NSW Department of Health 73 Miller Street North Sydney NSW 2060 Tel: (02) 9391 9000 Fax: (02) 9391 9101 TTY: (02) 9391 9900 www.health.nsw.gov.au This work is copyright. It may be reproduced in whole or on part for study training purposes subject to inclusion of an acknowledgement of the source. It may not be reproduced for commercial usage or sale. Reproduction for purposes other than those indicated above, requires written permission from the NSW Department of Health.
Š 2008 NSW Department of Health ISBN 978-1-74187-322-1 SHPN 08 02 50
About this toolkit
This toolkit is intended for use by Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs) across NSW, aiming to tackle local alcohol misuse. Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF) provided funding to NSW Health to assist CDATs to develop strategies to reduce alcohol related harms and encourage change in alcohol misuse behaviours in their local communities.
Acknowledgements
The toolkit can be used by both new and established CDATs.
Funding to develop this toolkit was provided to NSW Health by the Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF). This toolkit was developed by Kerri Allwood of Allwood & Associates together with NSW CDATs and Community Drug Strategies, Mental Health Drug & Alcohol Office, NSW Health. Graphic Design and production provided by GraphikExposure. The advice, feedback, and insights gained through consultation with the above mentioned and the CDATs have been invaluable in the development of this toolkit.
This NSW Health CDAT resource is designed to be used as a companion to the following CDAT publications: Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams: A Practical Guide 2008 Making a Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action in NSW Copies of these publications can be found at: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/ or by calling (02) 9424 5946 Mental Health Drug & Alcohol Office, NSW Health.
Contents
6
CDATs 8 9 10
11 12
13 14
Minister’s foreword
THE CYCLE
CDATs tackle local alcohol issues ABOUT CDATs What are CDATs Who are CDAT members? What are CDAT objectives? What actions do CDATs take? CDAT resources Why CDATs tackle local alcohol issues Alcohol misuse causes more harm than illicit drugs Sobering statistics CDATs promote harm minimisation CDATs can be a vehicle for tackling alcohol misuse in the community Community mobilisation Use this toolkit to tackle local alcohol issues A ‘game plan’ to guide the decision making process
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THE ISSUE
22 23 24
Implementing a local alcohol strategy: The Action Research Cycle Achieving real change – The Action Research Cycle How the ongoing Action Research Cycles look The Action Research Cycle supports community development initiatives Be aware of the facts before you proceed The role of Community Engagement & Action Project Officers Are you up-to-date with NSW Liquor Laws? Community Impact Statement (CIS) DrinkCheck: A useful tool for CDATs
The issue is identified: Entering the Action Research Cycle An issue emerges The ‘hot issue’ guides you Alarming media reports
Step 1 REFLECT
Reflect on the issue
26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Define the problem Gather your evidence Use Rapid Appraisal Methods (RAMs) to enable quick action Stakeholder consultations Barriers to information gathering Get organised! Analyse the problem Using data collection to create change: The NSW Alcohol Linking Program
PLAN
34 35 36 37 38 39 40 42 43 44 46
47
48 49 50 51
52 53 54 55
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Step 2 DEVELOP YOUR ACTION PLAN The ‘Community Action Circle’ approach to planning Engage key stakeholders Map the key stakeholders Take a strategic approach Stakeholder focus Make it easy to participate Tips for building key partnerships Police and Local Council Liquor Accords Good Sports ‘drug info @ your library’ Examples of key partnerships Develop your action plan Apply project management ‘thinking’ to planning action What alcohol related issue are you going to target or prioritise? Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion Decide on your project aims & objectives A range of goals Examples of alcohol strategies implemented by CDATs locally Prepare your CDAT action plan Plan for any unintended impact Build risk management into your plan Accessing additional resources Build monitoring & evaluation into your plan What might your evaluation plan include?
ACT & OBSERVE
58 59
OUTCOMES 62 63 64
STEPS 3 & 4 TAKE ACTION / OBSERVE THE IMPACT Take action Observe the impact CDAT project example: Safe Party Squad
Cycle 2 Reflect on outcomes Reflect on outcomes Decide on your next priority for action Ongoing action research cycles
Locating resources to RESOURCES
support your strategy
66 67 68 69 70
Alcohol information, resources, & research Youth resources Key partnerships Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources Locating support & treatment CDAT resources CDAT publications Useful templates & forms Resources for running meetings The Action Research Cycle – Decision Making Template Project Plan Template References
Minister’s foreword
I am very pleased to introduce the toolkit Tackle It! The local game plan on alcohol misuse. Tackle it! is a comprehensive guide for Community Drug Action Teams that will assist them in identifying and developing responses to alcohol-related problems in their communities. Alcohol plays an important part in the lifestyle of many Australians, however, its misuse is all too often linked with personal and social problems. Many of us have encountered some aspects of the problems of alcohol abuse - from threats of violence and assaults to family breakdowns. Our hospital emergency departments are bearing the brunt of the problem of binge drinking and we are seeing an increase in alcoholrelated health problems. Community Drug Action Teams are well placed to identify and respond to alcohol misuse in their communities. There are 80 Community Drug Action Teams across NSW, with more than 1000 people involved from an array of different organisations and social and cultural backgrounds. Tackle It! is a practical, step-by-step toolkit that will be used to identify alcohol problems within local communities, develop and implement responses and evaluate the results.
PAGE 6
The toolkit has been developed as part of the Community Alcohol Education Project which is one of a suite of projects arising from the partnership between the Alcohol Education Rehabilitation Foundation (Ltd) and the NSW Government. The project includes training for Community Drug Action Team members, web-based materials and enhancing the Teams’ partnerships with key agencies that specialise in alcohol harm reduction. Tackle It is an important contribution to helping communities better manage alcohol use.
John Della Bosca Minister for Health
CDATs TACKLE LOCAL ALCOHOL ISSUES
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About CDATs What are CDAT objectives?
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CDAT members work together to identify alcohol and other drug issues impacting on their community, and take action which is aimed at meeting the following objectives:
To increase community capacity
To create links and mobilise resources
To increase stakeholder and community awareness
To enhance stakeholder and community participation
To facilitate better coordinated and collaborative action (Ref: NSW Drug Summit 1999 Government Plan of Action)
What are CDATs? The Community Drug Strategies (CDS) program is an initiative of the 1999 NSW Government Drug Summit. Community Drug Action Teams (CDATs) are the primary community engagement strategy used by the CDS program. This program was incorporated into the NSW Health Mental Health and Drugs and Alcohol Office (MHDAO) in 2007. CDS now comprises of two separate, but interrelated programs – Community Engagement and Action (CEA) and Community Drug Information and Education (CDIE). In 2003 the NSW Government Alcohol Summit proposed that CDATs extend the focus of their activities to also include alcohol misuse. CDATs are one of the main vehicles for increasing the capacity of communities to deal with alcohol misuse. For many CDATs, tackling alcohol misuse is now the main focus of their work in the community. There are almost 80 CDATs throughout NSW.
Who are CDAT members? CDATs are voluntary groups of people who represent a broad spectrum of the community, and work together to take action aimed at reducing the harm caused by the misuse of alcohol and other drugs within their communities. CDAT members have a wide range of expertise, skills and knowledge and can include representatives from a variety of sectors, for example: Community (eg parents, young people) Non-government agencies (eg youth services) Police Health and community services Education and schools Local government Charity or non-profit organisations Businesses Libraries Club and pub licensees
CDAT RESOURCES This toolkit sits alongside other CDAT resources, (for example): Making A Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action Teams in NSW Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide
What action do CDATs take?
Getting the best from your CDAT work: Evaluating Plans, Projects and Team Processes Working with the Media
By listening to the community, and engaging and working with key stakeholders as partners, CDATs develop and implement a variety of diverse and innovative strategies to address their particular community local alcohol issues. Examples include: activities that provide skills for healthier living, improving community knowledge on drug and alcohol issues and building social networks and social support.
Asset Based Community Development CDAT publications and examples of CDAT projects are available at: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/ or by contacting Community Drug Strategies, NSW Health on (02) 9424 5946
There is a Community Engagement & Action Project Officer based in each of the following Area Health Services: Sydney South West Sydney West South Eastern Sydney / Illawarra Northern Sydney Central Coast • Hunter New England North Coast
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Greater Western Greater Southern The Project Officer is a key resource and support for CDATs and can be contacted at: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_action/map_index.html or, by calling Community Drug Strategies on (02) 9424 5946
PAGE 9
81%
Alcohol misuse causes more harm than illicit drugs Alcohol is 2nd only to tobacco as the greatest drug-related cause of death and disease in Australia. (Aust Institute of Health & Welfare)
percentage of Australians who say Australia has a binge drinking culture.
Although widely used and enjoyed in Australian society, risky drinking is a major contributor to a range of social issues such as:
SMH 6/7/08
Domestic violence Family breakdown
Why CDATs tackle local alcohol issues
PAGE 10
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Child abuse Financial problems Unemployment
In Australia, we have a culture of drinking alcohol to socialise, celebrate, relax and have a good time.
Homelessness
While alcohol can play a positive role in Australian social life, irresponsible drinking has become a concern for communities who are affected by the harm caused personally and socially by alcohol misuse.
Assaults & crime
10.8b
$
the annual cost to the economy in lost productivity, health care, accidents and crime. Australian Institute of Health & Welfare
Accidents Hospitalisations & health issues Sexual assault Anti-social behaviour
The statistics are staggering In NSW, statistics show that alcohol causes short and long term harm to individuals and communities. The cost to Australians of preventing, managing and treating alcohol related problems in the areas of health, anti-social behaviour, and crime is in the billions. Go to: www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au for up-to-date alcohol related statistics.
Sobering statistics • 80% of Australians over 14 years drink alcohol (Aust Institute of Health & Welfare)
• 1 in 3 homeless individuals are alcohol dependent (www.acys.info)
• Almost 75% of NSW prisoners convicted of an assault offence report that alcohol was related to their offending
• Neighbourhoods with large clusters of licensed premises have higher crime rates, experiencing almost twice as many alcohol-related problems as areas with lower concentrations of licensed premises (NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research)
• Each year, around 3,000 people die and 65,000 people are hospitalised as a result of alcohol abuse (www.alcohol.gov.au)
(www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au)
• NSW Police spend $50 million a year responding to alcohol-related crime (www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au)
• Alcohol related injury or disease kills one Indigenous Australian every 38 hours – the average age of death is 35 years of age (National Drug and Research Institute)
• Alcohol-fuelled assaults have almost doubled during the past decade (Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research)
• 47% of all perpetrators of assault and 43% of all victims of assault were intoxicated prior to the event (www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au)
• High blood alcohol levels are a factor in one third of all road accident deaths (Commonwealth of Australia)
• The number of young women hospitalised after binge drinking has doubled in less than a decade (Australian and New Zealand Journal Of Public Health 2008)
• Excessive alcohol is involved in a third of all road deaths in Australia, in 50% of cases of domestic physical and sexual violence, in 40-70% of violent crimes, and 70-80% of night-time assaults (Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research)
PAGE 11
CDATs can be a vehicle for tackling alcohol misuse in the community Many CDATs already play a central role in tackling alcohol misuse by encouraging a healthy drinking culture and minimising the damage caused by irresponsible drinking within their local community.
PAGE 12
As a community-based group, your CDAT is in a good position to identify the alcohol issues which need to be targeted. You are also well placed to take the action required to reduce alcohol related problems and to make your community safer. Many CDATs have found that generic health promotion messages on irresponsible drinking do not always create change at a local level because they are not targeted and, therefore, are not seen as relevant to the local community.
CDATs promote harm minimisation CDATs operate within the National Drug Strategic Framework which works within a harm minimisation framework. Harm minimisation is sometimes misunderstood. Harm minimisation is not about : Zero tolerance Being ‘against’ abstinence Going ‘soft’ on problematic alcohol use Harm minimisation recognises that alcohol is a legal substance and people will continue to have access to, and use, alcohol. For CDATs tackling alcohol related issues, the aim is therefore to: Identify harm to individuals and the community resulting from alcohol misuse Take action to reduce the harmful effects of alcohol misuse Improve health, social and economic outcomes for both individuals and community Reduce harm through a range of strategies such as: - supply reduction strategies - demand reduction strategies - prevention strategies, responses to assist safer use
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Community mobilisation Many CDATs engage the community to participate in health promotion activities which are meaningful to people locally. CDATs bring people together to determine which alcohol related issues are impacting on the community, decide on the goals to target, and work on actions to achieve these goals.
A well planned and effectively implemented community
Your CDAT is equipped to determine how to best apply local knowledge, skills and resources to achieve these goals and to take action to target alcohol problems in the community. A community mobilisation approach recognises that: Communities play a role in both producing and responding to alcohol and other drug problems Targeting individual problem users does not change environmental influences
mobilisation strategy
Communities must be involved in decision making and implementation if lasting change is to occur
can minimise the
Local community strategies involving stakeholders are required to change norms relating to alcohol and other drug related harm
effects of harmful alcohol use.
(Source: Midford, 2003)
PAGE 13
Use this toolkit to tackle local alcohol issues Regardless of whether you are a newly formed or well established CDAT, this toolkit aims to develop your capacity to effectively address alcohol misuse at a local level. It is recognised that CDAT membership will change over time as new issues emerge, interest in issues will change, and CDAT focus will shift to respond to emerging issues in your community.
Your community is unique – your strategy will be unique!
PAGE 14
As your CDAT has an understanding of your community, you are in a position to identify the needs or problems related to local alcohol misuse, and to decide on the most appropriate actions to target the issues. This toolkit guides you through a ‘process’ as it is recognised that there is no ‘one size fits all’ local alcohol strategy. A strategy which is successful in one community may not be appropriate for another.
Therefore, this toolkit has been designed to be used by CDATs as an ongoing resource for taking action on local alcohol problems.
A ‘game plan’ to guide the decision making process Use this toolkit as a ‘step-by-step decision making guide’ to assist you in deciding ‘if, when, and how’ to take action on a local alcohol issue within your community. The toolkit provides you with a ‘mental road map’ to steer the process of thinking through the local alcohol issues and developing your local alcohol strategy to achieve the outcomes you seek in your community.
Each step is important in developing and implementing local alcohol strategies The toolkit uses the Action Research Cycle to guide the process. This approach is used by many CDATs when responding to specific alcohol related issues in their communities. The Action Research Cycle is evidence based and can be applied quickly and effectively. This approach will assist you to develop unique and practical strategies for your local context.
IMPLEMENTING A LOCAL ALCOHOL STRATEGY: THE ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE
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Many CDATs have found the Action Research Cycle to be useful Action Research:
Achieving real change the ‘Action Research Cycle’
Is a ‘collaborative’ process Involves working in ‘partnership’ with members of the community Encourages the ‘participation’ of key stakeholders as partners
As a CDAT, you may already be familiar with the Action Research Cycle. The Action Research Cycle is an evidence based approach to implementing social change within communities.
Is ‘qualitative’ – i.e. is more interested in people’s concerns, perceptions, and process, rather than just statistics Is ‘reflective’ – encourages critical reflection on actions and outcomes Is ‘responsive’ – to both the situation and the people
(Ref: Bob Dick, Southern Cross University 2000)
Is ‘emergent’ – takes place over time
Regardless of what the presenting issues are, or the nature of the action taken to address the issues, the process involves the following ongoing cycles:
PAGE
Is realistic – you can develop your hypotheses ‘on the run’
the way in: identify the issue
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The Action Research Cycle The Action Research Cycle supports community development initiatives
how the ongoing action research cycles look CYCLE
STAGE
ACTIVITY
The way in
The Issue
Identify the local alcohol issue concerning the community.
Cycle One
1 Reflect
Reflect on the issue; gather and analyse the evidence to define the problem.
2 Plan
Develop an action plan to tackle the problem which involves key stakeholders.
3 Act & 4 Observe
Put the plan into action and observe the outcomes.
1 Reflect on Outcomes
Reflect on outcomes, decide if future action is required, and set new priorities for action (if any).
Cycle Two
By undertaking ongoing action research cycles, CDATs can ensure that projects and activities aimed at addressing local alcohol problems: Are customised and relevant to the local community Bring together key stakeholders to work as partners Engage the support of key community leaders Reflect cultural values Include resources developed locally Have built-in flexibility Build on early successes to strengthen projects (Ref: Maggie Brady, The Grog Book, 2005, p. 94)
Cycle Three
2 Revise Plan
If ongoing action is required, develop another action plan aimed at targeting the new priorities.
3 Act & 4 Observe
Put the plan into action and observe the outcomes.
1 Reflect on Outcomes
Reflect on the outcomes. If future action is required, go back through the cycles until the team is satisfied with the outcomes.
(Source: K. Seymour-Rolls & I. Hughes, Participatory Action Research, 2008, www.fhs.usyd.edu.au)
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Be aware of the facts before you proceed
ARE YOU INFORMED ON THE DRUG ALCOHOL? The role oF Community Engagement & Action (CEA) Project Officers: Your local CEA Project Officer can provide guidance at each step of the decision making process when addressing local alcohol misuse issues, for example:
PAGE 18
Although your CDAT members will probably be knowledgeable about the harms of alcohol, it may be worth thinking about whether you are fully informed of the facts before you develop your action plan aimed at tackling alcohol related problems in your community.
TIP: Be informed before you act Depending on the issue you are targeting, you might want to brush up on the following information before you begin to implement your local alcohol strategy: What are the current liquor licensing laws? What are the different types of alcohol available?
Ensuring your project plan is realistic and achievable
What are the effects of drinking on different body types and sizes?
Any likely barriers to implementing your plan
What are the effects of alcohol when mixed with other drugs?
Ways to overcome obstacles
What is a standard drink?
Strategies for ensuring the right people are consulted
What is low risk, high risk and binge drinking?
Getting projects funded Learning from previous CDAT alcohol related projects Adherence to any NSW Health requirements The Project Officers can be
What is the legal blood alcohol level for driving? What are the alcohol limits during pregnancy? What is the impact of alcohol on health? What are the signs of health trouble due to alcohol? What is the difference between alcohol addiction and problematic drinking?
contacted on: (02) 9424 5946
What are the signs of tolerance or dependence?
www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.
What are the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal?
au/drugs_action/
Why does alcohol change some people? How do different environments affect how people drink (eg physical, cultural, social)? What treatments are available for people with problematic drinking or dependency?
STAY
MHDAO (NSW Health) has a wide range of health promotion material available to you to ensure you have up-to-date information and resources on risky drinking.
DATE
For up to date information and facts on alcohol go to NSW Health web site: www.health.nsw.gov.au/public-health/dpb/publications.htm
UP TO
The new NSW liquor laws include a new COMMUNITY IMPACT STATEMENT process to ensure community involvement in liquor licence applications and compliance decisions:
Are you up-to-date with NSW liquor laws? In 2008, new NSW Liquor Laws were initiated by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing.
LIQUOR LAW REFORM: ‘more responsibility, less red tape’ New NSW liquor laws aim to meet the following objectives:
Increased access to licensing decisions for local councils and residents
Community Impact Statement (CIS) A Community Impact Statement (CIS) process has been introduced to ensure that the community is involved in liquor licence applications. The process is focused to ensure local stakeholders are properly consulted without unnecessary red tape and costs. The CIS aims to gauge potential impacts of new licensed venues on local communities, or licensed venues seeking extended trading hours and certain changes to licensed areas. The CIS is prepared before liquor licence applications are made, summarising the results of consultations by applicants with local councils, police, health, community group representatives, community organisations and the public.
Greater protection for local communities from alcohol related crime
A new complaints system allowing communities to take quick action against licensed venues causing disturbances
More consultation with the community before hours are extended
Expanded powers to impose conditions on licensees to reduce anti-social behaviour
To promote and enforce responsible service and consumption of alcohol and minimise alcohol-related harm For more information go to: www.olgr.nsw.gov.au
Community input into licensing decisions By allowing communities to have input into licensing decisions, the NSW Liquor Laws enable them to take action against licensed venues that have adverse impact on local neighbourhoods.
Disturbance complaints Residents, police and local councils can make a complaint to the Director of Liquor and Gaming about undue disturbance to the quiet and good order of the neighbourhood associated with a licensed venue and/or patrons. www.olgr.nsw.gov.au
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A USEFUL TOOL FOR CDATs
DrinkCheck: is your drinking ok? CDATs can download this questionnaire and use it in projects aimed at increasing patron’s awareness of their drinking habits, and identifying whether they are at risk of alcoholrelated harm.
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DrinkCheck is based on the World Health Organisation’s AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Inventory Test), which is recognised as one of the most effective questionnaires for identifying hazardous or harmful behaviour. Go to: Alcohol Advisory Council of NZ www.alac.org.nz/IsYourDrinkingOK.aspx
THE ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED: ENTERING THE ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE 21
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The issue is identified 21
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An issue emerges Something happens in the community which brings an alcohol issue to light and gets people talking. AN issue can emerge in a range of ways (for example): A new issue or problem comes to light An issue that has been troubling the community for some time A new direction from the government (eg new laws which lead to new funding opportunities) This is the starting point which triggers your interest and becomes a hot issue for your CDAT.
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Entering the ‘Action Research Cycle’
These issues are referred to by Maggie Brady (The Grog Book, 2005, p.62) as spark topics– that is, the issues that come up once you start talking to people.
As CDATs, you have your ‘ear to the ground’; listening to the concerns of people; observing problems; tuning into ‘hot issues’ related to alcohol misuse which people are saying are problems in the community.
A ‘spark topic’ can be any issue that upsets people, and has had a negative impact on them, or people close to them. An issue which might spark your CDAT’s interest could be (for example): a fatal car accident an assault a media report
Strike while the iron’s hot As a CDAT, you have the potential to convince people of the need for action, to overcome resistance, and to mobilise people to take action, if you act at the time of the ‘hot issue’.
new statistics on an entrenched problem a visible situation impacting on people anti-social behaviour in hotspots anecdotal reports a community leader or champion speaking out police or other community group expressing concerns a long term problem people are ‘sick of’ Any of these examples might trigger your CDAT’s interest and create a priority for mobilising community action to reduce the harm caused by the alcohol issue.
The ‘hot issue’ guides you Hot issues guide you, help you to establish the scope of the problem, and assist you to determine where to focus your efforts to achieve the most impact on local alcohol problems. HORRIFIC CAR CRASH CREATES ACTION: KYOGLE YOUTH VENTURE – MENTORING PROGRAM After a horrific car crash, which killed three young people who were on a paddock-bashing joyride following a binge drinking party, the community of Kyogle were moved to act. The Kyogle CDAT organised a community forum and persuaded Geraldine Dougue to facilitate the meeting. The issue which emerged was that young local males did not have positive role models, and lacked positive risk-taking adventures with older role models to guide them. So, a mentoring program for boys was set up where teenagers go on a camp to receive training on how to mentor younger boys. Each group then goes on to mentor younger boys and acts as a ‘buddy’ to them for 3-4 years. The younger ones then graduate to become mentors themselves. The ongoing program provides monthly adventures for ‘at risk’ kids and aims to intervene early in a positive way. (Kyogle CDAT)
The hot issue can also reveal how the community contributes to the problem, and can also signal that ‘something needs to be done’ to address a local alcohol problem. Whether an alcohol related trigger issue is taken up by your CDAT depends on how relevant the issue is to the interests of the group, and whether your CDAT thinks they have the capacity to have an impact on the issue. KEY QUESTIONS TO ADDRESS: What are people saying about this issue? How big does this issue seem to be? What is the impact on the community? Why are people concerned about this issue? Does it appear to be an issue our CDAT could respond to? Do we want to find out more about this issue? Your CDAT may wish to discuss these questions in one of its regular meetings.
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Alarming media reports • Every new bottle shop opened in a rural area will lead to 32 assaults, and each new pub in the city will spark 17 domestic violence cases (SMH 15/2/08)
• At least one-third of 18-24 year old Australians consider themselves to be binge drinkers (VIBE 2008)
• Children as young as 12 are seeking help for alcohol abuse (SMH 25/2/08) PAGE 24
• One in 100 Australian newborns could be suffering irreversible brain damage caused by alcohol exposure in the womb (The Age 3/12/07)
• Almost two-thirds of homicide victims have alcohol or drugs in their bodies when they are killed, and 60% of those who die in a fight are intoxicated (SMH 24/9/07)
• The number of young people hospitalised after binge drinking has doubled in less than a decade (SMH 10/6/08)
• This month, alcohol will be involved in up to 90% of assaults, 60% of robberies without a weapon, and 32% of sexual assaults (Illawarra Mercury 7/1/08)
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STEP 1 REFLECT ON THE ISSUE
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Step 1 25
ISSUE REFLECT
Reflect on the issue Once your CDAT decides to pursue the alcohol related issue further, the next step is reflection. This involves a more in-depth exploration of the issue by: gathering evidence identifying and consulting with local key stakeholders defining the core issues or problems
Define the problem Although your CDAT might have a good understanding of the issue, you still need to do your research and consult with key stakeholders to fully analyse and define the problem.
Stakeholder participation can strengthen your CDAT’s capacity to mobilise community action and create real change.
Also, by building a solid evidence base, you will be able to develop a persuasive case to convince partners and funders to come on board to take action. Collecting data on the issue will help to not only inform you, but your CDAT can also inform the community about the problem and facts related to the alcohol issue. The evidence can be used to increase community awareness of what is going on locally, and assist to mobilise the community to action.
key questions to address are: What are the facts? Is there evidence that this is a real problem for our community? What is the scope of the problem? Who is affected by the problem? What is the impact on those affected? What are the causes or contributing factors? What is already being done about this issue? Who is the ‘target group’? Who are the key stakeholders?
GATHER YOUR EVIDENCE Collecting data on the alcohol related issue is important because it: Identifies the extent of the problem Allows the community to see itself more clearly Assists in determining what action to take Raises awareness and understanding of the hot issue Enables everyone to understand the scope of the problem
Work with facts not myths! ‘Media coverage of illicit drugs is disproportionate compared with the many more alcohol related deaths. Every weekend a number of young people across the country die from alcohol related causes, but these statistics hardly rate a mention in the newspapers. Although road accidents receive the most attention, young people die from alcohol poisoning, or from accidents or violence related to excessive drinking.’ Paul Dillon, National Communications Manager; National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC); CDAT Conference in Yass, 2007; as reported in Drug Action NSW Health Newsletter Winter 2007)
Persuades partners of the need for action Assists in gaining support from key stakeholders Identifies priorities to create change Can be used to lobby for change Sets a baseline against which to measure change Enables CDATs to analyse any gaps which might need to be addressed An important part of this process is finding out what other groups or agencies are doing to tackle the issue you are investigating.
PAGE 27
RAMs Evidence The RAMs ‘evidence’ you gather for your local alcohol project can come from a range of sources, for example: Needs analysis surveys Small focus groups Community forums (eg town meetings) Individual interviews and mini-surveys Direct observation Stakeholder consultations
Use ‘Rapid Appraisal Methods’ (RAMs) to enable quick action! Many CDATs, non government organisations (NGOs) and community groups use Rapid Appraisal Methods (RAMs) to collect data to determine local health and social needs. RAMs allow CDATs to act quickly on a local alcohol issue which is putting the community at risk of harm. RAMs use a range of sources to gather data, develop hypotheses, draw conclusions, and determine action to address a high risk or problem situation when time is limited. See World Health Organisation tools: www.who.int/management/district/monitoring_evaluation/ en/index1.html
Collecting personal stories
CDATs HAVE FOUND RAMs TO BE:
Public records and statistics
Quick and low cost
Case studies
Community oriented
Studies and research
Do not require ‘professionals’
Documentary sources
Information gathered can be used to immediately engage stakeholders and increase the urgency of an issue
Flexible
Asking agencies to collect data on a specific issue which was previously unreported / under reported
beware of these pitfalls which can limit CDATs’ use of RAMs data:
Agency information:
CDAT’s potential bias
- community health data - health service data
Limitations of the data gathered quickly by a CDAT
- police data
Limited CDAT project coordination skills
- shelter & refuge data
Lack of CDAT interviewing or group facilitation skills
- road & traffic authority data - alcohol sales
Lack of CDAT research and analysis skills Lack of CDAT consultation skills
How much time is required for RAMs The amount of time spent collecting data is entirely up to you; it will depend on the project you are planning, and the time and resources available to your CDAT members. The aim of RAMs is to quickly gather and analyse data so that timely action can be taken to tackle alcohol issues.
Stakeholder consultations While good consultation skills are required at all stages of implementing your CDAT local alcohol project, in the ‘initial reflection’ stage, consultation skills will assist you to: Explore the alcohol related problem with stakeholders Understand issues from a stakeholder’s perspective Generate strategies which are relevant to your community
WHO GATHERS THE RAMs EVIDENCE?
Gain access to information from a wide range of sources
This can be a simple process. Depending on the issue you are gathering evidence on, your CDAT can undertake the ‘research’ in a variety of ways, for example:
Barriers to information gathering
CDATs can gain access to existing agency records CDATs can ask agencies to record and collect data on a specific issue CDATs can collect data (eg through consultation processes or surveys) CDATs can utilise the skills of an ‘expert’ or student interested in assisting Use the skills of your CEA Project Officer to source, analyse or interpret data To access data which is meaningful, in a short period of time, you need good consultation skills.
Prioritise your action and address the most important issues first
To gather data and information from individuals, groups and agencies to support your local alcohol project, you may need to consider the following potential barriers: Limited time and skills available to collect data Agency staff reluctance to release or share data
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Target group reluctance to be interviewed or surveyed
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Ethical or legal issues for the agency or individuals releasing information Making agreements on confidentiality and how the data will be used Lack of trust regarding your agenda The agency holding data may lack research skills, so you may need research skills to gather data yourself You may not have research skills so will need to form partnerships (eg with students or stakeholder groups)
TIP If you are asking agencies to record and collect data for your alcohol related issue, assist them by setting up a data collection sheet, making it simple for them to quickly record the number of incidents.
using stakeholder consultation to gather evidence
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DRINK SPIKING PROJECT The local CDAT heard anecdotal reports from the community about problems with drink spiking in Dubbo. The CDAT speculated that drink spiking might have been going undetected as police and hospital records showed that no incidents were recorded. The CDAT decided to engage key stakeholders to assess if drink spiking was a problem, and a factor in other incidents such as sexual assaults. To find out more, the CDAT developed two posters; one aimed at perpetrators and one at victims. These were displayed in all local licensed premises. The CDAT also developed flyers for teachers, police, hospital staff, and bar staff which were aimed at encouraging them to record any incidents of drink spiking. A recording mechanism was set up to make this easy for them. Follow-up of the data collected revealed that by raising awareness of the issue, more incidents of drink spiking were reported, which supported the anecdotal evidence. (Dubbo CDAT)
TIP: Prior to engaging stakeholders and beginning the planning process get organised!
This does not have to take long. Pull everything you have learnt so far into a dot point brief to guide the planning discussion with stakeholders. This will accelerate the action planning process. You might want to summarise the following points on the alcohol misuse issue you are interested in tackling: Background to the issue you are targeting Your findings on the key contributing factors The target group Any other associated problems to consider The key stakeholders and partnerships The outcomes you seek Possible actions to address the issue How other CDATs undertook similar projects Possible funding streams and resources You are now ready to use your evidence as part of the process of engaging other stakeholders.
Example: table analysing findings Issue: underage alcohol use
analyse the problem
PROBLEM
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS
ACTIONS (examples only)
Easy access to alcohol
Parents
Party registration with police Parent education on law
Older friends
Fines Community awareness raising
Outlets / bars
Responsible service of alcohol training Compliance checks Fines and license revocation
Analyse your evidence to identify the core issues to be addressed in your local alcohol strategy. There are numerous ways to pull your evidence together and analyse the issues. However, it is important to keep presentations of your findings to stakeholders simple. For example: Present data as a simple diagram
Community events / festivals
Summarise your findings in an easy to read table Develop a chart showing an overview of your analysis of findings
(Ref: FACE 2004)
Training of servers Photo ID to purchase alcohol Limit cup sizes Limit hours of service
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Using data collection to create change: THE NSW ALCOHOL LINKING PROGRAM Through the linking program, NSW police are able to monitor and feedback to licensees the number of assaults occurring on their premises. Police ask four questions relating to the consumption of alcohol of offenders, victims or drivers of a vehicle: 1 Did the person consume alcohol prior to the incident? 2 If so, what is the level of intoxication? 3 Where was the alcohol consumed? 4 Who purchased the alcohol and where? The data is used to inform and educate licensees of their responsibilities, the consequences of intoxication on their premises and to enhance routine police enforcement strategies.
Through this process, the police have identified the following high risk factors for alcohol related assaults: • late night and weekends especially between midnight and 3 am • extended trading hours of licensee premises Findings indicate that this program has resulted in a reduction in the number of alcohol-related incidents that are reported to, and flagged by, the NSW Police, and that occurred on licensed premises. Source: www1.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/hneph/Alcohol/ AlcoholLinkingProgram.htm
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STEP 2 DEVELOP YOUR ACTION PLAN
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plan Once evidence has been gathered and you have decided that the alcohol issue should be pursued further, the next step is to develop an action plan.
The ‘Community Action Circle’ approach to planning CDATs often use the ‘Community Action Circles’* to achieve change in local communities. That is, they bring key stakeholders to the table as partners, and facilitate a process to generate a plan for collective action to address an alcohol problem in the community. * (Also called Learning Circles – see www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/ building_stronger/inclusive/lcirc.html)
Stakeholder participation can strengthen your CDAT’s capacity to mobilise community action and create real change. By bringing together key local people, the action plan you develop will be seen as ‘coming from the people’. You need to keep local people involved who understand the issues at a ‘grassroots’ level to ensure the plan is realistic, appropriate, achievable, and one which the community will support. This approach can avoid common mistakes by ensuring that all planned action on alcohol problems communicates a message which: Is relevant to local people Is the right message for your community Is clear enough for people to understand ‘Belongs’ to the community Makes people ‘sit up and listen’ Makes people think ‘this message is for me’ Makes people want to do what the message suggests (Ref: Maggie Brady, The Grog Book, 2005)
ENGAGE KEY STAKEHOLDERS
partnerships mobilise community action BOURKE ALCOHOL FORUM The Bourke Alcohol Working Group, a sub-committee of the Bourke CDAT, is a coalition of government agencies and community representatives seeking to develop a long-term solution to address the town’s alcohol related issues. A community forum was organised and attended by 80 community representatives to discuss concerns about alcohol related abuse and violence in the town. The aim was to ‘untangle facts from myth’, and to develop a 5 year ALCOHOL MANAGEMENT PLAN for the Bourke community. Forum participants agreed that a Project Officer be engaged to finalise and oversee the implementation of the proposed plan. This process will involve ongoing consultation with the community aimed at tackling chronic alcohol related problems such as violence, injury and crime in the local community. (Bourke CDAT)
Key stakeholders can be any person or organisation likely to be impacted by, or able to assist in, your local alcohol project. When you are ready to develop a plan to tackle the local alcohol issue, consider these questions: Who are the key stakeholders or interest groups? How can we engage key stakeholders to work as partners on this issue? What opportunities are there? What are the likely barriers which might need to be addressed? What additional resources or skills do we need? In what areas will we need to use the skills of the CDAT Project Officer?
Without the support of key stakeholders, it is difficult to create real change When working on an alcohol issue, developing ‘partnerships’ with people in the community is more likely to result in successful outcomes. The team of stakeholders you pull together will vary according to the nature of the issue and the local conditions. Many CDATs have found the following benefits of stakeholder ‘participation’: Taps into the various skills, knowledge, expertise and resources in your community Increases target group ownership Increases ‘buy-in’ of those with power to create real change locally Wins broader community support for the project Raises awareness of CDAT’s role in the community Ensures the alcohol project is relevant to the community
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Map the key stakeholders Some of the key stakeholders to engage when developing your local alcohol strategy are: The target group
stakeholder partnership MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE The Hornsby CDAT heard about an older person in the community who had mixed alcohol and prescription drugs and had a severe reaction. The CDAT undertook a consultation process with the target group on the issue (eg Seniors Advisory Committee); researched national data, looked at the local hospital statistics and found evidence that this was an issue for the senior citizen community. The CDAT secured funds to employ a production company to make a DVD. They actively sought participation of the target group in all aspects of developing the DVD. The CDAT pulled together a team consisting of a local hospital professor, the local Council’s Senior Advisory Committee, and other target group representatives to identify the contributing factors, develop the script, and make the DVD. Volunteers from the target group were engaged as extras on the DVD. The end product is now used by both professionals (to raise awareness) and people at risk. (Hornsby CDAT)
Local champions on the issue Community members (who are not on the CDAT; eg: young people) Community leaders and role models Liquor Accords (licensees of pubs and clubs) Police Government and non-government agencies Local councils The library - drug info @ your library Community organisations Good Sports
Take a strategic approach Take a strategic approach to building partnerships with key stakeholders. Effective relationship building skills are important for managing differing personalities and positions.
TIP: Think about WHO to approach and HOW to approach them When considering engaging partners to tackle a local alcohol problem, think about the following: What is their attitude or position on the issue? How much influence or power do they have? How much support can they offer? What are their priorities? What are areas of potential conflict and how can we manage these? What actions will be criticised or undermined by a key stakeholder? How can we work in partnership to achieve our common goals?
STAKEHOLDER FOCUS Each stakeholder will have a specific focus when tackling alcohol misuse within the community, for example: CDATs focus on harm minimisation Service providers focus on clinical intervention
Your CEA Project Officer can play a key role in building partnerships Your Project Officer has the skills and the credibility as a NSW Health representative to make contact and build key relationships with stakeholders in cases where strongly held views or positions may be a barrier. Your Project Officer can also assist you to understand the potential tensions in trying to bring together community members, agencies or business representatives. This potential tension needs to be managed appropriately.
Liquor Accords focus on staying within the law in licensed premises Police focus on crime prevention and detection Youth services focus on youth and early intervention • Individual community members focus on the issue which has directly impacted on them personally Consider the focus of each stakeholder when engaging them on alcohol projects, to ensure that they are involved in ways which are relevant and appropriate to them. It is important to keep in mind that people you want to engage are often busy, and your CDAT will be asking them to give their time and energy to work on the issue. Key stakeholders will ask ‘Why should I be involved in the alcohol strategy?’ So you need to: Convince them there is something of value in it for them Take the time to get ‘buy in’ Find and articulate a good reason for their involvement
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER Some of the questions to consider when approaching stakeholders may include: How much of a priority is the issue for them? What is their agenda? How busy are they? Can they attend meetings? What is their education / literacy / meeting skills level? What is their position on the issue – (eg zero tolerance or harm minimisation?) What is their commitment? How informed are they? What’s in it for them?
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MAKE IT EASY TO PARTICIPATE
In any differences, listen to understand,
Make it easy for stakeholders to participate in your alcohol project: Invest time in building key stakeholder relationships Be honest about your ideas for the alcohol project
express the need for
Be upfront with how much of their time will be needed
their support, and
Let partners come and go depending on the relevance of the issue to them
aim for a win/win outcome
Brief people fully in a manner and language they understand Ensure two way communication processes Ensure transparent decision making processes Work with them to find a common ground Liten to any differences and aim for a win/win outcome Value any level of participation - it may grow Make meeting processes appropriate to them (eg informal meetings for young people) Keep meetings short, focussed, and with clear objectives – don’t waste people’s time Set aside resources to support participation (eg tea / food / transport)
TIPS FOR Building KEY partnerships The CDAT companion toolkit Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide (page 50-54) includes tips for building partnerships with key stakeholders, in particular:
1
TIPS FOR BUILDING partnerships with Police and Local Council Most CDATs have active police and local council representatives as members Their involvement on an issue will depend on whether the project has relevance for them Both are interested in issues relating to public safety, crime prevention, reduction of anti-social behaviour and community disturbance
Encouraging participation across your community Working with local businesses Working with and involving young people Working with culturally and linguistically diverse communities Working with people with differing views or positions Working with Indigenous Communities: - It is recommended CDATs refer to The Grog Book by Maggie Brady, 2005
BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS Building partnerships with the following key stakeholders is particularly relevant for CDATs tackling local alcohol related issues: 1. Police and Local Councils
Ensure you approach the most appropriate person and the alcohol project has relevance to their role
2. Liquor Accords
The new liquor laws and Community Impact Assessments (refer to page 19) provide CDATs with even greater potential to work with the Police and Council members on local alcohol related issues
The 2008 NSW liquor law reform which includes a ‘Community Impact Assessment’ (refer to page 19) provides CDATs with opportunities to work with Police, Councils and Liquor Accords on local alcohol related issues.
(See example partnerships on page 44)
3. Good Sports 4. drug info @ your library
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Liquor Accords What are Liquor Accords? Liquor Accords (LAs) are voluntary groups of licensees, overseen by the Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing (OLGR), who engage in local initiatives to introduce practical solutions to liquor-related problems. LAs allow licensees to work together and with partners, such as government and community representatives, on ways to improve the operation of liquor outlets and licensed premises. Core members of a LA can include police, councils and CDATs.
Why do CDATs want to build partnerships with LAs? CDATs tackling alcohol problems related to specific premises will need to develop partnerships with the licensees in order to develop strategies to manage the issue. With the introduction of the new liquor licensing laws in 2008, licensees are now required to undertake more community consultation to address the community impact of licensed premises on the local community. CDATs can play an important role in this process. (Refer to page 19)
To find your local Liquor Accord go to: www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/liquor_liqaccrds_ home.asp
What is their purpose? Whereas CDATs are focused on harm reduction and broader health and social impact on communities, LAs are concerned with issues which emerge in relation to the business of running pubs and clubs. They are therefore, interested in increasing the safety of pubs and clubs ensuring compliance with the law on issues such as underage drinking and reducing crime around the premises.
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Tips for building partnerships with Liquor Accords Take a professional approach Introduce yourself to your local LA - be proactive in establishing a relationship Ask to attend meetings to build an awareness of what LAs are doing – explore opportunities and express interest
Potential Barriers to overcome: Faulty perceptions from both sides Coming together as opponents – eg: an angry community member attacking a licensee in a small community Not seeking to understand the perspectives of LA members or managing potential conflict of interests effectively
Keep up-to-date on LA activities through the OLGR magazine or the LAs e-Accords weekly email newsletter Increase LAs awareness of CDATs activities by having projects profiled in these publications Give LAs a ‘reason’ to be involved Get involved in joint ventures with LAs that have a positive impact on their businesses (eg: supplying buses for patrons from licensed premises) LAs are time-pressured business people - think about what demands you are asking of them and the relevance to them Get involved in LA workshops – offer to give a presentations to inform LAs of what CDATs do Identify problems you can work on together
Beware of wasting time in meetings
Aim to build positive bonds – take an issue to LAs that you can tackle as partners
Personality clashes between individual LA and CDAT representatives
Respect the different perspectives LAs and CDATs are working from – i.e. a business versus harm minimisation focus
Issues regarding ownership of projects may arise and need to be managed
Ensure you send a CDAT representative to LA meetings who is an effective communicator
(See example partnerships on page 44)
Pilot a project with LAs – trial it, review, evaluate, identify any areas of resistance
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good sports What is Good Sports?
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Tips for building partnerships with Good Sports Seek to understand the Good Sports program Invite Good Sports to CDAT meetings to stay informed of each other’s activities Ask to attend Good Sports local meetings Consult regarding alcohol issues relating to sporting clubs premises Provide feedback to Good Sports on wider community issues stemming from clubs Invite Good Sports to community events For NSW contacts go to www.goodsports.com.au
The Australian Drug Foundation’s Good Sports program helps sporting clubs create safer, healthier and more family friendly environments through the responsible management of alcohol, and reducing alcohol related problems such as binge drinking, underage drinking and drink driving. Good Sports focuses on tackling the culture of community based sports clubs which contribute to alcohol problems by accepting and promoting excessive drinking, and providing inappropriate role models for young people. Good Sports takes a long term, strategic approach by supporting clubs through an accreditation process which aims to create sustainable, systemic change to the policies and procedures of clubs. Good Sports’ primary focus is the implementation of its accreditation levels, although additional drug, alcohol and mental health intervention in Good Sports clubs is possible as an extension when driven by local communities. This program’s model is based on evidence based health promotion rationale and consists of criteria which clubs work through to achieve accreditation where they comply with liquor laws, develop new strategies in relation to the role alcohol plays at the club, and the development of policy.
4
Tips for building partnerships with ’drug info @ your library’ Seek to understand the role of libraries as an important way of connecting the community with relevant information on alcohol See libraries as places where people can access alcohol information and resources confidentially, without interacting with anyone
drug info @ your library What is ‘drug info @ your library’? The NSW State Library and NSW Health have established a joint venture called ‘drug info @ your library’. This program involves a collection of books and resources on alcohol and drugs which can be displayed at local libraries and used by CDATs as resources. The information and resources are accessible by the general public, and provide anonymous access to free information and resources on drugs and alcohol. ‘drug info @ your library’ has also developed a range of promotional resources (eg pens, sun block, competitions, interactive web quiz, post cards, lip balm, USB wristband) which can be utilised by CDATs at community events and are available through the NSW State Library on (02)9273 1684.
Recognise that librarians are trained to provide information - this is not advice giving Become familiar with ‘drug info @ your library’ resources as they are relevant, and you can actively refer to, and use, the collection Build a relationship with your local library – eg holding CDAT meetings in the library Make it a priority to promote and include ‘drug info @ your library’ in projects – eg hand out promotional material / mention ’drug Info @ your library’ in the CDAT newsletter Keep up-to-date on what’s in the ‘drug info @ your library’ collection - the collection is updated twice a year and the website is continually updated NSW State Library seeks CDATs’ advice in order to keep the collection dynamic and up to date – CDATs can provide feedback to ensure the collection is addressing their needs Arrange a regular ongoing program of contact with libraries (eg quarterly forums) For more information telephone: (02) 9273 1684 or go to www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au
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Examples of key partnerships
Partnerships with local Police, Council, Liquor Accords and CDATs SUPPLY MEANS SUPPLY ‘Supply Means Supply’ is a Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Promotion initiative which has evolved into a partnership with local licensing police, liquor accords, councils and CDATs. Secondary Supply is the illegal sale or supply of alcohol to people under the age of 18 years (minors).
partnerships with young people BRINK Hornsby CDAT was concerned about recent statistics showing a dramatic rise in binge drinking among young women aged 14 to 17 years. To develop an educational resource to better inform young girls at risk the CDAT consulted and worked in partnership with young people. The result was a DVD – Brink – which was developed for young people by young people. The team comprised of 13 teenage girls who worked together interviewing the target group, identifying the main message to be conveyed, and developing the script and interactive quiz. (Hornsby CDAT)
Alcohol kills more young people and is responsible for a greater amount of harm, than all other drugs combined. Secondary supply is the main way that minors obtain their alcohol. Most alcohol consumed by minors is done in a home setting, rather than in public places; and the majority of heavy drinking by 15 – 17 year olds happens in a home setting in the presence of adults. The model applied to the work to reduce secondary supply of alcohol to under 18s is known as the E+E+P model: Education + Enforcement + Publicity This refers to: community education, targeted policing, and high profile publicity (often of police prosecutions). The program has included police targeting illegal supply of alcohol to minors; high profile media publicity; television and cinema advertising; sporting club websites and newsletters; information dissemination at bottle shop and local high schools. (eg Hornsby, Pittwater, Moss Vale CDATs) Source: www.healthpromotion.com.au/SecondarySupplyIndex.htm
In 2007, a Sydney man was jailed for 9 months after pleading guilty to 42 charges of supplying alcohol to minors with aggravation, some as young as 14 years of age. (NSW OLGR)
Case examples: partnerships with Liquor Accords Think the Drink
Coffs Harbour Race Day Coffs Harbour CDAT provided a free (voluntary) mobile breathalyser service at Coffs Harbour race day to encourage people to test their alcohol level. People who were over the legal limit were encouraged to keep coming back until their alcohol level was down sufficiently to drive, or to take transport which was offered. This strategy, aimed at reducing drink driving, was set up in partnership with Liquor Accords and the police. The result was a reduction in drink driving charges. This service not only educated those who were tested (most thought they were below the legal limit) but also allowed the CDAT to develop a partnership with the local Liquor Accord. The service has now expanded to Lismore and Kempsey events such as races, footy games and festivals. (Coffs Harbour CDAT)
Many CDATs have worked in partnership with local Liquor Accords and Council to provide subsidised Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) accreditation courses for 17 and 18 year old high school students. This program has been aimed at improving young people’s awareness of risky drinking, liquor laws, and patrons responsibilities in and around licensed venues through the provision of accredited RSA training for young people in the community. Night Rider Bus This project has been a joint venture with licensees who were tired of trouble outside their premises. The aim is to reduce alcohol and drug related harm and crime, and to improve safety and security. The CDAT has provided funds for a bus, staff and security; and patrons pay to use the bus and be dropped off wherever they want to go. Local statistics have shown large reductions in alcohol-related street offences as a result of the transport service. (Albury/Wodonga CDAT) WALGET’s ‘NO MORE…IT’S OUR LAW’ POSTER The Office of Liquor Gaming and Racing in conjunction with the Walgett CDAT held a poster competition to promote responsible drinking practices among Aboriginal communities in Walgett. The competition generated several thought provoking posters that challenged the community to think seriously about responsible drinking practices. The competition encouraged local Aboriginal artists to develop posters using culturally appropriate imagery and language. (Walgett CDAT)
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Manage your planning meetings effectively Managing meetings can be challenging, in particular, managing stakeholder agendas, setting priorities and making decisions on appropriate action to address local alcohol misuse. Therefore, during the planning stage it is crucial that you apply guidelines to manage meetings so that any conflict of opinion or emotion of key stakeholders is dealt with effectively. Guidelines are outlined in Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide (p 146).
DEVELOP YOUR ACTION PLAN Now you have the key players on board, you are ready to work through options for action, decide on the best strategy to address the alcohol related issue and document the strategy as a project plan. By the end of this step you will be able to answer YES to these questions: Have we clarified our aims and objectives? Have we mapped out all options for action? Have we agreed on our strategy? Do we have a written project plan? Does the project plan identify ‘who, what, where, why, how’? Is our strategy realistic and achievable? Are we planning to monitor and evaluate the impact of our strategy? Do we have a risk management plan in place?
For information on CDAT project planning, management and leadership, refer to Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide. Useful templates and forms are available in Word format on the accompanying CD, or can be downloaded for use by CDATs from: www. communitybuilders. nsw.gov.au/drugs_ action/templates.html
Apply project management ‘thinking’ to planning action This approach ensures that you: Take a planned approach and achieve quality results Use your time, resources and energy in the most effective and efficient ways possible Monitor and measure outcomes to ensure you achieve the results you seek During the planning stage, work through these steps to develop your local CDAT alcohol project plan : 1. Aims and objectives 2. Resources 3. Tasks, steps and timeline 4. Roles and responsibilities 5.Risk management 6. Monitoring and evaluation
What alcohol related issue are you going to target or prioritise?
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health & social issues? Increasing community awareness of the harms caused by risky drinking Promotion of the responsible drinking message Health risks caused by alcohol misuse The overlap of alcohol and drug misuse Impact in the home due to alcohol misuse Gaps in service provision
children & young people?
Unemployment linked to alcohol misuse Social isolation and poor community connections
Underage sales or secondary supply
Link between sporting activities and drinking
Underage drinking in public places
Creating safe places
At risk groups of young people
Cultural differences around alcohol
Young people binge drinking Lack of positive role models for young people
Control over drinking in public places Strong local culture of excessive drinking Foetal alcohol disorder prevention community safety, crime and antisocial behaviour? Link between crime and alcohol-fuelled disorder
Youth boredom as a catalyst for harmful behaviour
Intoxicated patrons in the night-time economy
Parents whose drinking is causing risk to children
Drink driving
(Source: London Drug and Alcohol Network & Alcohol Concerns, 2004)
Control over supply and licensee responsibility Drink spiking Glassing Offending behaviour patterns due to alcohol Domestic violence linked to alcohol misuse Homelessness linked to alcohol Sexual violence and harassment linked to alcohol use Hospitalisations, accidents and injuries due to alcohol misuse
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Health Promotion WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION GUIDELINES
Most of your CDAT activities will fit, in some form or another, into one
Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion, 1986 ‘Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over, and to improve, their health.’ Health Promotion Action Means 1. Building healthy public policy (eg changing liquor laws) 2. Creating supportive environments (eg safer supply of alcohol, safe places)
of the levels of the
3. Strengthening community action (eg supporting local action through Community Impact Statements)
Ottawa Charter.
4. Developing personal skills (eg information, life skills, and awareness raising on alcohol) 5. Reorienting the health services (eg training professionals on alcohol issues and interventions) www.euro.who.int/aboutwho/policy/20010827_2
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Your overarching CDAT strategic aim: EXAMPLE: To minimise harm and antisocial behaviour associated with alcohol misuse in your local community, while ensuring that people are able to enjoy alcohol safely and responsibly. What is your CDAT project aim? What community issue do you intend to address? This is a short statement that describes the general focus and intent of your project. EXAMPLE: To implement a series of workshops for young people on improving their knowledge on harms caused by alcohol misuse What are your CDAT project goals? Goals are broad statements of the long range purpose of the project. Unlike objectives, goals are not measurable, but rather, state a future event you are working towards. Goals are the expectation and include what will change as a result of the program, and who will be affected. EXAMPLE: To reduce the level of anti-social behaviour of young people in the park where they gather to party over the weekend period.
Decide on your project aims and objectives Before you decide on your actions, it is important to clarify your project aims and objectives: ‘What is the overall impact or outcome you are seeking to achieve?’
Decide on your alcohol project aims and objectives Aim: What is the specific issue we are targeting? Evidence / Rationale: Why should we do something about it? Objective: What are we trying to do? Target group: Who is the target group? Refer to page 68 for the complete ‘Action Research Cycle Decision Making Template’
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A range of goals There are a range of goals that CDATs can have when addressing alcohol issues in the community for example:
What are your CDAT project objectives?
Raise community awareness
Objectives are the moving parts of the expectation. Objectives get things done by breaking down the goals into actions which are SMART:
Develop personal / life skills
S pecific M easurable A ction oriented R ealistic T ime limited
Provide information / educate Develop resources Health promotion Strengthen community Change community behaviour Challenge public policy Reorient service delivery Diversionary activities Create supportive / safer environments Other?
TIP: Once you have agreed on your aims and objectives, write them down and stick to them!
Examples of alcohol strategies implemented by CDATs in their local communities
Outreach project Interactive touch screen kiosk Parent support, training and information sessions Information cards, flyers or brochures, stalls in busy areas Community forums and workshops Art workshops and competitions Battle of the Bands Sporting activities, sponsoring a team Community gym Organising regular activities after school such as art, music, sport
partnership with Australian Red Cross
Entering the Play Now Act Now competition Educational retreats Mentoring programs Homework club after school
SAVE A MATE
Alcohol free family fun days, sports days
Many CDATs across NSW have worked with the Australian Red Cross to deliver the ‘Save A Mate’ first aid training program. The program is aimed at teaching young people first aid skills to help support others who may be experiencing difficulties related to their alcohol or drug consumption.
Good Sports Program Activities
The program has been extremely well received by participants. It is recognised that in many isolated communities, help isn’t always at hand. The program is also flexible enough to be delivered to people with low levels of numeracy and literacy.
Radio announcements, TV commercials
Community garden Trivia nights for young people or parents with alcohol information Save-A-Mate first aid training for young people Educational DVDs Theatre performances for young people by young people SMART Recovery Program Designated driver program Driving car simulator with vision impaired ‘beer goggles’ Simulated games Breathalysing tents at music festivals, race days, community events Free soft drinks for drivers Safe Party Squad Informative drink coasters at venues Research into reasons behind behaviour and recommending strategies to address these For more information refer to Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.
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decide on your CDAT actions to achieve the alcohol project’s aims & objectives This is a process of elimination: Brainstorm the range of options available Map out the pros and cons of each option Narrow down the list of options by asking: - Is this ‘doable’ - given the timeframe and resources available?
prepare your cdat action plan Preparing your alcohol project action plan Delivery options What options do we have for action? ResourceS What is our budget or resources? Steps What are we going to do? Timeframe When should we do it? Roles / Responsibility Who will do what? Stakeholders/ opponents Who has an interest in this project?
- Will it achieve our objectives?
Location Where will we do it?
- Will it be appropriate for the target group?
Advertising / media How will we get the message out?
Agree on the best action to address your priority issue
Monitor How will we monitor how well we are doing?
Break down the action into specific tasks and timeline
Risk Management What issues or risks may come up?
Decide the best way to communicate the plan to get buy-in and ownership
Evaluation plan How will we know if anyone is better off?
Agree on roles and responsibilities for the tasks Identify any resource gaps to be addressed
Project plan Have we written down our tasks and steps? Refer to page 69 for the complete ‘Action Research Cycle Decision Making Template’
Discuss possible risks and how these will be addressed
Your CDAT action plan will vary depending on the issue and the local context.
Decide on how you will monitor and evaluate your actions
There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to addressing alcohol issues in the community.
Write up all of the above into a project plan For more information refer to Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.
Plan for any unintended impact
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An important part of risk management is to consider any possible unintended impact your local alcohol strategy might have on the community. Brainstorm possible unintended impacts, for example: Community conflict arising
Is your local alcohol strategy linked to any of the following plans?
Discrimination against certain groups Backlash and resistance from groups you are attempting to ‘help’ The problem goes underground The problem shifts to another place
Crime prevention plans Safety plans
Example – unintended impact:
Local Council Social Plans
• Some public housing tenants have discovered that they can make their homes ‘ALCOHOL FREE ZONES’. This is a legal strategy which tenants can apply for to protect themselves from the harmful alcohol fuelled behaviours of family or community members.
NSW Health drug and alcohol prevention plan Area health clinical services plans Other specific drug and alcohol plans Area health promotion plans
However, making homes alcohol free zones can push alcohol problems into the public domain. • Alternatively, control over supply of alcohol or restrictions on public drinking can push alcohol problems into homes.
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Accessing additional resources CDATs are skilled at finding support, funds and in-kind donations from a wide range of sources to support their alcohol strategies. An alcohol strategy may rely on one or more sources of funding. For assistance with specific funding such as NSW Health’s Community Engagement and Action ‘Special Grants’, contact CDS. Do you need to access NSW Health campaign promotional material and resources (eg fact sheets, leaflets, posters, DVDs)? Contact the Community Drug Information & Education Team at NSW Health (02 9424 5946) to assist you with these questions: Which resources would be appropriate for your local alcohol strategies? How should the resource be used?
Build risk management into your plan For more information on the following, contact your CDAT Project Officer on (02) 9424 5946. Working with children? Get a copy of Working with Children Check before you begin, and comply with it fully (go to www.kids.nsw.gov.au) Get permission slips for children to participate in any activities Working with volunteers or the public? Work within NSW Health and CDAT insurance and WorkCover requirements Consider the needs of participants and how will you address these Ask permission to use any photos or participant information Developing resources with NSW health funding or under the banner of other agencies ? Your Project Officer can assist in checking your resources before distribution, and will advise if any formal NSW Health or other agency approval process is required. Do not advertise any agency without their approval. Does your ‘action plan’ involve research?
Who is the intended target group?
Discuss your research plan with your Project Officer to ensure you adhere to the ethical standards required by NSW Health.
How can the resources best be implemented in your strategy?
For an overview of research ethics go to: www.nhmrc.gov.au/health_ethics/ research/index.htm For more information refer to Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.
Build monitoring and evaluation into your plan Evaluation should begin in the planning stages of your alcohol project and continue throughout the project.
Types of evaluation
1
CDAT examples:
Why evaluate?
Focus groups
Evaluation generates important information about the impact of your alcohol project on the target group and measures the effectiveness of your CDAT actions.
In-depth interviewing (conversational not structured) Open ended questionnaires Participant observation / perceptions Self report (narrative)
This information is also useful to meet any funding reporting requirements (eg to NSW Health). What does evaluation involve? Deciding what you will evaluate
Process Evaluation Subjective data collected on the process of activities undertaken
Document analysis Case studies Descriptive observations
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2
Impact Evaluation Objective data collected measuring the impact or effectiveness of activities
Deciding how you will monitor and evaluate activities
CDAT examples:
Deciding when you will monitor and evaluate
Pre & post test questionnaires
Developing data collection tools – eg surveys
Numbers of participants
Existing statistics or data Scaled ratings
Collecting and analysing data
Number of resident’s complaints
Interpreting, sharing, reporting and responding to results
Changes in knowledge scores
Reduced alcohol sales Reduced crime rates Reduced drink driving charges Improvement to health and accident statistics
33 0,!.
What might your evaluation plan include? Most CDATs want to know if their alcohol project made a difference to people’s lives, changed behaviours or improved knowledge and skills. Asking participants to complete a few simple questions in a pre and post activity questionnaire is an easy way to find out if what you set out to do had an impact!
At its simplest, evaluation of an alcohol related project is about finding out: Whether the objectives of the project were achieved How well they were achieved Adequacy of the timing, funding and other resources Cost effectiveness of the project If the activity was considered useful and why The impact on participants (eg future decisions) Ways things could have been done better, and what might be done next Participation level If the target group was adequately represented If participation was representative of diverse groups Whether people with special needs considered that their needs were adequately met Evaluation of individual activities (eg how useful was information / session) The wider impact of the project (eg on crime rates; social disturbance) Any unintended impact of your project (eg backlash, community conflict) For more information refer to Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide.
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STEPs 3 & 4 TAKE ACTION / OBSERVE THE IMPACT
Take action
Steps 3 & 4 57 ACT
The next step is to take action to implement your plan. Do what you have decided to do. Take the steps required to make your local alcohol strategy plan a reality. Then observe the action taken and collect data to evaluate the impact of your activities.
observe the impact Monitor and evaluate the impact of your actions by: Collecting data to measure the effectiveness of your action Assessing the impact of your actions on the target group
During the action PAGE 58
stage you are not only implementing, but also monitoring and reviewing your local alcohol strategy.
Monitoring the efficient use of budget and resources Recording outcomes at each stage of the project Amending strategy if required Checking progress against the action plan aims and objectives Addressing any external factors which have impacted on the plan Addressing any unintended impacts of your actions Managing risks
SAFE PARTY SQUAD (Coffs Harbour CDAT) AIM
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The Safe Party Squad project is aimed at addressing the issue of spontaneous parties happening on Coffs Harbour beaches, attracting teenagers and causing malicious damage and antisocial behaviour. GOAL
A local game plan to tackle problems caused by alcohol misuse
The Safe Party Squad’s goal is to reduce the levels of binge drinking and the incidences of malicious damage and anti-social behaviour of young people gathering to party on Coffs Harbour Beaches over the weekend period. OBJECTIVES 1. The Safe Party Squad’s objective is to organise a group of adult volunteers to attend party sites to ensure the safety and well being of young party goers, by providing assistance, water, food, and referrals to services as required. 2. This project utilises a youth focused, systematic approach, targeting young people, and the broader social and physical environments, helping to promote protective factors in young people through the delivery of ‘Save a Mate’ type initiatives and other Peer Education strategies. continued page 60 >
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SAFE PARTY SQUAD < continued from previous page action and observation The Safe Party Squad (SPS) in Coffs Harbour developed a successful action plan to achieve their aims and objectives which involved these steps:
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A community takes action to minimise the harm caused by excessive drinking
The SPS gained a good understanding of what the main issues were through consultation with the key stakeholders - the young party goers, the police, the community and youth services. The SPS took the approach that the parties could not be stopped, and the young people should not be punished; but rather a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;no value judgementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; harm minimisation approach was considered best. The SPS met with the young party goers to get to know them, and to understand their position, needs and motivation. They thereby gained their trust and were able to develop a collaborative relationship. A group of volunteers were then trained to work with the young people, ensuring their safety and well being and making referrals to services as required. Police attend only when they are needed. Through this process of collaboration, the SPS together with the young people have found ways to better manage some of the issues arising from the young people spontaneously congregating on the beaches of Coffs Harbour. For example, the young people now advise the SPS about the party as they know that food and water will be provided and an adult will be present to assist if required. Evaluation revealed that the presence of the SPS had reduced anti-social behaviour and harm to young people at the parties. Following this positive feedback, funding has now been provided to The Ted Noffs Foundation for the program to be continued for three years. (Coffs Harbour CDAT)
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CYCLE 2 REFLECT ON OUTCOMES
Cycle 2 61
OUTCOME
Reflect on outcomes Now you have completed your local alcohol project, bring the team together to discuss the impact of your actions. Data collected through the evaluation process provides the material required to reflect on the effectiveness and outcomes of your actions. consider these questions: Did we achieve what we set out to achieve? If not why not? Is anyone better off?
Reflect on the outcomes of your alcohol strategy: Appropriateness Were we the appropriate group to do this project? PAGE 62
Effectiveness Did the project have the intended impact on the target group? Efficiency Was this a good use of resources? Refer to page 68 for the complete Action Research Cycle Decision Making Template
Did the activity meet the needs of the target group? Did our actions have the intended impact? What was the unintended impact? What worked well / not so well? What could we have improved? What have we learnt? Was this a good use of resources? Was our CDAT the best group to undertake the project? What other issues do we need to consider in future planning? Do we want to take further action at this time? This stage involves your CDAT: Learning from analysis of the evaluation findings to improve future alcohol related projects Preparing any reports on outcomes required (eg accountability to funders) Providing feedback to key stakeholders on outcomes of the alcohol strategy Informing the wider community on success of the alcohol project Deciding on future actions (if any) on the local alcohol problem
DECIDE ON YOUR NEXT PRIORITY FOR ACTION If your CDAT decides to take further action on the local alcohol issue, you will need to decide on your next priority for action. To do this you recycle back through the stages of reflecting, planning, taking action and observing. This process will be quicker than the first time around as you have already developed partnerships with some of the key people, you are informed on the relevant issues in the community, and you already have some of the evidence required.
25
However, it is important not to make assumptions when tackling the next priority for action on alcohol.
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There may be a number of issues to think about which might have come to light during the first cycle and will need to be addressed in the second cycle when tackling the local alcohol issue: • Contributing factors which you were unaware of during the first project • Stakeholders who are important but were not engaged • Evidence which has come to light or not yet been sourced • Various issues and problems which were not previously investigated Each alcohol project will vary, so it is important to go back through the action research cycle steps to develop your next priority for tackling alcohol misuse in your community.
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Ongoing action research cycles 57 ACT
33 21
PLAN
issue is identified
59
OBSERVE
ISSUE
PAGE
25
25
64
REFLECT
REFLECT
33 PLAN
59
OBSERVE
57 ACT
(Source: R. Hatten, D. Knapp, & R. Salonga, 1997, in Action Research Electronic Reader, www.fhs.usyd.edu.au)
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LOCATING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOUR ALCOHOL STRATEGY
ALCOHOL INFORMATION, RESOURCES & RESEARCH Alcohol and Drug Services, Australian Drug Information Network (ADIN) www.adin.com.au
Drug and Alcohol Multicultural Education Centre (DAMEC) www.damec.org.au
Alcohol Info (Fact sheets) www.alcoholinfo.nsw.gov.au
Drug and Alcohol Resources: NSW Health www.health.nsw.gov.au
Australian Bureau of Statistics (Alcohol consumption in Australia) www.abs.gov.au Alcohol Education and Rehabilitation Foundation (AERF) www.aerf.com.au
drug info @ your library www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au DrinkCheck: Is Your Drinking ok? www.alac.org.nz/IsYourDrinkingOK.aspx Drink Wise www.drinkwise.susu.org
National Health and Medical Research Council www.nhmrc.gov.au/health_ethics research/index.htm NSW Roads and Traffic Authority (Driving under the influence of alcohol & other drugs) www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/ drinkdriving/index.html NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming & Racing (Up-to-date information on liquor licensing laws) www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/liquor_ latest_news.asp
Australian Drug Foundation www.druginfo.adf.org.au
DrugInfo Clearinghouse www.druginfo.adf.org.au
Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing www.alcohol.gov.au
Drug Policy www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/home
Play Now Act Now (Fact sheets on alcohol and other drugs) www.playnowactnow.net.au/reco.html
Alcohol Linking Project www.hnehealth.nsw.gov.au/hneph/Alcohol/ AlcoholLinkingProgram.htm
Save-a-Mate – Red Cross www.redcross.org.au/SAM/
Australian Institute of Health & Welfare www.aihw.gov.au Bureau of Crime Statistics & Research NSW (NSW alcohol and crime statistics) www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ ll_bocsar.nsf/pages/bocsar_pub_atoc
National Alcohol Strategy www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au
TAFE NSW Alcohol & Drug Unit www.lg.tafensw.edu.au/2386 adunit/default.htm
The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) www.ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au ndarcweb.nsf/page/home
YOUTH RESOURCES
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Australian Clearinghouse for Youth Studies www.acys.info Department of Community Services – For Young People www.community.nsw.gov.au/html/young_ people/young_people.htm drug info @ your library www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au The End of Year Celebration Kit (For Year 12 students which focuses on celebrating at the end of their school year safely) www.schools.nsw.edu.au/leavingschool/next The NSW Commission for Children and Young People (For a copy of ‘Working With Children Check’) www.kids.nsw.gov.au
NSW Department of Education and Training www.schools.nsw.edu.au/learning/ yrk12focusareas/druged/index.php Reachout www.reachout.com.au Supply Means Supply: Secondary Supply of Alcohol www.healthpromotion.com.au/ SecondarySupplyIndex.htm What are you doing to yourself? A NSW Health interactive educational website and link to print resources aimed at raising awareness of young people and parents about the risks of binge drinking and providing some strategies for responsible drinking. www.whatRUdoing2URself.com
The Source www.youth.gov.au Somazone (Created by young people for young people - stories and support on alcohol and other drugs) www.somazone.com.au Youth Action & Policy Association www.yapa.org.au Youth NSW www.youth.nsw.gov.au Youth Safe (For a copy of ‘CEA Child Protection Policy’) www.youthsafe.org/safe_celebrate.html
KEY PARTNERSHIPS Good Sports www.goodsports.com.au E-Accords Weekly (Liquor Accords weekly newsletter) www.olgr.nsw.gov.au
Liquor Accords www.olgr.nsw.gov.au/liquor_ liqaccrds_home.asp
NSW Health Alcohol campaigns: • Your Guide to Dealing With Alcohol • Be Part Of It Not Out Of It www.health.nsw.gov.au State Library - drug info @ your library www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.a
ABORIGINAL AND TORRES STRAIT ISLANDER RESOURCES Department of Aboriginal Affairs www.daa.nsw.gov.au The Grog Book; Maggie Brady; 2005 Available free from: www.alcohol.gov.au
Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health (OATSIH) www.health.gov.au/internet/main publishing.nsf/Content/health-oatsih-about
Vibe Health www.vibe.com.au
LOCATING SUPPORT AND TREATMENT Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) - 24hr hotline Ph: (02) 9361 8000 Toll free number: 1800 422 599 Beyond Blue www.beyondblue.org.au
Control Your Drinking Online: A Web-Based Self-Change Program www.acar.net.au Drug Policy – Treatment www.druginfo.nsw.gov.au/treatment Family Drug Support www.fds.org.au
Kids Help Line www.kidshelp.com.au Lifeline www.lifeline.org.au SMART Recovery Australia www.smartrecoveryaustralia.com.au
CDAT RESOURCES Community Builders NSW – Community Drug Action www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/ drugs_action Community Builders NSW – Funding Programs www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/ funding/programs/
Community www.community.gov.au Grants LINK www.grantslink.gov.au/index.aspx Indent (Funding for alcohol free music events) www.indent.net.au
Links to Learning Community Grants Program (Funding for community organisations to undertake innovative activities with young people who have, or at risk of, leaving school early.) www.det.nsw.edu.au/eas/youth/ Our Community www.ourcommunity.com.au
CDAT PUBLICATIONS Copies of these can be ordered or downloaded from: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/ drugs_action/
•
Drug Action newsletter
•
Drug Action Toolkit
•
Making A Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action Teams in NSW
•
Getting the best from your CDAT work: Evaluating Plans, Projects and Team Processes
•
Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide
•
Working with the Media
•
Community Drug Information Initiative
•
Asset Based Community Development
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES FOR RUNNING MEETINGS Forum Communicators Inc. www.forumcommunicators. asn.au/about.html
Meeting Wizard –Your Meeting Planner Centre www.meetingwizard.org/meetings
Meeting Procedures – What to Expect and What is Expected www.cdaeg.com.au/courses/ comm_dev/cd_mtgproced.html
Managing meetings www.swtafe.vic.edu.au/admin-toolbox/ ORG501-meetings/site-map.htm
Writing grant applications www.npguides.org World Health Organisation tools www.who.int/management/district/ monitoring_evaluation/en/index1.html
www.cdaeg.com.au/courses/ comm_dev/cd_pfvpt2.html
USEFUL TEMPLATES & FORMS The following useful templates and forms are available in Word format on the Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide accompanying CD, and can also be downloaded for use by CDATs from: www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au/drugs_ action/templates.html
Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams (2008) •
Skills Audit (page 22) Terms of Reference (page 24) • Drug Action Plan (page 26) • Letter inviting people to a CDAT meeting (page 36) • Meeting agenda (page 38) • Meeting minutes (page 39) • Project planning template (page 60) •
•
Photography consent form (page 94) Certificate of Appreciation (page 99) • Act Now logo •
A Handbook for CDATs • Work breakdown schedule (page 142) • Project schedule (page 144)
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THE ACTION RESEARCH CYCLE - DECISION MAKING TEMPLATE AN ISSUE IS IDENTIFIED - ENTERING THE CYCLE What local alcohol issue is the community concerned about? Should this issue be investigated further?
Trigger issue Priority
Cycle 1 STEP 1
REFLECT ON THE ISSUE What are the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;factsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;?.......................................................................................... Evidence Is there enough evidence to take action on this issue?
STEP 2
PLAN
1
Build key partnerships ...................................................................Partnerships Have we engaged key stakeholders in partnership?.................. Stakeholder support
2
Decide on project aims and objectives What is the specific issue we are targeting?..............................................................Aim Why should we do something about it? .......................................................... Rationale What are we trying to do?................................................................................ Objective Who is the target group?............................................................................ Target group
3
Prepare the project action plan
What options do we have for action?................................................... Delivery options What is our budget or resources?.................................................................. Resources What are we going to do? ...................................................................................... Steps When should we do it?................................................................................... Timeframe Who will do what?......................................................................... Roles / responsibility Who are has an interest in this project?...............................Stakeholders/ opponents Where will we do it?............................................................................................ Location How will we get the message out?................................................. Advertising / media How will we monitor how well we are doing?...................................................... Monitor What issues or risks may come up during the project?.................. Risk Management How will we know if anyone is better off?............................................... Evaluation plan Have we written down our tasks and steps?...............................................Project plan
PAGE 68
STEP 3 & 4 ACT & OBSERVE Have we delivered, monitored, reviewed and recorded the impact of your actions?................................................................ Monitor & review
Cycle 2 REFLECT ON OUTCOMES Were we the appropriate group to do this project? ........................... Appropriateness Did the project have the intended impact on the target group? ............. Effectiveness Was this a good use of resources?.................................................................. Efficiency Do we want to take further action in this issue? Yes, back through the cycle
PROJECT PLAN TEMPLATE Project title
Start date
End date
Aim: What is the issue that you intend to address?
History: What projects (if any) have addressed this issue in the past? Were they successful? Would the community benefit from a similar activity or should you proceed in a new direction?
Objective: What is your specific goal? Who are you trying to reach?
Strategy: What action are you going to take to achieve your objective?
Partners: What other agencies or groups would be interested in supporting or contributing to your project?
PAGE Management What actions or tasks Who will be responsible? need to be completed?
What is the timeframe or due date?
Project Evaluation What results do you expect from the project?
What criteria will you use to for the evaluation?
Source: Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Practical Guide; NSW Health, 2008
How will you gather information evaluate the projects success?
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references The material adapted for this toolkit has been sourced from the following references. These references are also recommended for CDATs and their members who want to further explore the topics covered in this toolkit. Beginners Guide to Action Research; Bob Dick, Southern Cross University; 2000 Building Successful Community Drug Action Teams – A Practical Guide; NSW Health; 2008 Changing the Culture of Alcohol Use in Australia; NSW Health 2004 The Community Alcohol Personality Survey: Planning Process and Evaluation; FACE Resources, Training and Action on Alcohol; 2004 Drug Action Toolkit; Community Drug Strategies, NSW Premiers Department, 2004 Drug Action: NSW Community Drug Strategies Newsletter; NSW Health; 2006-07 Enough is Enough: Lets Work Together to Keep Alcohol Under Control; Western Australia, Drug and Alcohol Office; 2004 FAS Tool Kit: Community Action Circles – Generating Solutions Through Collective Action; Canadian Centre of Substance Abuse; www.ccsa.ca/toolkit. Getting the best from your CDAT work: Evaluating Plans, Projects and Team Processes; NSW Premiers Department, 2004 Good Times, Safe Times: Liquor Accords in NSW - A Toolkit; NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing; 2006 The Grog Book; Maggie Brady; Revised Edition; Australian Government; Department of Health and Aging; Canberra; 2005 Available free from: www.alcohol.gov.au Liquor & Gaming: News from the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing; 2007 Local Alcohol Strategy Toolkit: Guiding You Through Developing Your Local Alcohol Strategy; London Drug Alcohol Network and Alcohol Concerns; 2004
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Making A Difference – Celebrating Eight Years of Community Drug Action Teams in NSW; NSW Health; 2007 NSW Drugs and Community Action Strategy: Framework for Action; NSW Premiers Department, 2000 An Overview of the Methodological Approach of Action Research; R. O’Brien; Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto; 2001 Participatory Action Research: Getting the Job Done; Kaye Seymour-Rolls & Ian Hughes; 2008; www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow/o/m01/rseymour.htm Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Health Promotion Programs; 3rd ed; 2001; J. McKenzie & J. Smeltzer Questioning Sustainability in Health Promotion Projects and Programs; L. St Leger; in Health Promotion International 2005, 20(4); Safe. Sensible. Social. Alcohol Strategy Local Implementation Toolkit; Home Office; Alcohol Strategy Program Office, London; 2008 Stakeholder Analysis: Wining Support for Your Projects; Mind Tools, UK, 2008 Strategy Overview of the Community Drug Strategies Program; www.communitybuilders.nsw.gov.au Using Rapid Appraisal Methods; Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Tips; in USAID Centre for Development Information and Evaluation; No. 5 1996 What is Community Mobilisation and How Does it Work to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Harm? R. Midford; in Druginfo Vol. 1, No. 4, Feb 2003 World Health Organisation: Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion www.euro.who.int/aboutwho/policy/20010827_2 World Health Organisation Tools www.who.int/management/district/monitoring_evaluation/en/index1.html
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THE LOCAL GAME PLAN ON EXCESSIVE ALCOHOL USE
A toolkit for Community Drug Action Teams working to tackle alcohol misuse in their communities