Adapted from “Coalition Sustainability: The Keys to Success,” (2008) from The Center for Substance Abuse Prevention’s Southeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies.

At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
• Define sustainability in the context of a community task force, group, or coalition
• Identify the three keys to sustainability
• Identify ten actions related to the three keys
• Relate the three keys to sustainability to the steps of the Strategic Prevention Framework
• Pose questions that are relevant to the development of a sustainability plan

My take…
Dandelions represent wishes …and the means for sowing seeds to grow resilient communities!
-- LB

• Sustainability is the process of ensuring an adaptive prevention system and a sustainable innovation that can be integrated into ongoing operations to benefit diverse stakeholders. (SAMHSA)
• CADCA defines sustainability as the ability to maintain the human, social, and material resources to achieve your coalition’s long-term goals.
• Ultimately, sustainability is about maintaining positive outcomes in communities.

• Achieving outcomes from prevention programs, policies, and practices is the initial desired result.
• Once positive outcomes occur from these strategies, there is a need to sustain the outcomes.

• Typically, there is limited emphasis on building support for outcomes during strategy implementation
• Positive outcomes of each strategy must be sustained to reduce substance abuse behaviors and related problems at the community level

Prevention strategies should be continued because…
• There are documented reductions in substance abuse behaviors.
• They are more cost effective when compared to treatment and incarceration costs.
• The cost savings and impact on related problems will be clear to funders and community members.

• Sustainability is more than funding.
• Sustainability planning should be integrated into the program implementation process – if possible from the beginning!
• Connection to a well-functioning group or coalition can be a great facilitator for sustainability, particularly for community and family prevention programs.
Source: Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention
Support Center, Penn State University

Changing drug or substance consumption behaviors at a population level will require a mix of strategies carefully targeted to reduce risks -- relying primarily on environmental and other population-influencing strategies.

SAMHSA’s
Strategic Prevention Framework
Supports Accountability, Capacity, and Effectiveness
Assessment
Profile population needs, resources, and readiness to address needs and gaps
Capacity
Mobilize and/or build capacity to address needs
Planning
Develop a Comprehensive Strategic Plan
Implementation
Implement evidence-based prevention programs and activities
Evaluation
Monitor, evaluate, sustain, and improve or replace those that fail

SAMHSA’s
Strategic Prevention Framework Steps
Profile population needs, resources, and readiness to address needs and gaps
Monitor, evaluate, sustain, and improve or replace those that fail
Sustainability &
Cultural Competence
Mobilize and/or build capacity to address needs
Implement evidence-based prevention programs and activities
Develop a
Comprehensive
Strategic Plan

The prevention system must have capacities necessary to:
• plan strategically for, carry out, and sustain prevention strategies with adequate effectiveness, scope, and intensity.
• achieve targeted reductions in substance using behaviors and related consequences experienced by the community.

Community agencies, institutions, and organizations must work together to:
• strategically leverage and target the system’s existing resources, assets, and capacity.
• continually expand the community’s ability to effectively respond to changing patterns of substance use consumption and consequences.

Understanding Your Community
– Community needs are regularly assessed.
– Community resources and assets are regularly assessed.
– The project addresses key community needs.
– Community resources are effectively utilized by the project.
– Project goals are matched with community needs.
– Project needs are matched with community resources.
– The projects accounts for diversity in the community.
– The project has strong local governmental support.
– Community members are involved in program design or implementation.
Marek and Mancini (2005)

• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Community engagement
• Evaluation
• Funding strategies
• Staff development
• Adaptability and flexibility
Source: Marek & Mancini (2007)

Sustainability requires a comprehensive plan to address a relevant problem.
Sustainability planning is the process of identifying and securing resources to maintain this plan.
Source: CADCA

and
Necessary for Sustainability

1. Organizational Capacity
2. Effectiveness
3. Community Support

Organizational
Capacity
Effectiveness
Community
Support
1. Structures and Formal Linkages
2. Policies and Procedures
3. Resources
4. Expertise
5. Quality and Accountability
6. Document Outcomes
7. Reach and Alignment
8. Relationships
9. Champions
10. Ownership

Key #
Organizational Capacity
1. Develop administrative structures and formal linkages
2. Adopt supportive policies and procedures
3. Secure diverse resources
4. Acquire appropriate expertise

Key #
Effectiveness
5. Assess Implementation Quality.
6. Assure that the Strategy being implemented is documented as effective for achieving the desired outcomes.
7. Assess the Reach and Alignment.

Key #
Community support
8. Develop and Nurture Positive
Relationships
9. Turn Stakeholders into System
Leaders and Champions
10. Encourage Ownership

Activity –
Analyzing Internal and
External Partnerships
This activity helps to assess potential partners and explore opportunities for building relationships.

• A community system that can flexibly respond to problems by providing ongoing support for a strategic approach to achieve positive results and sustain them.
• A plan and process that builds the community prevention coalition’s capacity as an effective problem-solving group.

Continued . . . Results of Planning for Sustainability
• A forum for successful integration of the
Strategic Prevention Framework into the community prevention system
• Effective use of limited resources to reduce substance use consumption and consequences

The Keys to Sustainability are about recognizing, assessing, and building the many strengths your communities have to offer.
ODMHSAS

• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP), Unlocking the Door to
Sustainability: Keys to Sustaining Effective Prevention and Positive
Outcomes in Your Community. www.samhas.gov
• Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (CADCA). (2007). Sustainability
Primer: Fostering Long-Term Change to Create Drug-Free Communities. http://cadca.org
.
• Community Anti-Drug Coalition Institute (CADCA). 2008. Sustainability
Webinar #3. www.coalitioninstitute.org
• Johnson, K., Hays, C., Center, H., & Daley, C. (2004). Building Capacity and Sustainable Prevention Innovations: A Sustainability Planning
Model. Journal of Evaluation and Program Planning,
• Marek, L., & Mancini, J. (2007). Sustaining Community-Based
Programs: Relationships Between Sustainability Factors and Program
Results. Department of Human Development, Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and State University
• Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
(ODMHSAS). Keys to Sustainability: Unlocking the Doors to Effective
Prevention and Positive Outcomes.
• Penn State EPISCenter, http://www.episcenter.psu.edu

Luanne Beaudry, M.S., C.P.C.-R.
Prevention Network
PO Box 4458
East Lansing, MI 48826-4458
800-968-4968 ext 112 pamcampaign@preventionnetwork.org