Strengthening Your Community Coalition - Revision history

G.Lehrman at 14:54, 19 September 2021

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G.Lehrman at 14:45, 19 September 2021

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G.Lehrman at 14:37, 19 September 2021

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K.castelo at 18:26, 30 June 2021

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K.castelo at 15:52, 30 June 2021

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 '''Evaluate the State of Your Community.&nbsp;''' For your community coalition to be successful, it will need to understand how the community perceives a number of elements of addiction, as well as what resources are already at work across the many stakeholder sets within your community.&nbsp; One way to evaluate perception and resources is through the SAFE Community Pulse Survey and SAFE Community Resources Exercise.&nbsp; These tools are designed specifically to provide you with the insight your coalition needs to focus and prioritize your work.&nbsp; These tools can be found in SAFE Project’s Community Playbook<ref>https://www.safeproject.us/safe-community-playbook-and-safe-solutions/</ref> – a framework for communities to organize, evaluate, and create change in their community to impact the addiction epidemic.&nbsp; Once you have completed both evaluations, it’s time to take a step back and look at what the data and research are telling you.&nbsp; Is there a correlation between what the community survey tells you and the gaps that you have identified in your resource exercise?&nbsp; Data is a critical foundation to action.&nbsp; The improved collection, distribution, and rapid analysis of data is critically important to the development of a strategy to address areas within a community that are being severely impacted by SUD.&nbsp; This typically goes far beyond just tracking overdose deaths and non-fatal overdoses.&nbsp; It is important to know where they are occurring in order to know where more resources need to be deployed.&nbsp; What data sources are currently available?&nbsp; How are they being used?&nbsp; Does the coalition have the partners to provide the necessary data?&nbsp; How can the coalition expand the data set to help focus resources where they are most needed, and when they are most needed?&nbsp; What can be done in a short amount of time, at reasonable expense, to better collect, analyze, and make use of data related to the SUD epidemic in the region?&nbsp; Use local data disaggregated by population characteristics like race, ethnicity, immigration status, language, and household levels of income to identify disparities in outcomes and inform policies and practices for specific populations, neighborhoods, and zip codes.&nbsp; Stronger data collection efforts can help to more effectively direct&nbsp;appropriate services to targeted areas within the community where they are most needed.&nbsp; This will also help community partners in better addressing the crisis in their neighborhoods.&nbsp; How can the coalition better serve areas of the community that have been underserved?&nbsp; What partnerships can help make this happen effectively?
 = Relevant Research =

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 In many communities, law enforcement and harm reduction seem to be polar opposites. Law enforcement personnel are perceived as thinking only about arresting and jailing people for the illegal possession of drugs, while harm reduction organizations are perceived as focused on the complete legalization of all drugs. While each group certainly applies a different approach, both of these perceptions are false. Ensuring that law enforcement and harm-reduction organizations (nonprofit groups that advocate for public access to naloxone, Good Samaritan laws protecting users from arrest if they call 911 to save a friend, needle exchanges, and in some cases safe-use zones) in your community are coordinating and collaborating is absolutely essential in the fight to end the opioid fatality epidemic. Harm-reduction coalitions have been essential in convincing law enforcement agencies to enact pre-arrest diversion programs. These programs provide low-level users the opportunity to seek treatment in lieu of facing charges or arrest. Law enforcement also must be at the table when harm-reduction organizations are planning new initiatives or programs. The Law Enforcement Action Partnership has compiled harm-reduction strategies supported by law enforcement professionals; its list is a great way to start the conversation between these two communities, both focused on saving lives.&nbsp;<ref>https://cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2019/01/10055812/DaytonOpioids-fig9-693.png</ref>
 = Promising Practices =
-'''Dayton's Community Overdose Action Team (COAT)'''<br/> Dayton provides an example of a highly structured coalition.&nbsp; The chart linked above details this structure and summarizes the role of each component within the COAT.&nbsp; Other local coalitions might not be as complex or highly structured, but this example helps to provide ideas of what could be considered.&nbsp; <ref>https://cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2019/01/10055812/DaytonOpioids-fig9-693.png</ref>&nbsp; &nbsp;
+'''Dayton's Community Overdose Action Team (COAT)'''<br/> Dayton provides an example of a highly structured coalition.&nbsp; The chart linked above details this structure and summarizes the role of each component within the COAT.&nbsp; Other local coalitions might not be as complex or highly structured, but this example helps to provide ideas of what could be considered.&nbsp;<ref>https://cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2019/01/10055812/DaytonOpioids-fig9-693.png</ref>&nbsp; &nbsp;
-'''National Coalitions'''<br/> There are many national coalitions and organizations that can provide useful information and resources for local coalitions.&nbsp; These national groups are widely varied and numerous and it is therefore important to research these organizations so local coalitions can verify that their goals and priorities are aligned with any national organization they choose to become involved with.&nbsp; A few examples follow, but there are many more at the national and even regional level.<br/> &nbsp;
+'''National Coalitions'''<br/> There are many national coalitions and organizations that can provide useful information and resources for local coalitions.&nbsp; These national groups are widely varied and numerous; therefore,&nbsp;it is&nbsp;important to research these organizations so local coalitions can verify that their goals and priorities are aligned with any national organization they choose to become involved with.&nbsp; A few examples follow, but there are many more at the national and even regional level.<br/> &nbsp;
 '''Coalition to Optimize the Management of Pain Associated with Surgery (COMPAS)'''
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 Mission: To educate all those involved in pain management decisions about acute pain management strategies that minimize the need for opioids.&nbsp; COMPAS also provides education on how to implement multimodal analgesic strategies and how to measure success for patients and hospitals alike.
-'''Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)'''<br/> CADCA is the premier membership-based non-profit organization representing adult and youth coalition leaders throughout the United States and internationally - all working to make their communities safe, healthy, and drug-free. CADCA's model for community change represents a comprehensive, evidence-based, multi-sector approach to reduce underage and binge drinking, tobacco, illicit drugs and the abuse of medicines.
+'''Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)'''<br/> CADCA is the premier membership-based non-profit organization representing adult and youth coalition leaders throughout the United States and internationally - all working to make their communities safe, healthy, and drug-free. CADCA's model for community change represents a comprehensive, evidence-based, multi-sector approach to reduce underage and binge drinking, tobacco, illicit drugs, and the abuse of medicines.
 '''Fed Up! Coalition to End the Opioid Epidemic'''<br/> A grassroots coalition seeking action from the federal government to bring this public health crisis to an end.&nbsp; Fed Up’s mission is to use united voices in a call for immediate, comprehensive and sustained Federal action to end the opioid addiction epidemic.&nbsp;<ref>https://feduprally.org/</ref>
 = Sources =

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 SAFE Solutions is an ever-growing platform.&nbsp; Currently limited&nbsp;information is readily available for this section.&nbsp; SAFE Project is dedicated to providing communities with the most relevant and innovative materials.&nbsp; We&nbsp;will continue to regularly monitor and make updates accordingly with community input and subject matter expert collaboration.&nbsp; Please check back soon.
 = Available Tools and Resources =
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 Leaders of faith communities can support strategies to address substance misuse and support recovery in their community.&nbsp; Please see the Opioid Epidemic Practical Toolkit: Helping Faith and Community Leaders Bring Hope and Healing to Our Communities.&nbsp;<ref>https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/partnerships/opioid-toolkit/index.html</ref> Programs like One Body Collaboratives <ref>http://www.onebodycollaboratives.org/</ref>and software like Meet the Need<ref>https://meettheneed.org/</ref>&nbsp;can help engage and equip churches to participate in their communities.&nbsp; Churches, synagogues, mosques, and other faith groups can be a valuable bridge to the community.&nbsp; The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a dedicated Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives,<ref>https://www.hhs.gov/about/agencies/iea/partnerships/opioid-toolkit/index.html</ref> with an accessible online toolkit containing ideas to help engage your spiritual community, educate and build community capacity, and respond to the opioid health crisis.
-In many communities, law enforcement and harm reduction seem to be polar opposites. Law enforcement personnel are perceived as thinking only about arresting and jailing people for the illegal possession of drugs, while harm reduction organizations are perceived as focused on the complete legalization of all drugs. While each group certainly applies a different approach, both of these perceptions are false. Ensuring that law enforcement and harm-reduction organizations (nonprofit groups that advocate for public access to naloxone, Good Samaritan laws protecting users from arrest if they call 911 to save a friend, needle exchanges, and in some cases safe- use zones) in your community are coordinating and collaborating is absolutely essential in the fight to end the opioid fatality epidemic. Harm-reduction coalitions have been essential in convincing law enforcement agencies to enact pre-arrest diversion programs. These programs provide low-level users the opportunity to seek treatment in lieu of facing charges or arrest. Law enforcement also must be at the table when harm-reduction organizations are planning new initiatives or programs. The Law Enforcement Action Partnership has compiled harm-reduction strategies supported by law enforcement professionals; its list is a great way to start the conversation between these two communities, both focused on saving lives.&nbsp;<ref>https://cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2019/01/10055812/DaytonOpioids-fig9-693.png</ref>
+In many communities, law enforcement and harm reduction seem to be polar opposites. Law enforcement personnel are perceived as thinking only about arresting and jailing people for the illegal possession of drugs, while harm reduction organizations are perceived as focused on the complete legalization of all drugs. While each group certainly applies a different approach, both of these perceptions are false. Ensuring that law enforcement and harm-reduction organizations (nonprofit groups that advocate for public access to naloxone, Good Samaritan laws protecting users from arrest if they call 911 to save a friend, needle exchanges, and in some cases safe-use zones) in your community are coordinating and collaborating is absolutely essential in the fight to end the opioid fatality epidemic. Harm-reduction coalitions have been essential in convincing law enforcement agencies to enact pre-arrest diversion programs. These programs provide low-level users the opportunity to seek treatment in lieu of facing charges or arrest. Law enforcement also must be at the table when harm-reduction organizations are planning new initiatives or programs. The Law Enforcement Action Partnership has compiled harm-reduction strategies supported by law enforcement professionals; its list is a great way to start the conversation between these two communities, both focused on saving lives.&nbsp;<ref>https://cdn.americanprogress.org/content/uploads/2019/01/10055812/DaytonOpioids-fig9-693.png</ref>
 = Promising Practices =

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 SAFE Solutions is an ever-growing platform.&nbsp; Currently limited&nbsp;information is readily available for this section.&nbsp; SAFE Project is dedicated to providing communities with the most relevant and innovative materials.&nbsp; We&nbsp;will continue to regularly monitor and make updates accordingly with community input and subject matter expert collaboration.&nbsp; Please check back soon.
 = Impactful Federal, State, and Local Policies =
-SAFE Solutions is an ever-growing platform.&nbsp; Currently no information is readily available for this section.&nbsp; SAFE Project is dedicated to providing communities with the most relevant and innovative materials.&nbsp; We&nbsp;will continue to regularly monitor and make updates accordingly with community input and subject matter expert collaboration.&nbsp; Please check back soon.
+SAFE Solutions is an ever-growing platform.&nbsp; Currently limited&nbsp;information is readily available for this section.&nbsp; SAFE Project is dedicated to providing communities with the most relevant and innovative materials.&nbsp; We&nbsp;will continue to regularly monitor and make updates accordingly with community input and subject matter expert collaboration.&nbsp; Please check back soon.
 = Available Tools and Resources =

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 '''Evaluate the State of Your Community.&nbsp;''' For your community coalition to be successful, it will need to understand how the community perceives a number of elements of addiction, as well as what resources are already at work across the many stakeholder sets within your community.&nbsp; One way to evaluate perception and resources is through the SAFE Community Pulse Survey and SAFE Community Resources Exercise.&nbsp; These tools are designed specifically to provide you with the insight your coalition needs to focus and prioritize your work.&nbsp; These tools can be found in SAFE Project’s Community Playbook<ref>https://www.safeproject.us/safe-community-playbook-and-safe-solutions/</ref> – a framework for communities to organize, evaluate, and create change in their community to impact the addiction epidemic.&nbsp; Once you have completed both evaluations, it’s time to take a step back and look at what the data and research are telling you.&nbsp; Is there a correlation between what the community survey tells you and the gaps that you have identified in your resource exercise?&nbsp; Data is a critical foundation to action.&nbsp; The improved collection, distribution, and rapid analysis of data is critically important to the development of a strategy to address areas within a community that are being severely impacted by SUD.&nbsp; This typically goes far beyond just tracking overdose deaths and non-fatal overdoses.&nbsp; It is important to know where they are occurring in order to know where more resources need to be deployed.&nbsp; What data sources are currently available?&nbsp; How are they being used?&nbsp; Does the coalition have the partners to provide the necessary data?&nbsp; How can the coalition expand the data set to help focus resources where they are most needed, and when they are most needed?&nbsp; What can be done in a short amount of time, at reasonable expense, to better collect, analyze, and make use of data related to the SUD epidemic in the region?&nbsp; Use local data disaggregated by population characteristics like race, ethnicity, immigration status, language, and household levels of income to identify disparities in outcomes and inform policies and practices for specific populations, neighborhoods, and zip codes.&nbsp; Stronger data collection efforts can help to more effectively direct&nbsp;appropriate services to targeted areas within the community where they are most needed.&nbsp; This will also help community partners in better addressing the crisis in their neighborhoods.&nbsp; How can the coalition better serve areas of the community that have been underserved?&nbsp; What partnerships can help make this happen effectively?
 = Relevant Research =
-SAFE Solutions is an ever-growing platform.&nbsp; Currently no information is readily available for this section.&nbsp; SAFE Project is dedicated to providing communities with the most relevant and innovative materials.&nbsp; We&nbsp;will continue to regularly monitor and make updates accordingly with community input and subject matter expert collaboration.&nbsp; Please check back soon.
+SAFE Solutions is an ever-growing platform.&nbsp; Currently limited&nbsp;information is readily available for this section.&nbsp; SAFE Project is dedicated to providing communities with the most relevant and innovative materials.&nbsp; We&nbsp;will continue to regularly monitor and make updates accordingly with community input and subject matter expert collaboration.&nbsp; Please check back soon.
 = Impactful Federal, State, and Local Policies =

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 &nbsp;
 = Introductory Paragraph =
-The substance misuse and substance use disorder epidemic (SUD) is a complex problem requiring a highly coordinated and cooperative response from communities.&nbsp; The increase in non-fatal and fatal overdoses in recent years has caused many communities to realize that individual organizations cannot afford to work in silos.&nbsp; Without a unified strategy and a focus on common goals, communities addressing a crisis as large as the addiction epidemic will not be poised for success. There is a clear understanding that local government, community partners of all types, and the private sector must align and work together to develop and implement effective strategies to improve their collective response to the SUD epidemic across the continuum of care.&nbsp; By bringing together and working with a broad range of stakeholders, communities, both large and small, can develop solutions that work for all those touched by the opioid and addiction crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br/> Creating a community coalition is one of the most effective ways to solve complex problems and it is at the core of creating a local movement.&nbsp; A coalition is simply a group of individuals and organizations with a common interest, who agree to see the problem through each other’s eyes and work together toward a common goal.&nbsp; A coalition concentrates a community’s focus on a particular problem, creates alliances among those who might not normally work together, and keeps the community’s approach consistent.&nbsp;
+The substance misuse and substance use disorder epidemic (SUD) is a complex problem requiring a highly coordinated and cooperative response from communities.&nbsp; The increase in non-fatal and fatal overdoses in recent years has caused many communities to realize that individual organizations cannot afford to work in silos.&nbsp; Without a unified strategy and a focus on common goals, communities addressing a crisis as large as the addiction epidemic will not be poised for success. There is a clear understanding that local government, community partners of all types, and the private sector must align and work together to develop and implement effective strategies to improve their collective response to the SUD epidemic across the continuum of care.&nbsp; By bringing together and working with a broad range of stakeholders, communities, both large and small, can develop solutions that work for all those touched by the opioid and addiction crisis.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br/> Creating a community coalition is one of the most effective ways to solve complex problems, and it is at the core of creating a local movement.&nbsp; A coalition is simply a group of individuals and organizations with a common interest, who agree to see the problem through each other’s eyes and work together toward a common goal.&nbsp; A coalition concentrates a community’s focus on a particular problem, creates alliances among those who might not normally work together, and keeps the community’s approach consistent.&nbsp;
 This page provides an overview of what it takes to build and strengthen an effective coalition based on the experiences of communities across the country.

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 <br/> '''Building Your Coalition'''<br/> Many local communities have assembled coalitions to improve their response to the SUD epidemic.&nbsp; There is no one-size-fits-all set of practices for creating an effective coalition.&nbsp; The suggestions that follow are based on the experiences of many communities and are meant to serve as a guide for those looking to form a new coalition or expand and improve upon one that already exists.&nbsp;&nbsp;<br/> Who can start a coalition to address SUD?&nbsp; Anyone can.&nbsp; Coalitions and task forces are often started by local elected leaders, public health departments, public safety agencies, community organizations, or even passionate individuals engaged in the fight to save lives and reduce harm created by drug misuse and SUD.&nbsp; Typically, coalitions are formed as a response to increased rates of overdose and overdose deaths.&nbsp; Regardless of who takes the initiative, it is important to be inclusive and identify stakeholders whose ultimate goals align.&nbsp; Get started by looking around the community and determining if there are similar existing efforts in which to get involved or add value.&nbsp; It’s important not to duplicate efforts.&nbsp; Is there a mechanism or coalition body already taking a comprehensive approach to addiction that can be leveraged?&nbsp;&nbsp;
-'''Potential Partners and Their Roles'''<br/> There are many potential partners that can be invited to join the coalition and improve the community response to SUD.&nbsp; The following list is not intended to be all inclusive and it is not a requirement to have all of these individuals at the table - these are suggestions based on the types of partners that are most often brought together.&nbsp; Keep in mind it’s important to establish a team of optimal size and with sufficient authority to plan and implement ideas and strategies effectively and efficiently.&nbsp; Does the team include leaders with the perceived power and authority in the community to make decisions and drive the implementation of new strategies?&nbsp; If you do not include all of these partners in the coalition, consider engaging them to build momentum and activate your community.
+'''Potential Partners and Their Roles'''<br/> There are many potential partners that can be invited to join the coalition and improve the community response to SUD.&nbsp; The following list is not intended to be all inclusive and it is not a requirement to have all of these individuals at the table - these are suggestions based on the types of partners that are most often brought together.&nbsp; Keep in mind it’s important to establish a team of optimal size and with sufficient authority to plan and implement ideas and strategies effectively and efficiently.&nbsp; Does the team include leaders with the perceived power and authority in the community to make decisions and drive the implementation of new strategies?&nbsp; If you do not include all of these partners in the coalition, consider engaging them to build momentum and activate your community.<ref>http://ifi-wikis.com/IFI-OpioidCrisis/Activating_Your_Community</ref>
 '''Government/Public Sector:'''
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 '''Initial Actions of the Coalition'''<br/> Hold your first meeting.&nbsp; Don’t worry if you have as few as five community leaders or as many as 20.&nbsp; The important thing is that you have found people who are willing to work together to thoughtfully and comprehensively address the particular problem in your community.&nbsp; Although the topic that brings all of the stakeholders together is difficult, it is the coalition leader’s job to bring energy and optimism to the movement.&nbsp; Because solutions might look different to each of your stakeholders, focus on defining the common problem you are looking to solve.&nbsp; A goal of your first meeting should be to establish a meeting rhythm in which the coalition frequently gathers to review progress, update your plan, and share success stories.&nbsp;&nbsp;
-'''Evaluate the State of Your Community.&nbsp;''' For your community coalition to be successful, it will need to understand how the community perceives a number of elements of addiction, as well as what resources are already at work across the many stakeholder sets within your community.&nbsp; One way to evaluate perception and resources is through the SAFE Community Pulse Survey and SAFE Community Resources Exercise.&nbsp; These tools are designed specifically to provide you with the insight your coalition needs to focus and prioritize your work.&nbsp; These tools can be found in SAFE Project’s Community Playbook – a framework for communities to organize, evaluate, and create change in their community to impact the addiction epidemic.&nbsp; Once you have completed both evaluations, it’s time to take a step back and look at what the data and research are telling you.&nbsp; Is there a correlation between what the community survey tells you and the gaps that you have identified in your resource exercise?&nbsp; Data is a critical foundation to action.&nbsp; The improved collection, distribution, and rapid analysis of data is critically important to the development of a strategy to address areas within a community that are being severely impacted by SUD.&nbsp; This typically goes far beyond just tracking overdose deaths and non-fatal overdose.&nbsp; It is important to know where they are occurring in order to know where more resources need to be deployed.&nbsp; What data sources are currently available?&nbsp; How are they being used?&nbsp; Does the coalition have the partners to provide the necessary data?&nbsp; How can the coalition expand the data set to help focus resources where they are most needed, and when they are most needed?&nbsp; What can be done in a short amount of time, at reasonable expense, to better collect, analyze, and make use of data related to the SUD epidemic in the region?&nbsp; Use local data disaggregated by population characteristics like race, ethnicity, immigration status, language, and household levels of income to identify disparities in outcomes and inform policies and practice for specific populations, neighborhoods, and zip codes.&nbsp; Stronger data collection efforts can help to more effectively directly appropriate services to targeted areas within the community where they are most needed.&nbsp; This will also help community partners in better addressing the crisis in their neighborhoods.&nbsp; How can the coalition better serve areas of the community that have been underserved?&nbsp; What partnerships can help make this happen effectively?
+'''Evaluate the State of Your Community.&nbsp;''' For your community coalition to be successful, it will need to understand how the community perceives a number of elements of addiction, as well as what resources are already at work across the many stakeholder sets within your community.&nbsp; One way to evaluate perception and resources is through the SAFE Community Pulse Survey and SAFE Community Resources Exercise.&nbsp; These tools are designed specifically to provide you with the insight your coalition needs to focus and prioritize your work.&nbsp; These tools can be found in SAFE Project’s Community Playbook<ref>https://www.safeproject.us/safe-community-playbook-and-safe-solutions/</ref> – a framework for communities to organize, evaluate, and create change in their community to impact the addiction epidemic.&nbsp; Once you have completed both evaluations, it’s time to take a step back and look at what the data and research are telling you.&nbsp; Is there a correlation between what the community survey tells you and the gaps that you have identified in your resource exercise?&nbsp; Data is a critical foundation to action.&nbsp; The improved collection, distribution, and rapid analysis of data is critically important to the development of a strategy to address areas within a community that are being severely impacted by SUD.&nbsp; This typically goes far beyond just tracking overdose deaths and non-fatal overdose.&nbsp; It is important to know where they are occurring in order to know where more resources need to be deployed.&nbsp; What data sources are currently available?&nbsp; How are they being used?&nbsp; Does the coalition have the partners to provide the necessary data?&nbsp; How can the coalition expand the data set to help focus resources where they are most needed, and when they are most needed?&nbsp; What can be done in a short amount of time, at reasonable expense, to better collect, analyze, and make use of data related to the SUD epidemic in the region?&nbsp; Use local data disaggregated by population characteristics like race, ethnicity, immigration status, language, and household levels of income to identify disparities in outcomes and inform policies and practice for specific populations, neighborhoods, and zip codes.&nbsp; Stronger data collection efforts can help to more effectively directly appropriate services to targeted areas within the community where they are most needed.&nbsp; This will also help community partners in better addressing the crisis in their neighborhoods.&nbsp; How can the coalition better serve areas of the community that have been underserved?&nbsp; What partnerships can help make this happen effectively?
 = Relevant Research =

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 It is important to build trust from the outset.&nbsp; Some common advice heard from those who have been through the process of bringing together a coalition include:
-'''Honoring the Work that has Been Done.'''&nbsp; Everyone fighting this epidemic is doing their best and should always be recognized for their efforts.
+*'''Honoring the Work that has Been Done.'''&nbsp; Everyone fighting this epidemic is doing their best and should always be recognized for their efforts.
+*'''No Judgement.'''&nbsp; The rise of the current epidemic has been created by a series of events outside of any local jurisdiction.&nbsp; It is not the fault of local government and community leaders fighting the epidemic.
-'''No Judgement.'''&nbsp; The rise of the current epidemic has been created by a series of events outside of any local jurisdiction.&nbsp; It is not the fault of local government and community leaders fighting the epidemic.
+*'''Common Goals'''.&nbsp; As part of initial discussions, it is important to talk about what all partners typically have in common - the desire to save lives and reduce suffering.&nbsp; While partners will vary in the approaches they use, and which they may feel are more effective, all involved want to see the same end result.&nbsp; It is important to focus on what the partners share in terms of outcomes they want to see and discuss how greater collaboration will benefit the efforts of all involved.&nbsp;
 '''Organization, Structure, and Meetings'''<br/> Each coalition will determine for itself what works best for them; however, some initial guidelines based on experience of what has worked in your community in the past may be helpful.&nbsp; Questions of leadership, frequency of meetings, who else should be included, the need for some type of by-laws or governance document, and the roles of participants are just some of the questions that typically arise during planning.&nbsp;&nbsp;