Prevention & Capacity Building 101

Prevention

To effectively reduce the likelihood of something occurring, one must understand why that something occurs. Research has identified factors that make individuals more or less likely to engage in problem behaviors such as substance abuse, crime, etc. Known as risk and protective factors, these biological, psychological/behavioral, and social/environmental characteristics can be addressed through strategies proven to create conditions (fewer risk factors/more protective factors) within an individual, a family, a school and/or community that decrease the chances of problems occurring and increase the chances of community well-being. Well-being refers to the overall quality of an individual’s or group’s life, including their health, education, socio- economic status, family support, etc.

Problem behaviors are almost always complex and interrelated. Therefore, effective prevention strategies can not be simple, isolated activities. Rather, prevention must be a continuous and comprehensive process as outlined by the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP).

CSAP’s Strategic Prevention Framework includes the following components:

Additional information about risk and protective factors, the U.S. Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, and the Strategic Prevention Framework is available at http://prevention.samhsa.gov/.

In addition to being comprehensive and on-going, prevention strategies are most effective when fostered at the community-level. Solving community problems, after all, is ultimately the responsibility of the community. Communities that have the capacity to address their own issues usually have “strong” community organizations, solid leadership, a clear sense of direction, and other resources to get things done.

Capacity Building

Capacity can be defined as the ability to perform or produce. More specifically, having the resources to accomplish something such as making positive, sustainable changes to tackle whatever issues a community faces. Capacity is made up of three components or capitals - physical/fiscal, human, and social capital. Physical/fiscal capital refers to money and other material resources such as facilities, supplies, etc. Human capital refers to the knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences of individuals and groups. Social capital refers the quality of relationships within (bonding) and between (bridging) groups.

The WV Prevention Resource Center believes strong communities can be built. Therefore, the WVPRC works to build the capacity of individuals, organizations, and agencies to promote the well-being of their communities.