Support Community Coalitions

Communities that have a written strategy to reduce alcohol and drug problems report greater citizen involvement, more constructive public policy change, better access to treatment, and increased diversity of funding sources.

Helping coalitions sustain their community wide strategies can help reduce substance use at the local level.

Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) defines coalitions as a formal arrangement for collaboration between groups or sectors of a community, in which each group retains its identity but all agree to work together toward a common goal of building a safe, healthy, and drug-free community. Coalitions are an integral component to a community's response to alcohol and drug problems. They build community capacity by encouraging local organizations to expand services, programs, or policies (i.e., organizational capacity).

Characteristics of a Successful Coalition

• Has a written strategic plan with measurable objectives to reduce, prevent, and treat substance use.
• Disseminates a regular report detailing the community's strategy and the progress being made to reduce substance use.
• Generates funding from diverse sources to fund general coalition-building activities.
• Has a strong project director who employs a shared leadership style that fosters active involvement of others in leadership positions.
• Maintains stable participatory/governance bodies with representatives from a variety of community institutions to monitor and direct the coalition's activities.
• Collaborates with local government officials and policy makers.
• Makes efforts to change public policy that will reduce the harms from substance use.