Portfolio of Canadian Standards · Portfolio of Canadian Standards Heather Clark, Research and...
Transcript of Portfolio of Canadian Standards · Portfolio of Canadian Standards Heather Clark, Research and...
Portfolio of Canadian Standards
Heather Clark, Research and Policy Analyst
Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
January 2012
Outline
• Who is the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse
• Why Prevention Standards
• About the Standards
• Portfolio of Canadian Standards
• Theoretical framework of Canadian Standards
• Content of the Canadian Standards
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Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse -Who we are:
• An arm’s-length, not-for-profit organization working
to reduce alcohol- and drug-related harm.
• Mandate legislated by Act of Parliament in 1988
• Volunteer 13-member Board of Directors
• Reports annually to Parliament via Minister of Health
• Provides leadership on national priorities, fosters knowledge-translation within the field, and creates sustainable partnerships that maximize collective efforts.
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Need for Canadian Standards
• Prior to the Canadian Standards no evidence
based national quality standards existed
• Provide guidance for those looking to develop or
improve on their efforts and a quality check for
those soliciting prevention initiatives in their
schools and communities
• Guide effective utilization of time, effort, and
resources towards prevention
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About the Canadian Standards
• Standards of excellence to
strengthen the quality of youth
focused substance abuse
prevention initiatives in Canada
• Provide tools for prevention
workers to reflect where a
prevention initiative stands in
achieving the standards and
provides guidance to improving
their efforts5
Standards Portfolio & Tools
Building on our Strengths: Canadian Standards for School-based Youth Substance Abuse Prevention
Stronger Together: Canadian Standards for Community- based Youth Substance Abuse Prevention
Strengthening our Skills: Canadian Guidelines for Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Family Skills Programs
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Social-Ecological Framework
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Examples of Factors:
Societal: Norms, Laws/Policies,
determinants of health
Community: Lack of opportunity
for engagement
Social: Perceptions of norms in
peer group
Family: Early deprivation,
relationship quality, monitoring
Individual: Early behavioural
problems, mental health
Guiding Principles (Across Standards)
A. Frame Substance Abuse Prevention within a
Comprehensive School Health Approach
B. Shared Responsibility and capacity/Address
Community Capacity or Readiness
C. Consider Developmental Pathways
D. Promote Positive Youth Development and
Resiliency (a strengths based approach)
E. Account for Sex and Gender Differences
F. Understand and Engage Diverse Student
Populations 8
The Standards Phases
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School Based Standards Community Based Standards
A. Assess the situation A. Assess the situation
B. Prepare a plan and build capacity
B. Organize the team and build capacity
C. Implement a comprehensive initiative
C. Plan a logical and sustainable initiative
D. Evaluate the initiative D. Coordinate and implement evidence-based activities
E. Evaluate and revise initiative accordingly
Assess the Situation
1. Determine local substance use patterns and harms
2. Learn factors linked to local youth substance use
problems
3. Assess current activities, resources and capacity to
act
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Organize the team and build capacity
4. Engage youth partners in
the initiative
5. Develop organizational
structure and processes
6. Build and maintain team
capacity
7. Clarify members’
perceptions and
expectations
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Plan a logical and sustainable initiative
8. Ensure plan addresses priority concerns and factors,
and current capacity
9. Develop logic model showing how initiative will bring
desired change
10. Plan for sustainability of the initiative
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Coordinate and implement evidence based activities
11. Promote quality of existing and planned initiatives
12. Strengthen coordination among local initiatives
13. Give attention to community policies and processes
14. Monitor the initiative
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Evaluate and revise accordingly
15. Conduct a process evaluation of the initiative
16. Conduct and outcome evaluation of the initiative
17. Account for costs associated with the initiative
18. Revise initiative based on evaluations
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Family Based Guidelines
1. Build cultural competence into the program
2. Clarify needs, resources, targets, and aims
3. Identify theory to guide design, implementation,
and evaluation
4. Establish a solid organization and community context for the
program
5. Pay attention to facilitator selection, training, and support
6. Ensure active recruitment of participants
7. Implement evidence-based programming with fidelity
8. Take steps to retain participants
9. Monitor, evaluate, and revise the program accordingly
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Policy: Part of a comprehensive approach
• Policy is any established process, priority, or
structure that is purposefully sustained over time
(Holder & Moore, 2000).
• Policies as Substance Abuse Prevention Initiatives:
1. Substance based
2. Child/youth development based
3. Broad policies
• Policies to aid implementation of Canadian
Standards.16