| IN RECOVERY COMMUNITIES |
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The Yale Program for Recovery and Community
Health (PRCH) is a community-focused recovery project that
leverages communities' and individuals' assets to assist people
in recovery as they seek to build meaningful, sustainable lives
in their local communities.Yale PRCH has been practicing the principles of Asset Based Community Development since 2002.
Psychiatric patients with Dual Diagnosis are paired up
with other people in recovery from addictions and/or psychiatric
disorders, and they watch out for each other in the community.
They are also matched up with a buddy in the neighborhood who
develops a relationship with them and includes them in some
limited socializing. When problems occur, neighborhood buddies
receive guidance from the program, but not "fixing".
Buddies are encouraged to deal with inappropriate behaviors
just as they would with any other friend--through communication
and social consequences.
Recidivism rates are way down. |
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The Connecticut Community for Addictions Recovery (CCAR) is practicing the principles of
Asset Based Community Development in helping to develop strong communities, prevent relapse,
and connect people with addictions in a meaningful way through
service to their community.
In their Willimantic Recovery Community Center, they are connecting people to natural support systems and social networks within their local
community, neighborhood by neighborhood. They use the strategy
of assets mapping, which involves having community conversations through surveys about needs and assets. The result is that they generate a powerful
resource bank database for meeting the oftentimes overwhelming
service needs of their members. Through asset mapping and their resource bank database,
they create opportunities for their members (people in recovery
from addictions) to re-enter the community by connecting them
with volunteer opportunities, jobs and housing.
Recent advances
in the development of a Housing Database Module--accessible through
the resource bank database of the CT Assets Network--is a good
example of working smarter not harder in organizing their ability
to care. |
| IN REGIONAL ACTION COUNCILS |
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East of the River Action for Substance Abuse Elimination (ERASE) has
been utilizing training modules on Asset Based Community Development, developed at the
CT Assets Network, to work with area Peer Helping programs in
local schools. Called "Discover Your Gifts,"
these modules help youth participate in building their communities by creating opportunities for youth to contribute their personal gifts. Each module of Discover Your Gifts results in the planning of a project intended to benefit the school, faith, and/or civic community, and project results are tallied three months after the module delivery through Results Mapping.
For more information about Discover Your Gifts or Results Mapping, contact Greg Ryan at 860.571.8463 or gryan@ctassets.org. |
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Old Saybrook is mentoring three other member-cities in the Middlesex County
Regional Action Council (MCSAAC) after having shown significant outcomes
of reduced Youth Drug & Alcohol abuse in Old Saybrook through
use of the Asset Approach. The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services released a information brief in 2004 that described the community before-and-after applying strategies to enhance and capitalize on the strengths of Old Saybrook youth through an Assets Based approach: |
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Discovery
and
Making Connections |
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Transformation |
- Old Saybrook surveyed young people and found that, overall, students didn't feel supported by their schools or community.
- Healthy Communities, Healthy Youth, a community coalition, implemented an innovative approach to build assets and strengths in young people.
- Old Saybrook involved adult volunteers to provide kids with new opportunities, skills and relationships.
- The entire community mobilized to address youth needs and sponsor events to celebrate young people.
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- A subsequent survey found the 50% of young people now believe that the community cares for them.
- There was an increase in 28 of the 40 developmental assets that help youth become caring, responsible adults. Some external assets include support and empowerment of young people, setting boundaries and expectations, and positive, constructive use of time. Internal assets pertain to positive values and identity, social competency and commitment to learning.
- There were sustainable reductions in alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by students in grades 6 through 12.
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| See the complete DMHAS brief at Building Assets to Promote Substance Abuse Prevention |
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| RYASAP |
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RYASAP is an urban/suburban youth and community development coalition serving the Greater Bridgeport region with local and statewide programs in youth adult leadership, juvenile justice advocacy and asset-based youth community development, training and consultation.
RYASAP's initiatives are based on a philosophy that each person has special gifts. Staff work to identify and mobilize those gifts to enlist youth and adult citizens to improve lives. Special initiatives exist in the areas of community survey action research, youth development, youth and adult leadership development, service learning, substance abuse prevention and treatment development, juvenile justice system reform, community grant development and crime and violence prevention.
As a Catalyst for Community Change, RYASAP also acts as an incubator and fiduciary for new organizations that support its mission. The Parent Leadership Training Institute and the Connecticut Assets Network are two CT entities that began with RYASAP support. |
| IN THE FIELD OF DISABILITIES |
| FAVARH, the Arc of Farmington Valley |
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FAVARH, the ARC of the Farmington Valley, is applying the principles of Asset Based Community Development to its work with people with
disabilities and their families. It's been said that the
only real disability is loneliness. FAVARH is working
to address the issue of loneliness through a systematic asset mapping initiative
to generate greater community inclusion. Presently
working with the CT Assets Network to utilize a 6 Step Process
of Community Connection through Asset Mapping (CCAMP), FAVARH systematically
looks at the local needs and resources or gifts of the people
and organizations within targeted communities. Then, focusing
on the "hopes and dreams" of the people they serve, FAVARH will begin making connections between people with resources or assets
and people with interests or needs. FAVARH has received a generous grant from
the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities to start and sustain
this project, and have the full support of the office of CT
Arcs. |
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| The Arc of Meriden-Wallingford |
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The Arc of Meriden Wallingford has
recently signed on with the CT Assets Network to operationalize
strength-based practices, similar to the work of
FAVARH, above, in their region of Connecticut |
| TO WORK WITH YOUTH AS RESOURCES |
| The Greater Stamford Collaborative for Youth at Risk |
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The Greater Stamford Collaborative for Youth at Risk (funded by the Department of Children and Families) is made up of youth serving organizations,
including social services, schools, faith communities, youth service bureaus and other youth serving organizations in Stamford, CT. The Collaborative is presently discussing how to best apply
the principles of Asset Based Community Development in their work with and on behalf of youth
and their families, negotiating with the Connecticut Assets Network to utilize the 6 Step
Process of Community Connection through Asset Mapping (CCAMP)
to foster direct involvement of youth and their families in their
own well being and the well being of their communities. |
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| The School for Ethical Education |
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The School for Ethical Education (SEE) teachers strategies to put ethics in action, and encourages learning experiences that foster positive character and responsible and caring communities.
SEE provides classes and seminars to educators, parents, student leaders and community members and collaborates with school districts, parent organizations, professional education centers, and institutions of higher and continuing education. SEE instructors teach, write, and speak at events and meetings, and consult with relevant educational organizations to advance strategies which promote ethics in action for the creation of character. |
| IN LIBRARIES AND MUNICIPALITIES |
| The Connecticut Public Library System |
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The Connecticut Public Library System sees libraries being a catalyst for civic engagement. The more
that people in a local community (youth and adults) are connected
and involved in meaningful activities for the good of their
neighborhood and community - to that same extent you will see
less risky and dysfunctional behavior among the people - youth
and adults. |
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| The Hartford Public Library System |
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The Hartford Public Library System is presently in discussion
with the CT Assets Network to explore the potential of
each of their neighborhood branches becoming a catalyst for
civic engagement in their local communities for youth and families.
They are looking at forming partnerships within the neighborhood
with civic, municipal, educational and citizen associations.
These groups would work together to map the needs and assets
of their people and organizations in order to create and sustain
a neighborhood culture of mutually beneficial support or just
plain people helping people. These neighborhood libraries can
play a central role in discovering the hopes and dreams of local
youth and families and make connections between people with
resources to people with needs. |
| IN STATE OFFICES |
| Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) |
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The Connecticut Department of Mental Retardation (DMR) has recently
signed on to build the capacity of their regional networks in learning about and utilizing strength-based practices and the
principles of Asset Based Community Development to create greater community inclusion. DMR is systematically inviting the coordinators of each of their
regions along with key staff to enter into this initiative, and to involve regional staff and families in the work of carrying out asset mapping projects to generate stronger local resource banks for families and program participants. |
