Primary Prevention Institute:
Enhancing Prevention Capacity of Youth-Serving Organizations
What is the Primary Prevention Institute (PPI)?
PPI is a community capacity building initiative designed to increase the number of youth serving organizations in our community that utilize public health tools to plan, implement and evaluate prevention programming. Knowledge and skills gained through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention DELTA Grant with community partners, thereby building the community’s capacity to prevent teen dating violence in sustainable, ongoing ways.
Why Youth Serving Organizations?
These agencies, that are not domestic violence service providers, have ongoing access to youth and have the potential to influence their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. These organizations are also already providing programs that address risk and protective factors associated with intimate partner violence perpetration and victimization. However, one common problem among these organizations is limited resources to provide in-depth training to staff on program planning, implementation, and evaluation. PPI fills this gap in training, enabling staff in these programs to improve the effectiveness of their existing prevention programming, ultimately increasing youth access to quality prevention programs that promote protective factors associated with domestic violence.
PPI Goals:
1. to build the capacity of youth-serving organizations to plan, implement, and evaluate theory-based programs
2. to create a community of learners for ongoing support
3. to incorporate theory-based prevention into organizational practices
Access the Primary Prevention Institute's Online Learning Community www.primarypreventioninstitute.weebly.com
On the website you can expect to find a) summaries of each session along with accompanying documents by tiers b) homework assignments, as well as support for completing those assignment c) pertinent links, videos, and other content that we think might be useful to you.
Table 1. Tier One Topics by Session
Session 1 / Introduction to Primary Prevention / Participants met fellow learners, reviewed expectations for the program and were introduced to key concepts in the prevention field.Session 2 / Conducting Needs and Resources Assessments / Participants learned how needs and resources assessments impact program planning and were introduced to seven common tools used in such assessments.
Session 3 / Theories of Behavior Change / Participants were introduced to several theories of behavior change and learned how these theories can be applied in a variety of programs to reach desired outcomes.
Session 4 / Creating Logic Models / Participants discussed how and why logic models are helpful for program planning and evaluation, and then learned about each of the components of a logic model.
Optional / Using the Rhode Island Data Hub / Trainers from the RI Data HUB taught participants how to use their website, which combines national, state, and local data in one place.
Session 5 / Theory & Logic Model Work Session / Participants worked in small groups with trainers, looking at each other's theory translational grid and logic models and providing in-depth feedback.
Session 6 / Sustainability* / Leadership had the opportunity to meet with staff one-on-one to discuss their work thus far in the PPI. A short training on sustainability was followed by a discussion about how to sustain the learning from the PPI within their organizations.
Session 7 / Designing Pre- and Post-tests / Participants learned about measures and developing surveys, and then looked at existing measures to identify potential scales for individual program surveys.
Webinar / Creating Table Shells / Participants learned the life cycle of data and learned how to create basic tables in word
Session 8 / Inputting & Analyzing Data using Epi –Info / During this session we learned how to input and analyze data in Epi-Info, free statistical analysis software from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Session 9 / Sharing Your Findings with Stakeholders / This session focused first on why it is important to share program evaluation results with community stakeholders, and then discussed how to share findings effectively.
Session 10 / Celebrating & Sharing our Learning* / A review of the years’ learning was followed by staff-leadership one-on-one meetings and an in-depth discussion of the PPI’s successes, challenges, and ideas for the future.
*sessions that were attended by Executive Leadership
For additional information please contact:
Jessica Walsh, Director of Prevention Lucy Rios, Prevention & Communications Director
Women’s Resource Center Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence
(401) 846-5347 (401) 467-9940