Engage in the Coalition Conversation through Connected Communities

Connected Communities, a peer-to-peer social network hosted by CADCA's National Coalition Institute, helps coalition members share best practices and strategies with one another to increase their effectiveness in their communities. With the recent announcement that the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Community Prevention Listserv will end on March 18, CADCA encourages coalition leaders to continue the conversation through Connected Communities.

With more than 1,650 members, Connected Communities serves as a valuable networking and communication tool focused specifically on those working in the community coalition field. Member participation and engagement drives the content of the network by allowing coalitions to share their stories and experiences with others through tools such as photos, blog posts and discussion forums. Coalition members can seek advice from and network with coalitions in different communities to learn from each other and better tailor and implement evidence-based strategies.

“Connected Communities is a place where community leaders can go to learn new strategies related to coalition work,” Sue Stine, Senior Manager of Dissemination and Coalition Relations for CADCA’s National Coalition Institute, said. “They can ask about what other coalitions have done in their communities and get the best information from their peers on the ground.”

CADCA developed the site in order to help coalitions network outside of training events and conferences. Connected Communities allows coalition members to keep up with people from conferences or connect with others ahead of time to facilitate meetings in person. Members can also create groups to coordinate events or keep up to date with the latest regulations and policies in their state or region. These groups can serve important roles for addressing new substance abuse issues and policies, such as alcoholic energy drinks and synthetic marijuana, as they arise.

Members can also join groups tailored to specific interest and strategies, such as the Social Media (SoMe) for Coalitions group. In the SoMe group, coalition members can ask for and provide information on a variety of social media topics related to coalitions, including community engagement and metrics evaluation.
The Forum section allows members to create larger discussions outside of their groups to receive feedback from the entire community. The Forum is divided into 11 categories based on CADCA’s most popular training topics, ranging from coalition capacity building to environmental strategies and youth activities. Both new and archived discussion threads allow members to identify and engage in the conversations most relevant to their coalition’s goals and experiences.

“We hope coalitions will take advantage of this network that has been built to address their needs,” Stine said. “With this network, members can help improve their communities using content created by and for coalitions.”

Visit Connected Communities and engage in the conversation!

For more information on CADCA’s social network, contact Sue Stine at 800-54-CADCA, Ext. 260 or sstine@cadca.org.

In addition to our peer-to-peer network, CADCA has an active Facebook page and you can follow us on Twitter: @cadca.