for your coalition to conduct an environmental scan. Let’s look at alcohol problems. You’ve found data on numbers of arrests, drunk-driving rates, alcohol use among specific populations and age groups. But you want to dig deeper to get a more complete perspective of the problem in your community. So you could do a scan which includes the following questions and information:

• The number and location liquor outlets. Is there large number of liquor stores and bars in your community, on in some neighborhoods? Can you buy alcohol in markets, convenience stores, drug stores, gas stations? What time do outlets stop selling booze?
• Where is liquor consumed? In addition to bars and restaurants, what about parks, street festivals, sporting events, parking lots, abandoned buildings, etc?
• How is alcohol promoted in your community? Do you have markets with liquor ads all over the windows and walls? Do you have a lot of “Happy Hour” or other types of promotions? Do you have lots of billboards with alcohol ads in your community?
• Do outlets post signs stating that a person must be 21 to enter or purchase alcohol?

These are just a few of the items that you can scan. Note the emphasis above on WHERE specifically problems occur. Your coalition can make an impact on reducing rates of consumption by honing in on areas where problems occur. Consider what you might find out if you combine the results of your environmental scan with data from your local law enforcement agency.

To get started, I suggest you develop a team that will carry out such a scan. Here I must add that I have seen coalitions do a great job of involving their youth in this activity. Youth can help you track data, ask questions, take pictures, make creative displays of results, etc. You are probably missing the boat if you don’t involve youth in your environmental scan. Also, make sure you get people from the neighborhood(s) you are scanning. Not a good idea to send in folks who don’t look like the people who live in the neighborhood. Once you have your team, develop a methodology to document the information. Identify the questions you want answered and how you are going to collect and analyze the data. Remember there are lot more questions to be asked than the ones I stated above. For more information you can check out the CADCA Institute’s Environmental Strategies publication.

But I’d really like to hear from some coalitions about your experiences with environmental scanning. What barriers did you encounter? What lessons learned can you share with folks? If you had it to do over again, what would you do different? Thanks!

This post was written by Dr. Eduardo Hernández-Alarcón, Deputy Director for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may reach Dr. Hernandez at ehernandez@cadca.org.

Academy Dubbed Innovation of the Week

CADCA's National Coalition Academy, our year-long training course for coalition leaders, is being highlighted by the Leader to Leader Institute as its Innovation of the Week, a biweekly honor that celebrates an organization´s innovative strategy, service, product, partnership or collaboration employed to make a difference in the lives of the people it serves. 

In partnership with the National Guard Bureau, CADCA's National Coalition Institute developed the year-long academy which is now offered at National Guard Regional Training Centers in Pennsylvania, Iowa and Mississippi. The Academy also is expanding to state-sponsored cohorts and to all first-year Drug Free Communities Support Program grantees.

Through collaborative training focused on developing assessment, action, intervention, evaluation and sustainability plans, CADCA’s National Coalition Academy is a model of innovation that, according to Frances Hesselbein, Leader to Leader Chairman and Founding President, can “make success travel.”

“This is a wonderful accolade for our National Coalition Academy,” said Gen. Arthur Dean, CADCA Chairman and CEO. “We are proud of the work that our National Coalition Academy is doing for communities. Through onsite classroom training, distance learning and Web support, communities are learning how to start anti-drug coalitions or increase their effectiveness so that they can successfully fight substance abuse.”

More than 100 coalitions around the U.S. are National Coalition Academy graduates--let other coalitions know why they should become NCA graduates too! If so, let us know about your experience. You can add a comment to this post; write your own blog post at Connected Communities; or drop an e-mail to institute@cadca.org and we will post the information for you.

This post was written by Sue Stine, Sr. Manager for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. You may contact her at sstine@cadca.org.

 

Increasing Coalitions' Social Media Presence

Does your coalition have a blog? Are you on Facebook or MySpace? Have you posted videos to YouTube or photos to Flickr? Do you Twitter? If so, CADCA's National Coalition Institute wants to know about you!

Whether for a training event or technical assistance session, we often are asked to provide examples of how coalitions are using various social networks and media and we love to highlight the great work that our coalitions are doing.

To the left of this post is a blogroll of coalition blogs about which we are aware and we constantly learn about and add new ones to our list. In addition, through Connected Communities, our network for coalition and other community leaders, we can link to more excellent coalition examples.

We're working to provide new outlets so that our coalition partners can connect...communicate...collaborate. Let us know about your social media connections by adding a comment below or sending an e-mail to sstine@cadca.org.

It is critical that we get the word out. With you, we will show the country--and the world--how community coalitions are contributing to and sustaining safe and healthy communities.

This post was written by Sue Stine, Sr. Manager for Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. Contact her at sstine@cadca.org.

Connect...Communicate...Collaborate

CADCA's National Leadership Forum XIX wraps up today. It's been an exciting, hectic week filled with excellent presentations, new and renewed friendships, significant learning and lots of food!

The Forum (aka CADCA) offers coalition leaders from around the country an incredible opportunity to network--with CADCA staff, federal project officers and, most importantly, one another. And over the years, many participants have expressed the desire to continue that networking beyond the Forum.

We've heard that request and are happy to expand that networking opportunity to a year-round activity through a new social network called Connected Communities. The network offers coalition leaders the opportunity to share their stories, photos and videos, to initiate topical discussions and to get advice from others in the field (including CADCA staff).

Connected Communities will become part of a new social media section on the redesigned CADCA Web site which will launch soon. We hope you will join us on Connected Communities and that you'll be involved in the national network that can help inform and strengthen your local efforts.

This post was written by Sue Stine, Sr. Manager for Dissemination and Coalition Relations at CADCA's National Coalition Institute.

I Need a Recipe Environmental Strategies...PLEASE!

(This is part 1 of a 2-part series of posts in preparation for the Institute’s Webinar series on environmental strategies. Click here for more information or to access the registration page.)

A recipe for environmental strategies is what you want? Unfortunately, no such thing exists. Let me explain further using some examples of technical assistance calls and e-mails that I get from coalitions across the United States.

Shannon, this is... from the... coalition in ... I need some examples of coalitions who have done really well with environmental strategies in their community. My coalition does not quite realize how environmental strategies work and they want examples of what other coalitions have done. Can you direct me to them?”  

First, do you know how many coalitions in the United States successfully plan and implement environmental strategies? TONS! It would be close to impossible for any one person to keep up with all of them. But, I’m amazed to know that each community is very different and no single recipe for success exists when it comes to environmental prevention strategies.

Consider the political challenges associated with the implementation of environmental strategies. Understanding the current climate within your own community is a significant task and matching the conditions in your community with another would be next to impossible. And you must address more than just political challenges.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look at how successful coalitions have implemented environmental strategies. In fact, the Institute provides information from a number of successful coalitions in our Environmental Prevention Strategies publication. Just realize that their recipe will not be the one your coalition will need to create effective strategies for your community.

Ask yourself if your coalition REALLY knows what environmental strategies are and if members could benefit from FREE online training offered by the Institute. Yes, you read that correctly. The session takes about 90-minutes (or less if necessary) and not everyone has to be in the same room. We’ll access an online classroom, provide you with the link and a toll-free phone number. It is that simple. Interested? Call me at 800-54-CADCA, ext. 240.

This post was written by Shannon Weatherly, Technical Assistance Manager for CADCA's National Coalition Institute. Her e-mail address is sweatherly@cadca.org, and her phone number is 800-542-2322, ext. 240.