NIATx: New Aims for the Substance Use Prevention Field

SAMHSA established the Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network in 2018 to support the workforce that substance use prevention workforce. A top priority for the PTTC Network includes improving the quality of substance abuse prevention efforts.

In response, the NIATx team has developed a set of project aims and sample aim statements for the prevention field:

NIATx Change Project Aim Statement Examples for Prevention

Ideas for Change Project Focus Areas & Aims:

1. Coalition Functioning
   • Increase meeting attendance
   • Increase sector representation
   • Increase number of volunteer hours logged
2. Prevention EBP Implementation
   • Increase number of schools using programs
   • Increase number of schools meeting program fidelity standards
   • Increase parent attendance at program sessions
   • Increase parent completion rate of programs with multiple sessions
   • Increase communication reach of messaging media campaign

Aim Statement Examples:

Coalition Process Functioning

• Increase coalition meeting attendance from 50% to 85% by Date.
• Increase sector representation within the coalition from 6 to 10 by Date.
• Increase the number of volunteer hours (e.g. running Coalition sub-committees; etc.) from 15 hrs./month to 30 hrs./month by Date.

Prevention EBP Implementation

• Increase number of schools using Project Towards No Drug Abuse program from 7 to 15 by Date.
• Increase average number of parents attending the Strengthening Families Program from 10 per/mtg to 20 per/mtg by Date.
• Increase number of parents completing 80% or more of the Strengthening Families sessions from 20% to 50% by Date.
• Increase number of schools meeting fidelity standards for the All Stars program from 3 to 10 by Date.
• Increase communication reach* of the Prescription Storage Education campaign from 20% to 35% of the community by Date. (*number of individuals interacting with campaign)

To learn more, visit the Great Lakes PTTC website page, Process Improvement in Behavioral Health