Building a coalition to combat substance abuse problems in your community is not an easy task. Perseverance, compromise, patience, and long-term commitment are all required. Group leaders need the skills of brokers, salesmen, and fund-raisers. In spirit, they need to be determined idealists.
STEP 1. DEFINE THE PROBLEM AND ITS IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY
Determine the scope and nature of the problem in the community. Who is using drugs? What kinds of drugs are being used? Has there been a recent increase or decrease in drug abuse? Was the change caused by a community event? What are the specific negative effects felt by the community due to drug use?
Use as many sources of information as possible in attempting to answer these questions. The goal of your investigation should be to target resources and problems to meet your community's needs. Go beyond mere anecdotal evidence to be effective.
Sometimes it helps to broaden the perspective of those who will be part of the coalition by looking at substance abuse on a continuum, which extends from non-use to recovery.
- Non-users: Only a small part of the population -- thought to be 10 percent or fewer -- abstains from all use of non-medicinal drugs.
- Drug users: 90 percent of adolescents try alcohol or some other drug at least once before they leave high school (in this category, everything counts -- even that sip of champagne at home with the family).
- Drug abusers: Those who use alcohol and/or drugs to alter their state of mind constitute 50 percent of the youth in the United States.
- Chemical dependency: Addiction is a brain disease, identified as such by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Research has also linked a genetic predisposition to addiction that is similar to the predisposition risk factor of some diseases. If both of your parents are addicted, your chance of inheriting the risk is 90 percent.
- Recovering individuals: These are individuals who have made a commitment to stop their substance abuse. They need a lot of support and encouragement.
STEP 2. IDENTIFY KEY STAKEHOLDERS
Coalitions need to involve:
- Representatives from each sector of the community
- Diverse cultural and ethnic groups
- People with influence in the community
- People most affected by the problem
- Business community
- Service organizations
STEP 3. CONVENE A MEETING
Schedule your meeting in the evening in a recognizable neighborhood facility such as a religious institution, recreation center, or school. Promote attendance widely.
Make sure you gather names, addresses, and phone numbers for those attending. Choose a meeting facilitator who can keep the pace moving, remain focused on the meeting objectives, act as mediator in case of controversy, and treat everyone in attendance with respect.
Proceed with the attitude that no comment or idea is silly (unless racially bigoted or favoring violence). Designate someone to record every concern and/or solution that is mentioned.
Do not become discouraged if only a few people attend. Analyze the reasons for low attendance and make adjustments for the next meeting.
STEP 4. SHARE PERSPECTIVES
At the first meeting, various perspectives about the causes of drug use and how to solve the problem must be shared. The coalition convener should encourage everyone to participate in the discussion and to frame their comments as problem statements with a goal to ultimately articulating a vision for the community.
Substance abuse affects everyone, in every community, in very different ways. For example, there are those who believe this is exclusively an issue of crime and punishment. At the other end of the continuum are those who see the problem purely as a disease of addiction. And, of course, there are many people with varying attitudes in-between. What keeps people apart is that each person has had only one "slice" of experience. One of the real strengths of a coalition is that in the end, many people with many different experiences can collectively formulate a vision that is accurate and meaningful.
STEP 5. DISCUSS THE CURRENT REALITY AS WELL AS THE IDEAL
What is the substance abuse reality in your community? What drugs are being used? Who is using them? Where are drugs sold and used? You'll paint this picture using both hard and soft data. The hard data involves statistical, survey, and other epidemiological results (from Step 1). The soft data reflect what the coalition members and the community see and perceive. Both have equal importance to understanding the scope of the problem.
Craft a clear statement of how you would like to change the situation in your community. It is not enough to simply say: "We want to end alcohol and drug abuse in our community." That's too broad, and it isn't going to happen. Instead, set 10 or 15 goals for your group to accomplish. You have to know where you are going before you can develop a plan to get there.
Make sure that the following procedures are utilized for making coalition decisions: consensus, democratic voting, and organizational vetoes.
STEP 6. CREATE A VISION FOR YOUR COMMUNITY
The vision statement paints the big picture, stating where the organization is and where it needs to be going. A vision is not a plan. A vision means identifying precisely what you want to do. The "how to" comes later. A vision statement should always be positive and inspirational.
STEP 7. DETERMINE THE NEXT STEPS
You've recruited participants. Be sure everyone knows what is to be done next and establish a timetable for accomplishing these goals. Set a date for the next meeting now.
The next logical step is called strategic planning.
- Establish a strategic planning committee and define purpose.
- Delineate rules of participation, such as commitment, time, and responsibility.
- Identify sufficient data resources and educate those involved on the issue.
- Assess the substance abuse prevention resources already available in your community. Involve those organizations in your effort.
Never lose sight of the fact that changing and organizing a community takes time, effort, and perseverance. But the rewards are worth it!
