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TA Overview
TA Application

 

TA Overview: Customized Technical Assistance

The Community Prevention Initiative (CPI), is a new technical assistance and training initiative designed to strengthen and support community prevention in California. The California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) has defined community prevention and the scope of work specific to the CPI initiative. Specifically, the Department has provided the following guidance for this new initiative.

Community prevention requires designing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive, integrated, inclusive, and culturally competent system of AOD prevention programs, services, policies, and initiatives. Communities analyze the factors that contribute to identified AOD problems, review community policies, services and resources, and design an overall AOD community prevention strategy. Specific interventions can include policy advocacy, environmental measures, targeted media campaigns and advocacy, community education programs for both the overall community and targeted groups, and prevention services for high-risk individuals.

These interventions can take place in various settings throughout the community. The steps include mobilizing the community, collecting and organizing data, identifying and prioritizing community AOD problems and risk factors, determining community assets and resources, determining specific goals objectives and outcomes, using evidence based strategies and programs, and the ongoing evaluation and continuous improvement of the process and outcomes of the community activities.

Requested AOD prevention TA services are customized to meet the organizations' needs.

Specialized technical assistance specific to a particular group's needs is available by submitting a TA Application to CPI. The purpose of customized TA is to strengthen local community AOD prevention efforts and to build the capacity of the requesting organization to do work in AOD prevention. CPI and the organization work together to define the organization's needs and determine what kind of training or other service would meet those needs best. Available topic areas include:

Community-based Environmental Strategies, such as:

  • Community organizing

  • Coalition building

  • AOD policy development

  • Modifying city/county zoning ordinances

  • Media advocacy

  • Responsible beverage services (RBS)

School-based Strategies, such as:

  • Risk and protective factor-related strategies

  • AOD policy development

  • Student assistance programs (SAP)

  • Peer-led program models

  • Conflict resolution

  • Program evaluation

  • Harm reduction

  • Prevention strategies for college and university campuses

Program development, planning and evaluation, such as:

  • Strategic planning assistance

  • Board development

  • Needs assessments

  • Program evaluation

  • Volunteer program development

  • Development of culturally-appropriate program services and materials

For information or answers to questions contact Angie Dillon-Shore at 1-877-568-4227 or email at adillonshore@emt.org.