Reduce Risk
Who should be involved in selection of risk reduction strategies?
Deciding on risk reduction strategies is something you shouldn't do completely on your own. While your organization may come up with some great ideas on its own, it's important to bring members of the community into the process, including people who can make a difference (those who can bring support and reserves to a cause) and people who are experiencing the problem. A community-wide approach works best in most cases.
Including members of the community in this process is advised because: * It can help change community norms and values, which are often tied to risk and protective factors. For example, if you're trying to do HIV/AIDS prevention work with a community in which casual, unprotected sex is widely accepted, involving key members of the community can start reinforcing the idea that such behaviors aren't okay. This in turn leads to the next reason: * It creates a wider base of support for changing behavior. The more people you involve, and the more people from a wide variety of different groups, agencies, programs, and projects within the larger community, the better. * It can give you a better sense of what resources are available to you in the community. Hey, you can't always know everything about area resources, especially in urban environments. Having a good cross-section of representatives from your community, especially those who are involved in government, social service agencies, and local businesses, can help you tune in to what's out there for you to use. * It can help galvanize public support for your initiative. Having a good cross -section of the community involved in your coalition means they will develop ownership in your efforts. Their support will bring their constituencies along with them. * It is more likely to lead to long-term changes. Your strategies and tactics are being integrated into your community, leading to greater maintenance,
Deciding on risk reduction strategies is something you shouldn't do completely on your own. While your organization may come up with some great ideas on its own, it's important to bring members of the community into the process, including people who can make a difference (those who can bring support and reserves to a cause) and people who are experiencing the problem. A community-wide approach works best in most cases.
Including members of the community in this process is advised because: * It can help change community norms and values, which are often tied to risk and protective factors. For example, if you're trying to do HIV/AIDS prevention work with a community in which casual, unprotected sex is widely accepted, involving key members of the community can start reinforcing the idea that such behaviors aren't okay. This in turn leads to the next reason: * It creates a wider base of support for changing behavior. The more people you involve, and the more people from a wide variety of different groups, agencies, programs, and projects within the larger community, the better. * It can give you a better sense of what resources are available to you in the community. Hey, you can't always know everything about area resources, especially in urban environments. Having a good cross-section of representatives from your community, especially those who are involved in government, social service agencies, and local businesses, can help you tune in to what's out there for you to use. * It can help galvanize public support for your initiative. Having a good cross -section of the community involved in your coalition means they will develop ownership in your efforts. Their support will bring their constituencies along with them. * It is more likely to lead to long-term changes. Your strategies and tactics are being integrated into your community, leading to greater maintenance,