Going the distance: Technical assistance to community prevention coalitions and its impact on prevention coalitions over time.

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Abstract

Prevention coordinators are the linking agents providing technical assistance between universities and communities in the PROSPER model to support the implementation and sustainability of youth and family programs that have reduced substance abuse in prior research. This study examined the outcomes and trajectory of the frequency of contact of technical assistance (i.e., dosage) with community collaborative prevention coalitions across the three stages of coalition development. After communities were randomized, members of PROSPER coalitions (N = 12) provided information about the quality of their operations at five time points across 4.5 years; prevention coordinators reported on the frequency of contact with their community coalitions at 14 intervals across the same period of time. This study only utilized the intervention communities. Results from correlational models showed that levels of dosage related to the quality of internal coalition processes over time but that the direction of the relationship changed over time: High frequency of contact early on related to lower coalition-rated functioning initially. In contrast, early frequency of contact related to higher levels of coalition functioning at later time points. Furthermore, longitudinal mixed models showed that levels of dosage were consistent over time. These results provide empirical support of the importance of a proactive model for technical assistance and add further evidence that important distinctions exist among different coalition developmental phases.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalConsulting Psychology Journal
DOIs
StatePublished - 2020

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Applied Psychology
  • Psychology (miscellaneous)

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