Relating Coalition Capacity to the Adoption of Science‐Based Prevention in Communities: Evidence from a Randomized Trial of Communities That Care

Abstract

Coalition-based efforts that use a science-based approach to prevention can improve the wellbeing of community youth. This study measured several coalition capacities that are hypothesized to facilitate the adoption of a science-based approach to prevention in communities. Using data from 12 coalitions participating in a community-randomized trial of the prevention strategy Communities That Care (CTC), this paper describes select measurement properties of five salient coalition capacities (member substantive knowledge of prevention, member acquisition of new skills, member attitudes toward CTC, organizational linkages, and influence on organizations), as reported by coalition members, and examines the degree to which these capacities facilitated the community leader reports of the community-wide adoption of a science-based approach to prevention. Findings indicated that the five coalition capacities could be reliably measured using coalition member reports. Meta-regression analyses found that CTC had a greater impact on the adoption of a science-based prevention approach in 12 matched pairs of control and CTC communities where the CTC coalition had greater member (new skill acquisition) and organizational capacities (organizational linkages).

Unleashing the Power of Prevention

“…Community coalitions assess existing services and, drawing from menus of evidence-supported preventive interventions, develop a plan to fill gaps in existing services to address prioritized risk and protective factors (Lazar, 2012). This process of assessing and prioritizing community risks and protective factors, and filling service gaps with proven preventive interventions, is inherently collaborative and depends on building capacity to overcome disciplinary boundaries and share accountability (Shapiro et al, 2015).…”

Building Local Infrastructure for Community Adoption of Science-Based Prevention: The Role of Coalition Functioning

“…Previous analyses of data from the CYDS have provided some evidence of the importance of coalition capacities in the achievement of the coalition’s goals (Shapiro et al 2015). Those analyses indicated that building the skills of coalition members predicted the degree of coalition success in fostering community-wide adoption of a science-based approach to prevention.…”

Science-Based Prevention through Communities That Care: A Model of Social Work Practice for Public Health

“…Phase 1 of the CTC model assesses community readiness and capacity at baseline, while the other phases of implementation use a training and technical assistance model to build the capacities of community members. Skills for teamwork, political change, and science-based prevention are developed through CTC (Shapiro, Hawkins, & Oesterle, 2012b). In this way, CTC makes the technical knowledge and skills of science-based prevention accessible, and empowers communities to wield its potential through their own capacity.…”

“…It brings together diverse community stakeholders, and their respective system knowledge, to make informed decisions. Research has shown that the greater the number of sectors involved in CTC, the greater the expected community-level change (Shapiro et al, 2012b). Finally, CTC spans levels of practice, allowing social workers to address problems and look for solutions up and down the continuum from individuals to policies simultaneously.…”