What is a coalition?
A coalition is a formal alliance of organizations, groups and agencies coming together for a common goal. Each entity retains its own identity, but all agree to help build a safe, healthy, and drug-free community. Operation UNITE Community Coalitions work to implement education and treatment initiatives while supporting the investigative component.
Coalition goals
The overall goals of a UNITE coalition are to empower communities and to raise awareness about drug addiction in order to change community norms regarding drug abuse. To do this successfully coalitions must have multiple strategies that will bring together the various sectors of their local society.
Local problems require local solutions. The first step is to acknowledge that your community does, indeed, have a drug problem. It is vital to provide consistent messages; address the community as a whole, as well as the individuals. Brainstorm ways that during the course of your normal life you can impact community norms. (For example, a physician looks for ways to impact their patients and address the problem of addiction with their clients.)
To change the community it is vital to change systems such as the judicial, medical, political and educational sectors. UNITE coalitions offer a variety of ways for concerned citizens to become involved in fighting the drug epidemic in southern and eastern Kentucky. Through the involvement of the different committees, lives will be changed and hope revived in your community.
Starting a coalition
Building a coalition is not an easy task. It takes perseverance, compromise, patience and long-term commitment. Coalitions form at the local level when grassroots groups seek safety or power in numbers. This can be challenging, however, because collaboration is not always easy.
Essentially there are seven steps that must be taken to form a community coalition:
1. Define the problem and its impact on the community. In this case you are uniting against the scourge of substance abuse.
2. Identify key stakeholders. There is no one immune from the illegal use of drugs. Whether in our families, work places, community groups, neighborhoods, places of worship or government offices the costs of substance abuse -- physical, emotional and financial -- are too great to ignore.
3. Convene a meeting. See Coalition Organization.
4. Share perspectives. Remember to respect everyone’s opinion.
5. Discuss the current reality and the ideal. It might also be important to consider perceptions.
6. Create a vision for your community. What would you like to see accomplished in both the short- and long-term?
7. Determine the next steps. As you set goals it will be necessary to identify specific activities that will help you meet your objectives. This is known as creating an “Action Plan.”
Who should be involved?
The best way for coalitions to be effective is to involve as many segments of your community as possible on various coalition committees. Members should involve:
Representatives from each sector of the community.
Diverse cultural and ethnic groups.
People with influence in the community.
People most affected by the problem.
Your business and industry community.
Faith-based organizations.
Service organizations.
What are the benefits?
Being recognized as an Operation UNITE coalition enables a community coalition to receive direct funding assistance for anti-drug programs and activities. In addition, UNITE maintains a support staff that provides training and technical assistance. Through comprehensive, coordinated efforts UNITE is able to provide an extensive amount of resources and quick access to the latest substance abuse data.
Another benefit of being a UNITE coalition is your inclusion in the University of Kentucky’s Nonprofit Leadership Initiative’s Nonprofit Network. As a member you can receive assistance with strategic planning, board development, self-assessment tools, fiscal management, fund development, program evaluation and other management issues. Other benefits include:
A minimum 15 percent discount on training and educational activities provided by the Nonprofit Leadership Initiative.
Subscription to the Initiative’s newsletter.
Access to the Initiative’s extensive web resources, including usable templates and samples.
Reduced consulting fees provided by Initiative associates
Opportunities to post nonprofit job openings on their website.
Do you have to be incorporated?
UNITE community coalitions must be incorporated as 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations under the Internal Revenue Code unless they qualify as an “unincorporated association” and meet the requirements for tax-exempt status.
Are coalitions separate entities?
Several counties in southern and eastern Kentucky already had active anti-drug organizations in place before Operation UNITE was created in April 2003. It is not UNITE’s intention to displace an existing organization that is having a positive impact within their community. Instead, UNITE seeks to partner with these organizations to enhance existing services.
Supporting anti-drug programs
Helping key groups understand how the coalition can benefit them is a powerful strategy for recruiting and retaining members. Below are just a few examples of ways that coalitions can work effectively to support efforts critical to an anti-drug program.
If the community fails to see the value of enforcing anti-drug laws the coalition can push for increased support by publicizing the extent of the problem and the relation between enforcement and prevention.
Often in rural communities it is difficult for agencies to obtain adequate money and equipment. Coalitions can either advocate for increased funding, use contacts to solicit donations, or hold fund-raising activities to purchase the needed item(s).
Through Court Watch, coalitions can advocate for swift, consistent disposition of cases through the criminal justice system. This is accomplished in a non-adversarial way by keeping track of cases and keeping the community informed.
Coalitions can work for changes in local and state laws, policies and procedures. The power of coalitions was shown in early 2005 when tougher anti-methamphetamine and Internet pharmacy legislation won approval in the Kentucky General Assembly. See Senate Bill 63.
Coalition members with expertise in prevention can help ensure educational or other prevention programs are grounded in good prevention principles.
With their diverse memberships, coalitions are well equipped to collect data from a variety of sources, analyze the data, and to craft a strategic plan based on the information. Their findings can then be shared so that limited resources are directed appropriately.
Law enforcement officers do not want to keep arresting the same people over and over. A broad-based coalition can work with public and private agencies to provide appropriate assessment and assure treatment programs are available.
Coalitions can provide volunteers to support school-based programs for youth.
Liability of volunteers
Kentucky has a liberal immunity provision for volunteers. Any person who serves, uncompensated, as a director, officer, trustee or volunteer of a nonprofit organization, qualified as tax-exempt under section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, is immune from civil liability for any act or omission resulting in damage or injury if the person was acting in good faith and within the scope of the person’s official functions and duties for a nonprofit organization unless the damage or injury was caused by willful or wanton misconduct of the person. Coalition members should never take the law into their own hands. Anyone observing possible illegal activity should contact the proper law enforcement agency.
Maintaining the momentum
Coalition leaders must remind themselves that while coalitions can be very effective in eliminating duplication of efforts, you are not re-inventing the wheel. People in your community have been dealing with drug abuse issues for many years. Validate the history and the contributions of all the players. You are merely bringing new energy, more participants and more time to the fight. Keep sight of your goals and keep people engaged. Give people reason to take ownership in your efforts. Take advantage of individuals motivated by personal agendas and seek ways to address these issues. Never lose sight of the fact that changing and organizing a community takes time, effort and perseverance. But the rewards are worth it!
Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
Official Site of Operation UNITE
2292 S. Highway 27, Somerset, KY 42501
606-677-6179 ● Toll Free 1-866-OP-UNITE ● Fax 606-677-6166
Operation UNITE : Unlawful Narcotics Investigation Treatment and Education
