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SPF in Action

"160813-F-LW859-009" by J.M. EDDINS, JR., Airman Magazine.

SPF in Action

Since 2006, the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD) of the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) has been partnered with prevention providers, community coalitions, and county governments to enhance the state’s prevention infrastructure through the Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF). The framework offers a data-driven perspective to assessment, capacity building, planning, implementation, and evaluation, with the ultimate goal of building a sustainable substance misuse prevention infrastructure that is responsive to the emerging needs of Hawai‘i’s diverse populations. Highlights below show how the SPF has been implemented across the state through grants received from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The SPF-SIG Project, 2006‒2012

In 2006, ADAD received a five-year Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) from SAMHSA. An additional one-year extension was granted, allowing the project to continue its work towards prevention efforts through 2012. From 2006‒2010, the project focused on assessment, capacity building, and planning. The project’s overview, milestones, accomplishments, and challenges during these four years are presented in the SPF-SIG Progress Report.

A statewide assessment of needs and capacity related to substance misuse prevention identified the reduction and prevention of underage alcohol consumption among youth aged 12 to 17 as the goal of substance misuse prevention for the Hawai‘i’s SPF-SIG Project. The project sponsored a series of trainings to increase the capacity of the prevention community in planning and implementing culturally appropriate evidence-based programs. State and county plans were developed to identify intervening factors and necessary prevention strategies concerning the prevention goal. In the last two years of the project (October 2010–September 2012), a wide array of substance misuse prevention programs were selected and carried out in Hawai‘i’s four counties. Building on a community-based risk and protective factors approach to prevention, these programs focused on not only reducing risk and limiting access but also fostering positive youth development and changing social norms to discourage underage drinking. The prevention and capacity building efforts and impacts are presented in the Final Evaluation Report.

The SPF-PFS Project, 2013‒2018

In 2013, ADAD was awarded the Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerships for Success (SPF-PFS) grant from SAMHSA. The prevention goal for Hawai‘i SPF-PFS is to reduce and prevent underage drinking among youth and young adults ages 12–20 in the State of Hawai‘i. This project also aims to promote the health and well-being of our families and communities by:

  • Supporting the development of a unified, comprehensive, and sustainable prevention system in the state of Hawai‘i;
  • Utilizing the SPF to select and implement culturally appropriate evidence-based programs, policies, and practices to address high-risk communities and populations; and
  • Creating, revitalizing, and enhancing community mobilization and collaboration between federal, state, and community partners.

To achieve these goals, the HI-SPF-PFS has built upon the accomplishments achieved through the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG) project in 2006–2012, which include the revitalization of the State Epidemiology Workgroup (SEOW) and Evidence-Based Workgroup (EBW). At the county-level, each of the four county-coordination teams utilizes the SPF to identify areas of strengths and needs and provides training and technical support to enhance further the capacity of the substance misuse prevention system in their respective county. At the community-level, five coalitions utilize the SPF to address specific conditions of underage drinking in their communities through evidence-based environmental strategies.

The 2018 PFS Project, 2018‒Present

In 2018, the ADAD received the third discretionary grant to continue its implementation of SPF in Hawai‘i, as well as to expand the state’s underage drinking prevention efforts to reach children as young as 9 years old. Funded projects include:

  • Four county coordination teams focused on enhancing the capacity of the substance misuse prevention system in their respective counties;
  • Five community coalitions—three existing and two new—to implement environmental strategies to address underage drinking in their communities; and
  • Three evidence-based programs to address underage drinking prevention needs in Maui and Hawai‘i Counties.

These projects are supported by the State Project Team, including ADAD, Epidemiological Team, and the Evaluation Team, as well as the SEOW and EBW.