While coalitions can make a difference in their communities by themselves, some are finding that they can make an even greater impact by collaborating with coalitions in other cities, counties, regions and even states.
In the Commonwealth of Virginia, for example, coalitions and other community organizers from urban and rural areas across the state created a “coalition of coalitions” called the Community Coalitions of Virginia (CCoVA). The group formed about two years ago and represents parents, prevention specialists, businesses, law enforcement, educators, faith based groups, media, youth, healthcare, government officials and youth-serving organizations in the Southwestern part of the state.
CCoVA found that collaboration strengthens advocacy efforts for substance abuse prevention programs in their state. Working with partners at the local, state and national level, CCoVA has already had an impact on federal funding for drug courts and a number of other quality-of-life measures, said G. Wayne Frith, Executive Director, Substance Abuse Free Environment Inc., Chesterfield Youth Planning & Development, in Chesterfield, Va.
“We support one another’s activities and initiatives, advocating on behalf of the statewide prevention community for laws, policies and ordinances and also changing a state culture that seems to enable alcohol abuse by adults and underage drinking by youth,” Frith said.
CCoVA is comprised from coalitions from a number of cities and counties – some located in the northern part of the state and some located in the southern part of the state. Culturally, Frith said, communities in the southwestern part of Virginia closer to the state capital of Richmond where he lives and works can be different from communities in Northern Virginia, which borders Washington, D.C. Yet, despite that all of the coalitions share some of the same concerns – particularly when it comes to Virginia’s most pervasive problem: underage drinking.
Another state-wide, “coalition of coalitions” in Virginia is equally concerned about the state’s drinking problem. Like CCoVA, they approach underage drinking as an adult problem. The Community Builders' Network of Virginia, known as CBN, is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization comprised of community based coalitions that focus on capacity building, networking and legislative advocacy initiatives. The coalitions which make up this organization collectively offer alternative actives to youth and adults such as afterschool programs and offer mini-grants to smaller groups that want to start new community projects.
CBN’s volunteer Director Freddie Simons said that while positive parenting works as an approach to keeping youth away from alcohol and drugs, kids can’t always control their neighborhood, environment or parents. “So, if the community can step up, the children have a higher level of success,” he said. Simons, also the Director of Prevention Services for the Hampton Newport News Community Services Board, said each adult board or representative member of CBN has a youth counterpart to ensure the youth voice resonates.
Whether it’s at the local or state level, statewide coalitions can make a difference by unifying their voice, said Fairfax County’s Diane Eckert. “It’s the networking and sharing of resources that is incredibly important, bringing in premier trainers, achieving state advocacy at the legislative level, sharing our data with one another such as needs assessment data, community data and core measures…these are the benefits of state-wide coalitions.”
Eckert, who is on the executive board of CCoVA and, like most coalition members, wears many prevention hats with various entities, said, “You leave a CCoVA monthly meeting or training sessions in awe of all the great work coalitions across the state are doing.”
Both “coalitions of coalitions” seem to operate from the premise that Virginia can be one of the most conservative and the slowest to change places in the country. In one community, change could start with a new afterschool program to keep youth away from drinking while adults are working on legislation to solidify that prevention. CCoVA is working on implementing mandatory server training. And CBN recently advocated for an alcohol tax increase. Both collaborated on maintaining the national Safe and Drug Free Schools initiative.
Both groups learned that together, statewide coalitions are proof that people can fight city hall and even the Capitol…and make friends with it, too.
A few other states, such as Tennessee and West Virginia, have also formed statewide coalitions. If your coalition is interested in learning more about how to start a statewide coalition, contact CADCA’s Technical Assistance line at 1-800-54-CADCA ext. 240.
No comments:
Post a Comment