What is the Rockland Alliance for Prevention?

The Rockland Alliance for Prevention is a network of people from all walks of life and all sectors of the community working in partnership with local government to prevent and reduce problems in Rockland County related to the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

How was it formed?

In 1990, former County Executive John T. Grant created a drug abuse prevention initiative called "Building Strong Families and Resilient Kids"-- a wide-reaching yet centralized effort which focused on drug abuse and which brought together diverse stakeholders to work in tandem with local government. It was initially supported with a five-year demonstration grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention and it operated under the auspices of the Office of the County Executive of Rockland County. As the coalition developed and grew, it became known as the Rockland Community Partnership (or just "the Partnership"), with the slogan "Uniting People for a Drug-Free Rockland."

In 1995, the coalition leadership-- recognizing the connection between drug-related problems and domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, and youth-related concerns (i.e. delinquency, school drop-out, etc.)-- decided to extend the work of the coalition and forge a "coalition of coalitions." This new effort became known as the Rockland Alliance for Prevention. The Rockland Alliance for Prevention received additional support through a three-year demonstration from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention.

In 1996, the Rockland Alliance for Prevention was instrumental in the implementation of a county-wide, school-based youth survey regarding alcohol, tobacco, other drugs, and violence. The findings were synthesized into a county-wide youth profile and widely publicized. As a result of this survey and of emerging national research on drug abuse and violence, the Rockland Alliance for Prevention turned its focus specifically on youth.

Today, the Rockland Alliance for Prevention continues to work under the aegis of County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef to (1) increase public awareness about alcohol and other drugs and available local resources, (2) reduce the incidence of alcohol and other drug use among Rockland County youth by identifying needs and service gaps, and by involving youth and parents in planning to meet these needs and fill these gaps, (3) assist local business and industry in reducing the rates of death, injury and lost productivity related to alcohol and other drugs in the workplace by integrating prevention services with business and industry, and (4) coordinate a broad-based, culturally sensitive structure which will ensure maximizing and sustaining cooperation and appropriate participation of all sectors of the community in confronting problems related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.

How has it worked?

The Rockland Alliance for Prevention initially established a network of ten task committees in which members develop targeted ATOD prevention activities for different sectors and/or constituencies: Accessible Drug and Alcohol Prevention & Treatment (Persons with Disabilities); Business & Industry; Communications & Media; Criminal Justice; Government; Health Care; Housing; Parents, Schools & Colleges; Religious Leadership; Youth. Through these task committees, the Rockland Community Partnership. The task committees worked diligently to develop and implement prevention strategies geared for different sectors and constituencies within the community (i.e. business and industry, clergy, health care, youth, schools and colleges, parents, etc.). The Rockland Alliance for Prevention became a strong catalyst for collaboration-- raising the quality of prevention activities and programs, increasing coordination and reducing duplication, sharing limited resources more efficiently, and strengthening ATOD prevention, intervention and treatment services throughout Rockland County. Since its inception, the Rockland Alliance for Prevention has effectively:

Involved more than 200 volunteers on a yearly basis in activities to prevent and intervene in problems related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs;   
Promoted continuous media attention on alcohol and other drug related problems and solution in Rockland County, and worked closely with major local media to initiate a massive public awareness campaign on alcohol and other drugs;  
Sponsored and/or co-sponsored more than 50 widely publicized public forums, conferences and specialized training seminars on issues related to alcohol, other drugs, and other critical social and health concerns;   
Provided technical assistance and consultation to more than 200 hundred diverse organizations and groups throughout Rockland County interested in developing prevention activities and programs;   
Produced and widely disseminated a wide variety of written and audio-visual resource materials for individuals, families and organizations in Rockland County;   
Produced numerous public service announcements on ATOD concerns for local television and radio stations;   
Assisted local groups and agencies to extend their services, be more responsive, and work more competently with culturally diverse communities; directly provided training to local agencies to increase cultural competence in human service delivery;   
Supported the development and expansion of a county-wide youth drug awareness initiative-- which included a major annual youth conference, numerous youth and counselor retreats, and year-round, school-based activities-- involving all the local school districts, all of the prevention programs, and most of the local youth organizations in Rockland County;   
Developed and implemented a model, multi-tier training program specifically for religious/ faith community leaders that has provided education for more than 200 religious/faith community leaders;
Developed and implemented a county-wide workplace initiative titled "Promoting and Maintaining a Drug-Free Workplace" which included (1) the creation of a volunteer Speakers Bureau offering specialized on-site training (2) a variety of public forums and training workshops on ATOD-related workplace concerns, and (3) the creation and distribution of resource materials on this topic;   
sponsored 6 major annual Parents, Schools and Colleges Forums which brought together parents with representatives from all the local schools and colleges to exchange information and showcase effective school- and/or college-based prevention programs;   
Worked closely with the Rockland County Narcotics Task Force to implement a community awareness campaign-- titled Project RID ("Report Illegal Drugs") to reduce illegal drug activity in neighborhoods and promote cooperation among residents, police, and drug-related services;   
Developed a county-wide initiative focusing on the special needs of persons with disabilities in reference to problems related to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs;   
  Spearheaded and provided continual assistance for the implementation of a county-wide, school-based survey that gathers local data on prevalence and perception of alcohol, tobacco, other drugs and violence among youth (implemented in 1996 and in 1999).

What are the Vision and Guiding Principles of the Alliance?

The Rockland Alliance for Prevention recognizes that drug use and dependency among our youth and families is not only a local problem, but a national problem of vast proportions and dimensions, that has left no one's life untouched. Myriad health, social and economic problems that steadily wear at our families and communities-- illnesses, addictions, accidents, premature deaths, birth defects, violence, domestic or partner abuse, other crimes, unwanted teen pregnancy, school failure or dropout, delinquency, depressed communities, joblessness and homelessness-- have strong correlations to the presence and use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, inhalants and other drugs. We know that these problems severely erode the quality of our lives and represent tremendous losses and costs to our nation. It is estimated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that ATOD-related problems cost each man, woman and child in America $800 a year-- or nearly $200 billion.

Over the years, far too many attempts to address these problems have been "crisis-oriented" and success has been limited, while massively consuming resources. From this we have come to understand two crucial things: (1) that there is a greater need to invest pro-actively in prevention efforts, and (2) that, just as we are all touched by ATOD-related problems, ATOD-related prevention is "everybody's business" and must involve people, groups and structures at every level of society. The national Center for Substance Abuse Prevention provides an excellent working definition that reflects this understanding: "Prevention is the sum of our efforts to ensure healthy, safe, and productive lives for all Americans. As applied to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs, prevention means keeping the many problems related to the use of these from occurring. Prevention reduces the risk of danger and fosters a safe environment."

We have also come to understand that for ATOD-related prevention to be most effective, there need to be consistency, continuity, and a variety of contexts in which information is available and in which actions take place. Prevention must occur and affect people's lives in multiple "domains" or spheres of living:

the individual 
   
the family
  
the peer group 
   
the school or work place
   
the neighborhood or community 
   
the larger society
   
Within those "domains," effective prevention incorporates a variety of strategies, such as:
  1. disseminating information
  2. teaching critical life and pro-social skills
  3. providing constructive and healthy activities as alternatives to ATOD use,
  4. early and strategic identification of problems and appropriate referral
  5. mobilizing a community-based process promoting collaboration
  6. promoting environmental changes, including modification of community standards, codes and attitudes

ATOD use among children and youth and their families present special challenges. The impact of personal or familial use can be severe, profound and long-lasting-- negatively affecting the physical, emotional, cognitive, intellectual and social development of children. Moreover, children can be negatively effected by environmental factors linked to the presence of ATOD, such as community alienation, neighborhood deterioration, street violence and lack of positive/productive activities to support a wholesome and fulfilling childhood.

In Rockland County we have been studying and using as foundations to our youth-focused efforts several promising approaches or models which have received national attention. One such model is the social development strategy developed by Hawkins and Catalano, commonly known as the "Communities that Care" model. This research-based framework considers known factors which put children at risk for ATOD use as well as known factors that help keep or protect children from ATOD use. Another excellent model is the "Asset-Building" strategy developed by the Search Institute, which identifies personal "assets" which help protect children from ATOD use. These assets are attributes, skills and experiences that each child can acquire and accumulate with the help of parents and other caring adults and peers. Both of these models provide solid, pro-active ways for individuals, families, groups and communities to concretely and specifically take action to reduce and deter ATOD use among youth.

The Rockland Alliance for Prevention's collective efforts have been holistic and comprehensive in nature, guided by the following key principles:
The Alliance develops and implements programs and activities to enhance protective factors, while moving toward reducing known risk factors. Activities are geared to strengthen healthy community and family norms against ATOD use. A variety of approaches are utilized, ranging from universal programs, to selective programs and to indicated programs.
   
The Alliance targets all forms of drug use, including the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and inhalants. The Alliance also promotes policy changes that restrict access to ATOD.
  
The Alliance develops and implements programs to build concrete skills to resist drugs, strengthen personal commitments against drug use, and increase social competency. These programs and activities are interactive, age-appropriate, developmentally-appropriate, gender-appropriate, and culturally sensitive.
  
The Alliance develops and implements programs and activities which are family-focused, targeting parents and caretakers so that what children and youth are learning in other contexts is reinforced in the home and opportunities for family discussions about ATOD are fostered.
   
The Alliance develops and implements educational programs, media campaigns, and resource materials that reach and are relevant to a wide range of sub-populations, constituencies, and communities in need.