# Presentation: 722104

## The New England Inhalant Abuse Prevention Coalition

**Howard C. Wolfe**
- Director
- Hwolfe@inhalantprevention.org
- _[www.inhalantprevention.org](http://www.inhalantprevention.org/)_
- 800-419-8398 x703
**Peter Kreiner**
- Evaluator
- _[pkreiner@brandeis.edu](mailto:pkreiner@brandeis.edu)_
- 781-736-3945

## Overview

- Mission
- To reduce the impact of inhalant abuse in New England by enhancing the region’s prevention infrastructure.
- Goals
- To establish a regional Inhalant Prevention Coalition Workgroup
- To enhance the effectiveness of state clearinghouses/RADAR sites for inhalant prevention
- To establish Inhalant Prevention Task Forces in RI and ME
- In conjunction with the Massachusetts Inhalant Abuse Task Force
- To revise the inhalant sections of the Fire Safety Education Curricula Guide
- To create two web-based inhalant abuse prevention trainings
- Parents
- Youth Serving Professionals
- Target
- Youth-serving professionals
- Parents
- Policy makers
- No direct service to children

**Notes:**
Not a lot of goals; because we could not predict ahead of time what the process would be.

## Approach

- Based on 10 years of work in MA
- Accessed state’s prevention infrastructure through statewide Task Forces & Teams
- Got buy in from state prevention directors
- Used existing prevention infrastructure
- Assessed the inhalant problem locally
- Transmit appropriate messages directed to adults and youth
- Disseminate accurate inhalant information

## Inhalant Prevention Pyramid

**Messages**

**Resources**

**Strategies**

**Target**

**Notes:**
Messages
Resources
Strategies: Methods that we use to deliver messages and resources

## Results of the Project

- New England Coalition Work group
- Became a key mechanism for
- Planning
- Peer problem solving
- Sharing innovations
- Collaborating
- Task Force Development
- Established Task Forces in CT, ME & RI
- Established Teams in NH & VT
- Support MA Task Force
- Completed Revision of Fire Safety Education (in press)
- Parent’s Web Training (March 2006)
- Professional’s Web Training (Late Summer 2006)

## Results of the Project

- Inhalant Prevention News Group
- Communicate (share strategies, ask for help)
- Store and share resources (curricula, power point slides, data, prevention materials)
- RADAR Sites
- Reviewed inventory of holdings and handouts
- Trained staff
- Assisted with materials acquisition

## Results of the Project

- Trainings
- N=700, Projected by end of grant=1,200
- Target: Youth Serving Professionals & Policy Makers
- Inhalants 101, Prevention, Assessment
- Expert’s Training
- Starting last year and especially this year, states are initiating their own training
- Established network of Inhalant Experts to do local trainings
- Web site at _[www.inhalantprevention.org](http://www.inhalantprevention.org/)_
- Documented infrastructure approach
- Inhalant Prevention Materials
- Coalition News

## Lessons Learned

- Sustainability lies in finding what will persist after the grant is over and tweaking those resources so that they will continue to approach inhalant abuse prevention using best practices.
- Piggy backing (adding inhalants to existing handouts, brochures, conferences)
- Tweaking (introducing ‘best practices”)
- Successful integration of non-traditional prevention partners
- Poison Control Centers
- Fire Safety Educators
- Drivers Education
- Injury Prevention
- School Nurses

## Building on existing infrastructure/ integrating new prevention partners: CT Task Force example

- Existing Prevention Network

- Inhalant Prevention Ties Added

**Notes:**
Network on left is for coordination of work ties for existing substance abuse or other prevention. Network on right includes both existing prevention ties and inhalant prevention coordination of work ties. 
Inhalant prevention ties built upon existing ties and also represented new ties between some agencies.
Note position of Poison Control in the two networks: peripheral existing prevention network, part of the network core in the existing plus inhalant prevention network. (Point out the Poison Control Center node in both networks.)

## Lessons Learned

- Used Diffusion of Innovation Model to spread best practices for inhalant abuse prevention
- A tipping point may have been reached across the region
- Key elements in reaching a tipping point:
- “Stickiness” of the message
- Local ownership of problem assessment, planning, and inhalant prevention activities
- Ownership by the “right” people to ensure consistency and quality of local activities

**Notes:**
Tipping Point Reached=>Prevention Directors, task forces and teams, into state and local agencies, to public

## Lessons Learned

- The Task Force approach allowed each state to find people who were enthused (as opposed to assigned) to take advantage of the unique infrastructure assets of that state
- Uniqueness of each state’s approach
- Task Force membership associated with greater follow-through from experts training
- Is infrastructure enhancement enough?
- How can quality and innovation be sustained?