hrvatski

Implementation of evidence-based prevention model Communities That Care into a practice: challenges and lessons learned

With the initiative of NGO Step by Step and University of Zagreb Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, during 2017 and 2018 three local communities in Croatia were introduced to the basic principles of Communities That Care (CTC) model of prevention. It is a widely accepted evidence-based model of community prevention which follows particular phases: (1) mobilization and community readiness for prevention, (2) assessment of the needs and resources, (3) definition of preventive investments priorities, (4) implementation of chosen preventive programs and (5) program and system evaluation (Hawkins, 1999 ; Hawkins, Catalano, Arthur, 2002). The main goal of this research project was to enable three communities in organizing effective community based prevention of behavioral problems. Selected communities were three rather similar middle sized cities whose key people were involved into an education on basic principles of community based prevention organization. During the project, the first three phases of the CTC model were implemented and included the assessment of each community readiness for prevention, application of the CTC Youth Survey (N=719 students) and need assessment just as definition of prevention priorities for each community. The results have shown that all three communities had rather low levels of readiness for prevention since their coalitions for prevention were mostly only formally established. The conducted risk and protective factors analysis has indicated crucial behavioral problems of children and youth (under age drinking, bullying) and existing strengths, (family attachment and school opportunities for prosocial involvement). According to these communities readiness for prevention level and detected problems, specific priorities for each community were defined. The challenges and lessons learned through the process of collaboration between scientists and community key people in establishing effective prevention in local community will be described.

community-based prevention ; youth ; local community

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