|
Supporting SAMHSA/CSAP Funding of a Prevention System in Rhode Island
HHD’s Northeast Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies
(NECAPT) is working with the state of Rhode Island to create a
plan to allocate substance abuse funding to high-risk communities in
the state. This first-ever model of funds distribution will serve as
a guide for other states that distribute federal monies to local communities
for years to come.
In fiscal year 2004, the federal Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced the
availability of $45 million in Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive
Grant (SPF SIG) funds. Rhode Island was among the first to receive a
five-year, $2.35 million SPF SIG funding for local community prevention
strategies. The NECAPT is
providing training and technical assistance to the state’s officials as
they prioritize this funding for local communities.
Lessons from Rhode Island to Future SPF SIG Grantees:
- Develop the logic model as early as possible.
- Conduct a literature review to link
the risk and protective factors with the state priority
areas. This will inform your entire planning process.
- Collaborate and partner with your technical
assistance providers, such as NECAPT, as much as possible,
as they can really help you through the SPF process.
Source: Linda Barovier, Program Manager for
the Rhode Island Strategic Prevention Framework |
Rhode Island’s SPF SIG Approach
According to the Rhode Island Department of Public Health, seven
percent of the state’s residents used some form of illicit drug
in the past 30 days, and another 16 percent reported high-risk
drinking at least once in the past month. One goal of the state’s “A
Healthier Rhode Island by 2010” action plan is to reduce illicit
drug use and high-risk drinking by the year 2010.
The SPF SIG program is one means for the state to reach this goal. The
current SPF SIG work in Rhode Island is distributing $2 million to local
communities to develop substance abuse prevention programming. To
ensure funding goes to the communities most in need, Rhode Island identified
the 14 communities with the highest rates of alcohol and drug abuse and
related consequences to apply for the SPF SIG funds, with the expectation
that money will go to 12-14 of these cities and towns.
One of the biggest challenges for the state during this process has
been translating the existing data on substance abuse and the state-identified
priority prevention areas into a logic model. The state logic model
is a visual representation depicting the consequences, consumption patterns,
and risk and protective factors of substance abuse in Rhode Island, and
clearly communicates expected outcomes for prevention strategies.
The NECAPT contributed its strategic planning expertise by helping state
officials create the logic model and providing them with current research
linking the risk and protective factors to the consequence and consumption
patterns. The resulting state logic model will help inform communities
about the most effective programming to address their priority substance
abuse issues.
“It is important for communities to understand the logic model so they
can see the state objectives and priorities,” explains Linda Barovier,
Program Manager for the Rhode Island Strategic Prevention Framework. “One
of our biggest lessons learned was that the state logic model needed to effectively
communicate state expectations. NECAPT staff, including [NECAPT Director] Tania
Garcia, [Rhode Island Training and Technical Assistance Manager] Carol Oliver,
and [Research Assistant] Courtney Pierce, really helped us to work through
this process.”
The NECAPT also provides guidance to Rhode Island through a series of “Learning
Community” workshops for high-risk communities about best practices
and the SPF SIG process.
“The workshops involve intensive training about the SPF SIG process,
and also allow for small group time to maximize interaction and help
the communities understand the process,” according to Tania Garcia,
Director of NECAPT.
“The Learning Community Workshops and working with the state
logic model really helped the communities visualize what role they play
in the state’s SPF SIG,” adds Barovier.
The groundwork being laid by Rhode Island and other SPF SIG states is
crucial because this model of fund distribution will inform future CSAP
funding streams. Rhode Island will also use the SPF process as the foundation
of its future fund distribution.
For more information on NECAPT or the SPF SIG program in Rhode Island,
please contact Courtney Pierce, 617-618-2413 or cpierce@edc.org.
December 12, 2006
|
