Making The Most of Assessment

Collect data to define problems, resources and readiness within the county to address needs Assessment

Assessing Population Needs Why is local assessment critical? To change a problem locally, you must understand it. Only then can you identify the best way to solve it.

Taking Stock See what the state has collected Look for existing data Collect new data

Places to look for data Iowa Youth Survey Behavior Risk Factor Surveillance Survey Police Department Sheriff’s Department Public Health Department School District Iowa Department of Public Health Other coalitions or non-profits Who else collects data locally in your community????

Assessing Population Needs Consequences What are the negative impacts of use? These are things like school suspensions, health consequences and car crashes Consumption Describe how people use or misuse substances For example how many youth have used alcohol or tobacco in the last 30 days

Risk and Protective Factors Risk FactorsDomainProtective Factors Early Aggressive Behavior Individual Self-Control Lack of Parental Supervision Family Parental Monitoring Substance Abuse Peer Academic Competence Drug Availability School Anti-drug Use Policies Poverty Community Strong Neighborhood Attachment

Setting Priorities Time lapse Impact Changeability Magnitude Concentration

Discussion What kind of state and local data have you already collected? What are you still missing? Where might you find it or who might have access to it? What do you know about the risk and protective factors in your community? How do they contribute to or protect kids or others in your community when it comes to your priority issue? What data do you have, or do you need to collect, that can tell you more about the magnitude, changeability, impact, concentration and time lapse of the issue you want to address in your community? What are the next steps that will help you get the most out of your assessment?

 SPF Resources  Assessment Additional Resources

Next step: Planning for Success Creating an Action Plan

This project is funded by Iowa Department of Public Health, through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services