engleski

CHANGING PREVENTION POLICY IN CROATIA: COALITION FOR PREVENTION

CHANGING PREVENTION POLICY IN CROATIA: COALITION FOR PREVENTION Novak, M., Mihic, J. and Coalition for Prevention A group of Croatian prevention professionals involved in doctoral program „Prevention Science: The Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders and Promotion of Mental Health“, led by professor Josipa Basic, University of Zagreb, has during the year 2008 conducted the analysis of the state of behavioral and mental disorders in children and adolescents in Croatia. Analysis of the state of disorders has shown concerning epidemiological data, lack of coordination between institutions, activities and relevant stakeholders. Additionally, until the present date, Institute for Mental Health was not active although it was formally founded. Also, there is no political will for development of the comprehensive prevention policy on the level of state and all activities toward children and youth are partial and dependent from individual will. Following this reasons, the group of 8 prevention experts which come from different fields decided to establish a coalition which was formalized as a nongovernment organization. The initiative for establishing the Coalition for Prevention came from professor Clemens Hosman, Radboud University, Nijmegen ; Maastricht University, who is from then an important supporter and adviser of the group. Goals of the group followed the ideas of prevention policy change: prevention promotion, improvement of existing prevention capacities in Croatia as well as forming of virtual centre for prevention which could become some kind of national institute in the future. The goal of this paper is to present a course of actions for Coalition for Prevention and analysis of possible influence on prevention policy change in Croatia. First activities of the Coalition for Prevention were connected with advocacy and awareness rising so 4 roundtables for prevention stakeholders were organized during the year 2009. In the spring 2009, a qualitative research of stakeholder’s opinions on needed actions to improve prevention practice in Croatia was done. For better understanding of the Coalition for Prevention plans and activities a logic model was developed. Key activities recognized as an important factors of change involve further organizational development of Coalition for Prevention and activities like development of Coalition for Prevention website, organization of conference about prevention in Croatia, creation of Croatian-English prevention dictionary, standardization of monitoring instruments and setting –up of evidence based prevention database. Plan of evaluation of proposed Coalition for Prevention’s activities will also be presented.

prevention; prevention policy; coalition for prevention

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