Sustainable, Ecological, Community-based Model for Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention Incorporating the Promotion of Developmental Assets by the Faith-based Community: Presented by: Beth Bascom (November 8, 2004)

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Sustainable, Ecological, Community-based Model
for Adolescent Substance Abuse Prevention
Incorporating the Promotion of Developmental
Assets by the Faith-based CommunityPresent
ed by Beth Bascom (November 8, 2004)
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Adolescent substance abuse is a serious health
issue

• Most destructive health and social problem
  facing our Nation today (Donna Shalala)
• Despite spending 250 billion/year on substance
  abuse prevention, our youth continue to use at
  unacceptable rates.
• A Abbott (2002)
• Health Social Work

Monitoring the Future National Survey Results on
Adolescent Drug Use Overview of Key Findings,
2001. NIH, 2001
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Current Best Practice Ecological,
Community-based Model
The current ecological model includes a
multi-faceted, community-based approach that
targets not only peoples individual behavior,
but the social/political/physical systems that
surround and impact them. Grzywacz Fuqua
(2000), Behavioral Medicine Merzel D'Afflitti
(2003), AJPH
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Current Best Practice Protective Factors

• Influences that modify, ameliorate, or
  alter a persons response to some environmental
  hazard that predisposes to a maladaptive outcome
  
• 
  
  Rutter (1985), British J of
  Psychiatry

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Protective Factors Research Finding

• More risk factors an individual has, the greater
  the impact of protective factors.
• Scales,et al (2002) J of Early Adolescence
• Regnerus (2003), J of Scientific Study of
  Religion
• Oman (2004), AJPH

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Protective Factor Model

• Views youth as resources instead of potential
  problems,
• focusing on providing them with an environment
  that encourages positive growth and development,
• despite potential adversity.
• Oman (2004), AJPH

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Powerful Protective Factor 40 Developmental
Assets

• External
• Support
• Empowerment
• Boundaries Expectations
• Constructive Use of Time

• Internal
• Commitment to Learning
• Positive Values
• Social Competencies
• Positive Identity

www.search-institute.org (2000)
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The Power of Developmental Assets
Search Institute
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9 Developmental Assets

• Peer role models
• Use of time (religion)
• Responsible choices (females)
• Family communication

• Non-parental adult role models
• Use of time (groups/sports)
• Community involvement
• Aspirations for the future
• Good health practices

Oman (2004) AJPH
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Key Finding of Recent Study

• The combination of assets may be more effective
  than any single asset for preventing risk
  behavior.

Oman (2004) AJPH
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Protective Factor Religion
Religion has consistently been demonstrated to be
a protective factor for a number of adolescent
health-related outcomes.
Cochran (1992) J of Drug Issues
Cook (Nov 2001) Mental Health,
Religion Culture
Nonnemaker, et al. (Dec 2003) Soc Science
Medicine
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Despite the robust research connecting religious
faith and lower incident of substance abuse,
there is a lack of ecological, community-based
intervention models that effectively incorporate
the faith-based community.
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Key Components of Community-based Interventions

• Mobilizing the Community
• Implementing Interventions in Multiple Settings
• Using Multiple Individual-level Intervention
  Strategies
• Developing Environmental Interventions
• Merzel D'Afflitti (2003) AJPH

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Mobilizing the Community through Coalitions
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Mobilizing the CommunityChallenge

• Coalitions are complex organizations that require
  considerable effort to create and operate
  successfully.

Wandersman Florin (2003) American Psychologist
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Challenges of Including Faith Congregations in
Coalitions

• Nature of faith-based organization
• Firmly held ideologies define who they are
• Perceptions
• Interpretation of the 1st Amendment
• Compromise convictions/ideologies (faith
  congregation)
• Force convictions on others (other members of
  coalition)
• Youth leaders are very busy
• Focused on own activities

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Mobilizing the Community

• Are community-wide coalitions the only way to
  mobilize all elements of a community?
• Must all the elements of the community be
  involved in a coalition in order to successfully
  mobilize the community?

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Mobilizing the Community through Shared Focus
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Implementing Interventions in Multiple Settings
through Shared Focus
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Is the Promotion of Developmental Assets
Appealing to Faith Organizations?

• Consistent with tenets/beliefs of most faith
  communities.
• Helps young people make healthy choices and grow
  in their faith.
• Fosters a congregational-wide commitment to young
  people.
• Provides opportunities to link with the broader
  community.

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Is the Promotion of Developmental Assets Legal?

• Each organization, including various faith
  congregations, can promote the Developmental
  Assets (DAs) within the context of their
  ideology (freedom of expression).
• If governmental funding is involved, the program
  promoting the DAs can be designed within legal
  parameters (non-establishment).
• All programs, regardless of ideology, can be
  promoted as Asset Building (equal excess).

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Example of Faith-based Program Unintentionally
promoting Developmental Assets Hoops and
Homework

• Positive Adult Relationships
• Constructive Use of Time Sports
• Commitment to Learning

After school program where students work on
homework and then play basketball.
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Example of Intentional Promotion of Developmental
Assets Hoops and Homework

• Positive Adult Relationship
• Engage more adults
• Train them in Asset Building
• Constructive Use of Time Sports
• Train using Hey Coach (Search Inst)
• Commitment to Learning

• Responsibility
• All actions are framed within context of personal
  choice and consequences.
• Peaceful Conflict Resolution
• Consistent steps for conflict resolution.
• Consistent consequences for non-peaceful
  resolution.

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Coalition Driven Promotion of Developmental
Assets

• Possible Goals of Coalition
• Engage all organizations in the community in the
  promotion of Developmental Assets.
• Promote Asset Building Programs.
• Provide community-wide Asset Building training.

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