A Community Is Not Ready for Prevention

There are times when communities are poised and ready to mobilize or may be already mobilized but lack a number of other key community readiness factors that would allow them to proceed with effective prevention activities. A community is not ready for prevention if it:

• Lacks a clear definition of the problem or recognition of a need for the proposed program;


• Denies substance use problems exist or a need for substance abuse prevention programming;


• Lacks support of primary stakeholders and resources to attract funding and participants, staff the program, and house the program;


• Lacks vision or opposes the particular prevention activities proposed;


• Lacks resources to sustain the prevention program after the external funding ends;


• Has situational factors that drain finances or other resources from your prevention efforts, including natural disasters, political upheavals, budget crunches, or another substance abuse prevention program;


• Lacks a sense of community and togetherness;


• Lacks capable leadership or has leaders who are apathetic or intimidated.