Sunday, March 2, 2008

Getting to Know the HHAPC and SPF!


Welcome to the HHAPC blog! If this is your first time to our site, this post will give you some background on the HHAPC and the SPF grant.

In July of 2007, The Miracle Center, a youth and family-serving agency in the Hermosa community, received a Strategic Prevention Framework (SPF) grant that focuses on the reduction of underage drinking in the community. The funding comes from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA. It is administered through the Illinois Department of Human Services.

The SPF model relies on community coalitions to reduce substance abuse by implementing comprehensive, multi-strategy approaches, such as policy changes, media campaigns, and education programs. But before the coalition can implement strategies, there are some other important steps to carry out:

1. Community Assessment
2. Capacity Building
3. Planning
4. Implementation
5. Evaluation

The Healthy Hermosa Coalition has made SPF and the reduction of underage drinking one of its priorities, and as a result, formed a sub-committee, the HHAPC, to handle the day-to-day work involved. The HHAPC has been working for the past 6 months to build community capacity and conduct a community needs and resource assessment. There will be more information on our efforts so far and our plans for the year in the coming posts!

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