1 Assessing Community Needs and Community Readiness

2 What is Community Needs Assessment? Characterstics of the community Concerns and priorities of local stakeholders Actual alcohol and drug use in the community The view of residents about alcohol and drug use in the community Community needs and resources

3 What is Community Readiness? Awareness Interest Capacity to Implement Ability to Act Willingness and Motivation

4 Aims of the Community Readiness Assessment Assess communtiy readiness regarding substance abuse prevention Assess perceived substance abuse problems at the community level Identify needs of activities

5 Development of an instrument Literature search of existing surveys Creation of a survey instrument Testing the instrument in a pilot study Changes of the instrument Administration of the questionnaire

6 Community Readiness Model Stage 1 - No knowledge, toleration Stage 2 – Denial, no recognition Stage 3 – Vague awareness, problem exists Stage 4 – Preplanning, recognise the problem Stage 5 – Preparation, planning for prevention Stage 6 – Initiation, justify prevention Stage 7 – Stabilisation, prevention and policies exists Stage 8 – Confirmation, evaluate prevention Stage 9 – Professional, detailed knowledge

7 Number of respondents Community Readiness Survey MunicipalityNumber of Responedents Nynäshamn37 Klaipeda51 Drammen 8 Sovjetsk13 Bagratinovsk11

8 Results

9 Key Informant Affiliation

10 Readiness for change for all municipalities Part 1 – all municipalitiesMeanMaximum Score CRM Individual knowledge Individual interest Increased individual commitment Organisation knowledge Organisation commitment Organsiation cooperation Awareness of measures Awareness of guidelines Total readiness5 (5.9)

11 Ranking of Substances Identified as a Problem for Different Age Groups Age GroupFirst rankingSecond rankingThird ranking Youth ages 12 to 17 AlcoholOtherMarijuana/hash Young adults 18 to 25 Alcohol OtherMarijuana/hash Adults 26 to 65AlcoholOther Prescription medicine misuse Adults 66 and older AlcoholPrescription medicine misuse Other

12 Ratings of Effective Substance Abuse Prevention Strategies in the Municipality Do Not Not Somewhat Very not know available effective effective effective

13 Perceived Barriers to Substance Abuse Prevention Activities Do Not a A mode- A large not know barrier rate barrier barrier

14 Most Needed Strategy in the Municipality 1.Knowledge of life and social skills programme for young people 18.3 % 2.Application of laws and local guidelines 9.2 % 3.Support during rehabilitation 8.3 % 4.Parental support programme 7.5 % 5.Creating public opinion 6.7 %

15 Community Readiness for Starting Substance Abuse Prevention Activities Do Not ready Low Medium High not know readiness readiness readiness

16 Municipality Use of Data for Substance Abuse Prevention

17 The municipality’s stage of readiness for changePer cent (n=120) 1 - This municipality tolerates or encourages alcohol and drug abuse – This municipality has little or no understanding for problems related to alcohol and drug abuse – This municipality feels that there are problems with alcohol and drug abuse, but the awareness of the problems is only associated to one or two incidents in which there has been alcohol and drug abuse —This municipality is aware of the problems involving alcohol and drug abuse, and there are those with responsibility for this issue, but there is no effective planning that can deal with problems and risk factors This municipality has plans for preventing alcohol and drug abuse, and is focusing on practical details. For example, it applies for financing for preventive efforts – This municipality has sufficient information to justify the introduction of a programme for prevention of alcohol and drug abuse, and is very enthusiastic in expectation of starting this initiative —This municipality has introduced guidelines and/or more than one preventive programme for alcohol and drug abuse with financial support and trained personnel – This municipality views ongoing programmes against alcohol and drug abuse as valuable. New programmes are being developed in order to reach out to groups of residents that are at risk, and the ongoing efforts are continuously evaluated – This municipality possesses extensive and detailed knowledge about the incidence, risk factors and the effectiveness of programmes against alcohol and drug abuse, and is training personnel who improve programmes to deal with risk factors in the municipality. 2.5

18 Readiness for Change for all Municipalities PART 3 Intervals for the five different levelsCRM score by area/dimension Level Level Level Level Level 5 5 CRM score by stage and area Organisation’s measures Leadership Organisation’s cooperative climate Knowledge of subject area Resources for preventive measures Readiness for change for all municipalities 4 (4.2)

19 Suggestions of Activites to Stabilize Measures and Programmes Plan activities in the municipality in order to maintain the support for alcohol and drug prevention efforts. (Continue to work with this issue). Train personnel in the municipality in various measures, methods, and programmes regarding alcohol and drug prevention efforts. Inform the public in order to increase knowledge of the measures and activities in alcohol and drug prevention efforts. Conduct co-ordination meetings with the administration of the municipality on a regular basis to review and co-ordinate developments, and to possibly modify measures in order to keep this issue alive.

20 Suggestions of Activites to Stabilize Measures and Programmes continues Arrange events for associations and businesses, so they will be updated as to what is happening. Conduct evaluations of the alcohol and drug prevention efforts. Present evaluations and follow-ups in the media (newspaper, radio, TV), the Internet, as well as at other activities, such as training programmes and steering committee meetings. Prepare and submit articles to newspapers with content on the ongoing work and future plans. Disseminate information at various meetings, and in different networks regarding the ongoing work and future plans. Create networks between organisations, administrations (actors) and the local associations and business in the municipality.

21 Suggestions of Acitivities to Broaden the Work of Substance Prevention Formalize networks through collaboration agreements. Ensure the quality through needs analysis and evaluations, and review objectives for the alcohol and drug prevention work. Conduct focus group interviews, for example, to investigation whether the target groups are satisfied. Revise any action programmes, guidelines and control documents. Continue to market programmes and activities regarding alcohol and drug prevention efforts. Create public opinion with the help of relevant and specific statistics (trends) Publish data and trend analyses on a regular basis in order to keep the public informed.

22 Thank you!