Community Coalition Functioning, Collaborative Structure, and Coalition Models: Enhancing Support for Evidence-Based Practice Implementation

Coalition initiatives that use evidence-based practices (EBPs) have been shown to reduce youth substance use. Despite the importance of promoting community coalitions’ EBP use, there is little empirical evidence about how to do so. This study aimed to identify distinct coalition profiles that foster EBP use by examining clusters of coalitions characteristics and the type of coalition model followed. We analyzed data from 67 coalitions participating in the Coalition Check-Up, a cluster randomized trial designed to increase community anti-drug coalition capacity. Using k-means clustering approach, we identified subgroups of coalitions based on two domains of coalition capacity—functioning and collaborative structure, each also considering coalition model type. We then examined, using analysis of variance (ANOVA), the degree to which each subgroup of coalitions used EBPs. We found that (a) coalitions with higher levels of functioning characterized by sustainability, science-based approaches to prevention, community knowledge, and efficiency, using explicit theory-based models were associated with higher use of EBPs, (b) coalitions with lower levels of collaborative structure defined by formalized procedures, decentralization, sectoral diversity, and intersectoral communication, using explicit theory-based models were associated with higher EBP use, and (c) low functioning coalitions using no model were associated with the lowest level of EBP use. Characterizing coalitions’ functioning, collaborative structure, and models used may help coalition leaders and technical assistance providers enhance coalition capacity that enables the use of EBPs. Findings also indicated the importance of using explicit theory-based models to increase coalition impact.