Capacity Building

Communities Against Substance Abuse provides a collaborative foundation to help community residents create a healthier future within their own community.  Communities Against Substance Abuse supports communities by bringing skills and the steps in the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) to bear on problems that residents have identified. 

Community members lead through participation and action.  They are empowered to:

• Identify problems experienced by residents.
• Guide and enlist other neighbors.
• Help set priorities and figure out how the problems can be addressed. 
• Provide the familiarity of their respective neighborhood and community. 

Communities Against Substance Abuse Staff forge capacity building through:

• Relevant skill level and knowledge about effective tools and environmental strategies in substance abuse prevention. 
• Tools to track challenges and outreach efforts.
• Appropriate channels and connections to enforce alcohol and tobacco regulations, proper facility maintenance, etc.

For more information about capacity-building related to community coalition development, Capacity Primer: Building Membership, Structure, Leadership, and Cultural Competence.