Sustain Collaborations With Partners

Prevention projects that are self-contained and isolated from other prevention efforts within a community may have more problems regarding sustainability than projects that include integration with community partners and other community-based prevention efforts. Although environmental approaches to substance abuse prevention typically involve establishing linkages with other prevention stakeholders, it is useful to monitor these collaborations. Over the course of a project, it is easy to focus on one’s project and ignore linkages and collaborations. But these need regular attention.

Encourage cross-program participation. Make an effort to encourage the staff of different campaigns that are supported under the same entity (such as a nonprofit community group) to attend each other’s staff meetings. Send one or more of your project staff to the staff meetings of other prevention groups. Likewise, encourage the staff of other prevention groups to attend the staff meetings of your project. Invite the staff from other projects and programs to your training programs. Through these efforts, important information can be exchanged. Often enough, these experiences uncover areas for possible collaboration and may identify mutually beneficial areas of strengths and weaknesses.

Keep expanding partnerships. Recruitment should be an ongoing process. When new people join prevention projects, they can bring excitement, new ideas, and energy with them. As you recruit new participants, remember some of the reasons why people are willing to volunteer or work on community-based projects. Many people join community activities because they are personally affected by the issue. Some join because someone they respect asked them to do so. Some join because they dislike the opposition, and some people are looking for an outlet for their skills and abilities. Take advantage of this knowledge, and keep the partnership expanding throughout the life of the project.

Recognize partners through celebrations. People like to be recognized and praised for a job well done. Knowing that they are appreciated is a wonderful source of motivation, especially for volunteer work. Convene inexpensive social gatherings, such as barbecues, picnics, or field trips so that project staff, volunteers, and partners can informally socialize and get to know each other. Consider presenting awards to staff, volunteers, and partners. Develop and present “serious” awards, such as “volunteer of the year,” and develop “fun” awards, such as “most likely to crack a joke at a staff meeting.” These can boost morale and introduce lightheartedness and fun among participants. Such events can be convened in relation to specific project activities, such as completing a phase of the project.