|
Back to Prevention Stories
The Troubles: Preventing the Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Hosted by:
PersonalOverLoad
Please briefly describe your Communities Talk activity.
For our Communities Talk activity, I organized and hosted an engaging webinar on preventing substance misuse. During this event, participants received informative PDFs that covered key topics. To keep things interactive and fun, we played Kahoot! quizzes, which added an element of competition and excitement. We also held an open discussion, allowing everyone to share their thoughts and insights freely. Overall, it was a dynamic and educational experience that encouraged active participation and collaboration among attendees.
How does alcohol and other drug misuse affect your community?
Alcohol and drug misuse significantly impact our community, especially in our rural area. The prevalence of substance misuse here leads to health crises, strained social services, and economic burdens. The isolation and limited access to healthcare facilities exacerbate these issues, making prevention and treatment more challenging. In our community, several unique dynamics have prioritized our need for prevention activities. There has been an increase in tragic events such as overdoses, injuries, and deaths related to substance misuse, highlighting the severity of the issue. There also is a widespread general need for preventative measures, education, and support systems to address substance misuse. In addition, visible struggles are present. The sight of individuals struggling with addiction is a common occurrence, stressing the community’s need for comprehensive intervention strategies. Addressing these challenges requires a multifaceted approach, including community education, better access to healthcare services, and robust support systems to help individuals recover and reintegrate into society. This situation calls for collective action to create a healthier, more supportive environment.
Which prevention strategy(ies), as defined by SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, best fit your Communities Talk activity?
- Information Dissemination Strategy - focuses on improving awareness and knowledge of the effects of AOD issues on communities and families through “one-way” communication with the audience such as speaking engagements, health fairs, and distribution of print materials.
- Education Strategy - focuses on “two-way” communication between the facilitator and participants and aims to improve life/social skills such as decision making, refusal skills, and critical analysis.
What goal(s) did you hope to accomplish with your Communities Talk activity?
- Hold meetings or discussion groups on alcohol and/or other drug misuse prevention.
- Create alcohol and/or other drug misuse prevention action groups (e.g., committees, task forces, and advisory boards).
- Start a youth-led coalition on alcohol and/or other drug misuse prevention.
- Develop strategic plans to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
- Build coalitions with other agencies or programs to reduce and prevent alcohol and/or other drug misuse.
- Enforce compliance checks to reduce youth access to alcohol and/or other drugs.
Did you accomplish your goal(s)?
Yes
What challenge(s) did you face in planning your activity this year?
- Lack of interest from the community
- Particularly severe or resistant substance use issues in our community
How did you overcome these challenges?
We started by running awareness campaigns to educate the community about the impacts of substance misuse. By using social media, local events, and partnerships with schools and businesses, we slowly garnered interest and concern from more people. We established local support groups and accessible counseling services to provide a safe space for individuals struggling with substance use and misuse. These services helped to address the particularly severe or resistant cases by offering consistent support and resources. We invited community members to be part of the solution, encouraging them to volunteer and participate in prevention programs. This helped foster a sense of ownership and responsibility, gradually increasing community interest and involvement. We worked closely with local healthcare providers to ensure comprehensive care for those dealing with substance misuse, including medical treatment and mental health support. Finally, sharing the success stories of individuals who overcame substance misuse helped to inspire others and demonstrate that recovery is possible. These stories brought hope and motivated the community to support prevention and intervention efforts.
What are your next steps?
- Host follow-up meetings or activities
- Create new action groups to tackle specific issues raised during our Communities Talk activity
- Expand our coalition with new partnerships in the community
Organizations that conduct Communities Talk activities often involve other organizations in the planning and execution of events. Please indicate which type(s) of organizations you involved in your activity planning.
Which of the following best describes the primary audience(s) for your Communities Talk activity?
- Youth
- Parents
- Teachers or other education staff
- Youth leaders (e.g., coaches, parks and recreation personnel, and scouting leaders)
- Healthcare providers
- The media
- Black or African American community members
How did you reach and engage your primary audience(s) to encourage them to participate in your activity?
We used several approaches to effectively reach and engage our primary audience for the Communities Talk activity. We leveraged platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and X to create event pages, share updates, and post engaging content. This helped us reach a wider audience and keep them informed and excited about the upcoming activities. We sent out well-crafted emails to our mailing list, providing detailed information about the event, schedules, and benefits of participation. Personalized reminders helped maintain engagement and interest. We tried partnering with schools, local businesses, and community centers, which helped us tap into existing networks and gain trust. These organizations also helped promote the event through their channels. To spark interest, we highlighted the interact
Which Communities Talk resources (or other SAMHSA resources) were most helpful for your activity?
- Prevention-related webinars
- SAMHSA’s Event Planner
- Tips & Tools for Hosting a Virtual Event
- Customizable Resources for Communities Talk Promotion and Implementation
- StopAlcoholAbuse.gov website
- Communities Talk website
- Communities Talk planning guides
- Communities Talk toolkits
- Communities Talk Find an Activity Map
- Success stories
|
|