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Community Action Model

An Effective Practice

Description

The Community Action Model (CAM) is a community participatory approach to improve the health and environment of a neighborhood or community. The CAM empowers a community by allowing a local community-based organization (CBO) to select an area of concern and conduct their own research/community diagnosis. The CBO then analyzes their research and develops an action/implementation plan. The action plan usually involves the development of a new policy as well as a plan to engage stakeholders to gain support. The San Francisco Tobacco Free Project has been funding CBOs to utilize the CAM for tobacco control for nearly two decades.

Goal / Mission

The original goal of the Community Action Model has been to improve the health and environment of a community by reducing tobacco influences while building community capacity. It can be applied to a variety of health and welfare issues and has been used successfully in many communities with multiple topics of intervention.

Impact

The Community Action Model has resulted in new tobacco control policies within San Francisco, many of which serve as models for other communities.

Results / Accomplishments

The utilization of the Community Action Model by the Tobacco Free Project/community-based organizations has resulted in the adoption of a number of local tobacco control policies. Examples of these policies include lowering the density of tobacco retailer permits in low-income communities, strengthening second hand smoke laws, eliminating tobacco industry funding to CBOs, and many more. Many of these policies have served as models and examples for other local tobacco control efforts outside of San Francisco. The full list of policies adopted through utilization of the CAM can be found at www.sftobaccofree.org/actions.

About this Promising Practice

Organization(s)
San Francisco Department of Public Health, Tobacco Free Project
Primary Contact
Susana Hennessey-Lavery
(415) 581-2400
susana.hennessey-lavery@sfdph.org
http://www.sftobaccofree.org
Topics
Health / Alcohol & Drug Use
Community / Social Environment
Community / Governance
Organization(s)
San Francisco Department of Public Health, Tobacco Free Project
Location
San Francisco, CA
For more details
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC144922...
Target Audience
Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Submitted By
Derek Smith, San Francisco Department of Public Health

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  5. Boston Public Schools Snack and Beverage Policy
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Related Content for: Community Action Model

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.
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