Community Planning and Evaluation in Canada: Drug Abuse - Essay Example

? Community Planning and Evaluation Community Planning and Evaluation Introduction Drug abuses have over years become ordinary observable fact in modern societies. Recent surveys and researches have revealed considerable increases in the number of young drug abuser. The number is reported to increase among women who are at their middle age. The ever increasing number of drug users has a result called for the need of significant action to counter the ever increasing number of drug users. In 2009, The Canadian Community Health-Nursing experts released a shocking report that demonstrated how young people in Canada have over years engaged in excessive drug use. Public health hospital in Canada has as well revealed the ever increasing cases if drug related complications. Therefore, community health programs require an all-inclusive planning, monitoring, and evaluation mechanisms. The need for an exclusive planning in community health programs is especially elevated by the, increased need for evidence-based programs as well as demands for quality health standard practices. Nurses in collaboration with community members, technocrats from other disciplines, and key stakeholders in health sectors plays an incredibly remarkable role in reducing mortality rate brought about by preventable diseases (Louise & Blue, 2008). The Canadian Community Health-Nursing Standard of Practice has also developed an outline that explains how nurses should plan community programs, redesign the already available programs, monitor the execution of the planned programs, and examine the impacts of the planned program. The issue of illicit drug abuse in Canada has become a common phenomenon across all ages in the society. The Canadian government has as a result instituted various measures to address the menace. However, the government plans are yet to yield the required benefits. Due to increased level of aboriginal drug users among middle aged people in Canada, the community health programs intends to address the issues of prostitution, high HIV/AIDS prevalence, and substance abuse among young women (Black et. al., 2010). In addition, such health programs aim at highlighting burglary, sabotage, and health related effects, as well as, other regrettable consequences faced by the affected individuals. The department of health in Canada has observed a high risks associated with illicit drug use among the aboriginal homeless women. Increased number of prostitute’s reportedly missing; increased police cases and complaints on aboriginal women are some of the indicators of overuse of illicit drugs among aboriginal women (Louise & Blue, 2008). Moreover, several aboriginal women have been observed to be in a state of ill health with most of them being infected with HIV. The purpose of this study is to provide students with the ability to develop a program for health promotion. The program is also focused on the most effective means of dealing with illicit drug use among aboriginal homeless women aged 14-30 living in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada. The specific objectives of the program planning, implementation, and evaluation include ensuring increased immunization against contagious diseases among school going girls, awareness creation on illicit drug use and educating the young women on the risks associated with substance abuse for instance contraction of the HIV virus. The study also intends to promote public health standards by involving the homeless women in community activities. The health promotion program is also aimed at ensuring decreased rates of prostitution by empowering the society on the risks associated with it (Hitchcock, Schubert & Thomas, 2003). The study also intends to evaluate on the number of school going girls who indulge in prostitution and illicit drug use among the aboriginal women. The program planning, implementation and evaluation will provide the timeline, outcomes, resources and constraints, as well as, how will be implemented and evaluated (Louise & Blue, 2008). The strategies aimed at influencing community change on health matters are socio-environmental and behavioural approaches. Approaches Several approaches exist that influence the perception of the community in health matters for example socio-environmental and behavioural approaches. Socio-environmental approach involves both external and internal factors within individuals. Classification of individuals along social levels increases the chances of a given community to be sidelined in resource allocation. Canada is an example where the low-income earners have low access to basic amenities like health services and education, for instance among the aboriginal women. Most secluded individuals have resorted to cheap illicit drugs. The consequences of state seclusion of some of its citizens include stress and depression leading to increased criminal activities, leading to insecurity. Socio-environmental approach seeks to address issues such as poor housing, road networks, educational and health structures, as well as, easy access to information (Black et. al., 2010). Parental education on how to bring up their children in a morally upright manner is also advocated for through socio-environmental strategy. The development of parenting programs is a vital method of equipping the parents with knowledge and skills so that they can guide their children on the best practices. When the parents are well informed on the dangers of some behaviours and activities, they caution their children at an early age on the harmful effects associated with such activities. Through socio-environmental approach, community participation is highly recommended in decision-making and community based work (Black et. al., 2010). Such works help in occupying idle mind, averting the chances of indulging in weird activities like prostitution and substance abuse. The low class communities can also have a chance to air their views through lobby groups within their vicinity. The effectiveness of the strategy can be achieved through stipulation of new alcohol related rules, for example, not selling alcohol to persons under the age of sixteen. Bans on illicit drug sales advertisements while promoting more warning labels on the packets of cigarettes and alcohol bottles or sachets will help discourage abuse of illicit drugs. Socio-environmental approach is also known for empowering people and most specifically drug users. The approach gives drug users an opportunity to understand the entire interventions process as well as the most effective ways of dealing with emerging complications. Additionally, the socio-environmental approach is also easy to manage and sustain compared to other approaches. Socio-environmental approach is also vital in the society since it provides drug users with the opportunities that address their problems. Health care facilities may be availed as well as provision of social services to improve their living standards. On the other hand, socio-environmental approach requires many resources to be put into use in tackling social-environmental problems. For instance, stipulating rules and regulations on sales and advertisements can be a challenge (Hitchcock, Schubert & Thomas, 2003). Similarly, regulation of sales of alcohol to persons below the required age may not be easy since most of the victims are homeless, they can gain access to illicit drugs. The process also requires total participation of all players irrespective of their areas of specialisation or social class. This approach is limited by the fact that many resources are employed in the process of achieving desired results. Expertise is required to offer health services. Rehabilitation centres are not attended by anybody, but by experienced counsellors and community health nurses fully certified by the ministry of health services Behavioural approach on the other involves an individual’s perception towards life. This approach is aimed at changing the way people think about health and influence their decision-making on health-related matters. Behavioural approach has an advantage of assisting a community health worker to observe and identify the willingness of the residents to adopt better lifestyles (Mcmurray & Clendon, 2011). Education and awareness creation on health risks from substance abuse can avert the motivation to engage in drug abuse. Awareness can be facilitated through distribution of leaflets and posters or by conducting forums and group discussions at the community level. Serious participants can benefit a lot through this approach because they will have a one on one chat on the life risks (Mcmurray & Clendon, 2011). Through the interactive discussions, the community health workers can have the chance to persuade the drug users to quit the behaviour and lead better lives. However, it may be difficult to bring members of the community together or have them concentrate during discussions and forums as some may disregard the facilitator as self seeking and ignorant. Additionally, community members may not take keen interest in reading the leaflets and posters. This approach also requires a lot of time to mobilize the community members to participate in discussions. . When compared to behavioural approach, socio-environmental approach is considered easier to handle. It tough to change someone’s lifestyle, especially when health matters are involved; they often tend to be rigid. Individuals who are used to obtaining their income through prostitution is hard to convince them to stop the act because it provides avenues for diseases infections and other health related illnesses. The Role of Community Health Nurses Due to their training and intensive experience, community nurses are expected to execute their responsibilities in a unique and different ways. In this program, despite of relying on social environment approach and behavioural approach, community nurses are on the other hand expected to apply others skills and method that will facilitate total execution of the plan. Community health nurses are the key persons in ensuring public health is promoted within the communities. In most cases, community members undertake their responsibilities differently from other professionals. As described by socio-environment and behavioural approach, in community project, the community nurses will mobilize residents of a community to attend health forums and actively participate in projects that improve their health standards through conducting civic awareness on the significant of attending health forum as opposed to use of posters as it is the case with other professionals. Community nurses will also create awareness through informative approach on risks related to certain behaviours like substance abuse, prostitution, living in scanty houses and utilizing untidy foods. On the other hand, as opposed to the means applied in socio-environment and behavioural approach, the community nurses are as well expected to be on the forefront in distributing informative materials to the locals. Just like other health practitioners, community nurses are also supposed to ensure that vaccines are provided to all persons at the right time and in the right dosage. Furthermore, as opposed to other health practitioners who plays the secondary role in the treatment of illness, community nurses act as a bridge between the government and the community by passing alerts on outbreak of dangerous diseases (Louise & Blue, 2008). Additionally, despite of the common treatment skills demonstrated by health practitioners, community health nurses are also trained to provide counselling services to the stigmatised individuals, especially those infected with HIV. As the primary care providers, the community nurses facilitate the distribution of ARV’s to the infected individuals in addition to offering general guidance on the use of ARVs drugs (Hitchcock, Schubert & Thomas, 2003). In general, community nurses are expected to demonstrated extra-ordinary services in this project by ensuring that, the project has realistic and achievable, valuable goals and objectives, the program activities are full implemented, ensuring maximum collaboration with other technocrats, searching for relevant resources as well as implementation and evaluation of the projects. Health Promotion Program Goals of the Program The program’s main goal is to extensively reduce the rate of aboriginal drug use among homeless women who are between the ages of 14-30 years in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada. This will be achieved by addressing some of the main causes and impacts of drug use. The program also aims at involving all players in addressing issues that force homeless women aged between 14 to 30 years of age to engage in drug abuse. The program also aims at coming up with long lasting measures to completely eliminate cases of aboriginal drug abuse among young women. Additionally, the program intended to advance public awareness level to over 97% of the current level. In this stage, the role of community nurse will be to set the programs goals and coming up with the most effective way of implementing it. Program Objectives The community nurse will identify and set up both the short term objectives and long term objectives of the projects. The short term objective of the program is to support the young aboriginal homeless women drug users (Dwyer, 1997). The long term objective will be to reduce the rate of drug abuse in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver by over 90%. Within the first four months, community nurses in collaboration with social workers and community members will identify the resources needed in the program. It is also during this time that social workers in partnership with community members will identify the victims and offer the necessary social and health promotion interventions. The indicators of the success of this program will be to have over 97% of the required resources as well as identifying all women drug abusers in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Additionally, community nurses intend to offer guidance and counselling to the victims and the community as well as facilitating civic education to the general public in a four months period. This process will be conducted by community nurses, social workers, and clinical counsellors. The indicator of the success of this objective will be to advance public sensitisation on health complications associated with drug abuse. Psychological improvement of the affected victims will be an essential indicator of achievement of this objective. Finally, within the last four months, the program intends to come up with appropriate measures, legislation, and polices that will holistically address the issue of drug abuse in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. Social workers will work hand in hand with other social health advocates in coming with effective by-laws and policies to tackle the drug menace. The indicators of the success of this objective will be to have various by-laws restricting drug abuse in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver as well as national policies to monitor and counter drug trafficking in the country. Programs Activities The main aim of the program is to counter the core causes and impacts of the increased use of unsafe drugs among middle aged women in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada. The program’s activities will help in mapping out the necessary actions in achieving the main objectives of the program (Bellingham and Tag, 2006). The initial activity will be to identify and look for the resources necessary in the implementation of the program. The activity will include identification of financial resources required in the program as well human resources needed to implement the plan. This activity is expected to consume three months of the time set for the program. Secondly, in collaboration with community members and other professionals, community nurses will identify and offer a mutual and self-help support to aboriginal homeless drug users. This will help the affected population in developing a sense of self control. The initiative will also play a very crucial role in improving program recipients’ health conditions and wellbeing. The plan is expected to take place in a two months period. The core activity of the subsequent three months will be to offer counselling and development skills to the victims. The process will include working with the victims either on one-on-one basis or in groups to develop the skills necessary in developing their health and offering a continuous support relevant in productive health transformation. Civic education, which is expected to take two months, will be achieved through holding public rallies, mass media programs, and posters to educate the community on dangers associated with excessive use of dangerous drugs. Victims’ education program will as well be conducted in various workshops and seminars to sensitise the victims on the side effects of drug abuse. The use of traditional marketing techniques and tools such as public campaigns, logos, and slogans will also play a critical role in changing the victims’ attitudes on drugs and encouraging social change. The final activity which is projected to take two months entails pushing for the introduction of policies that will regulate drug abuse. This process will include coming up with initiatives to influence the introduction and implementation of by-laws, policies, and operations as well as procedures that will considerably reduce drug abuse among young women in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. These policies will include pushing for the introduction of municipal council anti drug use by-laws, introduction of regulations to monitor and minimise drug trafficking as well as introduction of policies to minimise prostitution, vandalism, and burglary in the town. Collaboration The aim and objective of the program is to address issues of community concerns. Collaboration between technocrats, program recipients and community members is paramount. Community members will as a result be incorporated in the plan through role modelling strategies. Community members will also be informed on the significance of the objectives and goals of the plan. Collaboration will help in preventing the duplication of the plan, pooling resources together, creating opportunities for information sharing as well as creating the program credibility and publicity. To necessitate effective communication, the plan implementers are also expected to coordinate regular meetings to ensure smooth running of the program. Resources, Constraints and Revised Plans The resources required to effectively implement the program include a financial budget of $750, experts such as social workers, health practitioners, counsellors, public administrators, public address, community participation, geographical space, and one year time period. The constraints expected in the program include lack of the required cooperation amongst drug users, inadequate man power, limited equipment, and budget constraints. To counter the expected constraints, there is need for a revised plan that will effectively incorporate the available resources and expected constraints. Recording Recoding of this community plan is relevant for the purpose of accountability and transparency as well as for deletion and revision of actions. The program intends to use a memorandum to record the model used in program planning, background information, as well as description of programs and activities. The utilisation of resources will be recorded on a financial statement. Implementation Due to the demand and nature of the program’s objectives as well as staffs and resources constraints, the program will be implemented in a piecemeal fashion to minimize the impact of the projected constraints (Ervin, 2002). The implementation of the program will also incorporate consistent and mutual cooperation between community nurses, social workers, community members, the targeted population and other stakeholders. Prior sensitisation on the objectives of the plan to the program recipients will be very essential and relevant. The implementers will market the program through public announcements, the use of fliers, through religious and civic organisations, as well as by using posters and notices. After public sensitisation, the plan will be implemented as planned to achieve its intended objectives and goals (Ardene, 2010). For the .plan to be effectively implemented, implementers are also required to work within the required timeframe, clarify its objectives to the general public and program recipients, respect and honour the recipient as core partners, encourage public participation and undertake proper recording for evaluation and revision purposes. Evaluation After implementation process, evaluation will be necessary to examine the success of the program in achieving its intended objectives and goals (Lynnettee and Lucia, 2010). The aim of the evaluation process will be to examine the sustainability, impact, and outcome of the program. The evaluation process will as result seeks to examine the relevance of the program to young women who are drug users in Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada (Marcia and Simon 2011). The relevance of the program will be assessed by cross examining the program recipients and the community member’s perception on the program. Evaluation process will also seek to examine the progress of the program (Nancy, Josephine, And Margret 2012). This will be achieved by assessing whether the program followed the intended plan. Implementers will also asses the efficiency of the program through a thorough examination of the participants’ satisfaction with the program outcomes. Additionally, assessment of behavioural change among drug users will also be necessary in examining the efficiency of the program. Cost effectiveness of the program will be evaluated by considering the benefits of the program in relation to the incurred cost. Conclusion Drug abuse has become a widespread predicament in contemporary society. Cases of excessive drug abuse among young women especially in Canada have over years become a common social problem that requires systematic measures to reduce the impacts of drug abuse among young generation. Community nurses and other technocrats should as result play a significant role of reducing the ever increasing cases of drug abuse. Canada on the other hand is one of the most affected societies in the world. Adequate collaborative program to address issues that leads to engagement of drug abuse among young people is therefore inescapable and significant. Community healths programs have as well proved to be very effective in providing quality and sustainable invention measures especially among individuals with social malfunctions. However, the planning and implementation of community invention programs requires expert with adequate experience and knowledge to execute the plan. There is also need for the introduction of relevant policies and measures to avert the ever increasing cases of drug abuse. References Ardene R. (2010). Implementing a community health program. New York, NY: Possibilities Inc. Bellingham, R. and Tager, M. (2006). Designing effective health promotion program: The 20 skills for success. Chicago: Possibilities Inc. Black, J; et al. (2010). Philosophical foundations of health education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Dwyer, J. (1997). Using a program logic model that focuses on performances measurement to develop a program. Canadian Journals of Public Health, 88, 421-425 Ervin, N. (2002). Advanced community health nursing practice. Upper saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hitchcock, J., Schubert, P., & Thomas, S. (2003). Community health nursing: Caring in action. Australia: Thomson/Delmar Learning Louise, L., & Blue, C. (2008). Public health nursing: leadership, policy, & practice. Australia, Delmar: Cengage Delmar. Lynnettee L. & Lucia Y. (2010). Community Health Nursing a Canadian Perspective 3rd.Edition. Upper saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Marcia H. And Simon C. (2011). Evaluating a community health. Chicago: Possibilities Inc. Mcmurray, A., & Clendon, J. (2011). Community health and wellness: primary health care in practice. Chatswood: Elsevier Australia. Nancy C., Josephine E. And Margret A. (2012).Community health, monitoring and evaluation. Journals of Medicine, 3 (2) 267-248 Read More