This program is for local community members and leaders (e.g., teachers, business professionals), parents, and adolescents.

Communities Mobilizing for Change on Alcohol (CMCA), a community-based intervention, is designed to motivate community members to change local attitudes, practices, and policies regarding alcohol in order to reduce adolescent access to and use of alcohol.

Several peer-reviewed studies have documented the effectiveness of CMCA during a 15-community, randomized controlled trial conducted by the program developers in the 1990s. The study recorded positive sustained effects in the form of significant behavior changes among 18- to 20-year-olds. These youth were less likely to try to purchase alcohol, go into bars, drink alcohol, or provide alcoholic drinks to other teens. No external replications were found through a public search. Additional internal studies conducted more recently also demonstrate positive outcomes, including increases in perceived police enforcement; decreases in successful alcohol purchase attempts and acquisition of alcohol from parents and peers; and reductions in the probability of youth's current alcohol use, heavy drinking, and alcohol-related consequences. The intervention also had positive impacts on non-alcohol drug use, and there were decreases in chewing tobacco use, marijuana use, and prescription drug misuse. There was no intervention effect on cigarette use.

A community-wide approach is used in this program to create and implement changes in local attitudes, practices, and policies regarding alcohol access and use by youth. The organizational process includes the following stages:

• Assess the community: Identify the community’s norms, policies, and resources;
• Create a core leadership group: Find leaders to plan and implement the program;
• Build a mass base of support: Locate people in the community who could volunteer;
• Develop a plan of action: Create a timeline and workplan for reaching program goals;
• Implement the action plan: Put the plan into action, and work toward the established goals;
• Maintain the organization and institutionalizing change: Work to sustain the program through changes as needed; and
• Evaluate change: Evaluate changes to ensure the program is on track.

CMCA was introduced in the early 1990s and has been used extensively in urban and suburban settings across the United States and other countries.

This program is facilitated by trained community members. Training is provided by Youth Leadership Institute, and a 6-day, on-site intensive training or a 2-day, on-site overview training is available. Post-training consulting support is also available. For more information on training, please contact April Hoogasian by phone 1-559-492-8255 or email ahoogasian@yli.org

Considerations for implementing this program include obtaining community and parent buy-in; finding motivated individuals to form the leadership group and facilitate the program; understanding the time needed to affect changes in local attitudes, practices, and policies could be considerable; and understanding funds may be needed for facilitator training and program implementation.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing CMCA, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you!
Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

The developers recommend at least 3 to 5 years of continuous implementation for substantial effects to be realized.

Costs will vary, but facilitators may want to consider salaries for local, full-time community organizers and program material costs.

To move CMCA to the Effective category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence at least one external evaluation must be conducted that demonstrates sustained, positive outcomes. This study must be conducted independently of the program developer.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email Clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program.
Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: Clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact Youth Leadership Institute by mail 209 9th Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, CA 94103, phone 1-628-400-9252, email info@yli.org, or visit https://yli.org/who-we-are/contact-us/

https://yli.org/communities-mobilizing-for-change-cmca-training/, https://crimesolutions.ojp.gov/ratedprograms/269#pd, https://iprc.iu.edu/docs/CMCA.pdf, and https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/cmca-communities-mobilizing-for-change-on-alcohol/