IPS Institute for Public Strategies / Samples of Our Work / Selected Case Studies

Selected Case Studies

The following samples of our work provide a snapshot of our experience in helping communities create sustainable, population-level change on a range of issues.

We invite you to scroll through these projects and imagine the possibilities for your community.

	Providing leadership and technical expertise to move a rural state with limited EP experience quickly to implementation using the IPS Method
	The Montana Community Change Project, funded through SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF-SIG), is a statewide project intended to address binge drinking for youth and adults and drinking and driving. IPS provides project leadership, training and technical assistance to all 21 counties and 3 Native American reservations funded under this project.

Intensive individualized knowledge transfer, accomplished through regular on-site and remote training and technical assistance is provided to support local EP capacity building and systems development. Each county and reservation uses the IPS Method to define and implements their own evidence-based EP strategies. Additionally, IPS has worked closely with the State AOD prevention officials to develop the state infrastructure and EP system to support local implementation as well as statewide policy initiatives. Use of the IPS Method, strong partnership with State AOD prevention officials, and collaboration with the State Epidemiological Workgroup are integral components of the project. Currently, each community is implementing their projects while also participating in advancing 4 statewide policy initiatives.

Applying comprehensive EP strategies on several fronts within one community to affect sustainable change

The South Bay Community Change Project provides alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention services to the southern region of San Diego County, a unique area characterized by its proximity to the U.S. border and high population of Latino residents. The project employs community-based and policy-driven strategies to reduce the availability and marketing of alcohol to underage youth, the over service of alcohol to adults and the prevalence of illicit drug-related activity in neighborhoods.

The project’s chief initiatives include:

Responsible Retailer Program -- As the first program of its kind in San Diego County, this program provides for a dedicated alcohol enforcement officer to work with alcohol establishments to reduce the over service of alcohol to adults and sales to minors.
Addressing alcohol marketing and advertising tactics that target the Latino community, particularly youth. Campaigns include the Cinco de Mayo Con Orgullo campaign that strives to re-position this holiday as a day of pride for the Latino community.
Incorporating the strategic use of new media to track and address the promotion of “All Ages” and 18+ parties through sites such as MySpace, Twitter and simple text messaging.
Forming a Gang Advisory Committee that brings together representatives from schools, law enforcement, transit and prevention to address the gang influences and other cultural and physical community conditions that make students fearful about walking to school.
South Bay Youth 4 Change: Training a new generation of youth prevention specialists in Environmental Prevention strategies, including campaign strategy, message development, and media advocacy.

Program designer and implementer of SAMSHA Model Program to address high risk drinking behaviors by US youth in Tijuana, MX

The San Diego / Tijuana Border Binge Drinking Reduction Project is a SAMHSA model program that provided IPS the opportunity to collaborate with the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE) to advance work in measurement and bi-national policy change. Located in San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico, this bicultural and bilingual project addresses binge drinking and is a demonstration of comprehensive interventions that resulted in restrictions on Tijuana drink specials and promotions, local control to regulate alcohol, restrictions on related promotions and signs, and banning bar advertising targeting youth under age 18 in San Diego. With IPS leadership, a reduction in youth nighttime crashes by 45% and 37% fewer nighttime crosser with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher resulted.

Led the media advocacy component of Dr. Harold Holder’s Community Trials Intervention to Reduce High Risk Drinking

IPS provided multisite media advocacy training and coaching support for this project which was recognized as a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Model Program. Goals included reducing alcohol injuries and deaths with strategies such as DUI enforcement, responsible beverage service, media advocacy, and addressing underage sales. A reduction in nighttime injury crashes by 10% and emergency room assault injuries by 43% was found and the project remains one of the leading examples of how to do population-level change well.

	Led successful campaign to establish first smoke free patio policy in San Diego County, expanded to leadership and Training/TA to others
	The goal of the countywide Smoke Free Patios Campaign is to eliminate the threat of second-hand smoke in outdoor dining patios via the adoption of smoke free outdoor dining policies. IPS provides training and technical assistance to community members and youth to advocate for smoke free outdoor dining policies.

Community members are trained to collect data regarding the effects of second hand smoke and to conduct surveys of their peers and local businesses. Volunteers are also trained to work with city government officials and businesses on the implementation and enforcement of smoke free patio laws. Smoke Free Patios policies have been adopted by the city of Chula Vista (2006) and the city of National City (2009).

	Developing leadership and environmental prevention capacity of youth
	The San Diego County Youth Leadership Partnership provides leadership development and training and technical assistance in Environmental Prevention to youth from all over San Diego County to foster a new generation of alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention advocates.

Youth participate in activities to reduce the problems associated with the accessibility, sales, and use of alcohol by youth, including acting as media spokespersons, creating and conducting surveys of their peers, and partnering with law enforcement on special enforcement operations.

	Designed and implemented place of last drink (POLD) data system
	One of 6 innovative “demonstration projects” funded by the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Ventura POLD project involved the design and implementation of a data collection system for identifying the source of last drink of impaired drivers arrested for DUI in Ventura County, located north of Los Angeles.

The project which included bar risk assessments and other means of corroborating the POLD data as well as a cross-sector committee which determined the utilization of the data, was developed in response to alcohol availability, arrests, and party calls. Results include passage of a social host ordinance to address house parties and reduce youth access to alcohol. Trend data to date show a decline in youth DUI. This technology was later transferred to the state of Montana to address binge drinking and DUI.

	Integrating public health and safety considerations into commercial redevelopment plans
	The Vitality San Diego Project is located in central downtown San Diego where redevelopment is occurring on a large scale. This project involves community members in working with redevelopment corporations to ensure public health and safety considerations and quality of life issues of existing residents are included early in redevelopment planning.

To address alcohol availability in family centered public venues, the Vitality Project worked with corporate entities to establish policies at both Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres baseball team, and it’s associated Tailgate Park. Policies established include maximum drinks, last call well before end of game, identification checks, banning open containers and kegs, and enforcing laws.

Policy development to address sales of drug paraphernalia in smoke shops

As part of a Training and TA contract for Environmental Prevention services in San Bernardino County, California, IPS developed policy language restricting the sale of drug paraphernalia by any retailer licensed to sell tobacco products. This language was part of a proposed comprehensive tobacco licensing ordinance for the City of Redlands, and developed in conjunction with local law enforcement, school district officials and county public health officials.

	Multi-city campaign to challenge alcohol industry advertising
	The Dangerous Promises project addressed alcohol advertising and violence against women. In cooperation with the Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women and the Trauma Foundation, IPS provided training and TA for multi-city media advocacy work in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
	Three alcohol trade groups were targeted including beer, wine, and distilled spirits to establish a voluntary policy to prohibit degrading images of women in alcohol ads.
	Although it was not a comprehensive project and therefore not sustainable, the Wine Institute and the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States voluntarily established codes and some ads were removed as a result.

	Provided integrated Training and TA to University-Community coalitions in National project

	As part of the "A Matter of Degree" (AMOD) project, IPS provided strategic media advocacy training and technical assistance to selected campus-community coalitions in Nebraska, Iowa, Vermont, Florida and Delaware as part of a national project to address underage and binge drinking by college students, utilizing public policy. AMOD was funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and led by American Medical Association (AMA). AMOD reduced alcohol consumption, related harm, and secondary effects in 5 of the ten campuses that integrated the EP Model.
Several passed local ordinances such as eliminating drink specials and imposing civil penalties for bars serving underage and intoxicated patrons (Iowa City, Iowa) and zoning ordinance restricting alcohol service (Newark, Delaware).

	Demonstrated use of EP approach to increase permits for addiction recovery homes
	The Solutions for Treatment Expansion Project (STEP) works with planning officials to redefine a permitting process for new recovery houses that is legal, easily understood, consistently applied and based on valid considerations. STEP highlights the need for alcohol and other drug treatment and the resistance to approving facility expansion in San Diego County.

STEP’s work showcases how recovery projects could use the Method and power of media advocacy to highlight placement and access to residential alcohol and drug recovery services. STEP is a novel example of how to base the assessment of treatment needs on the extent of drug and alcohol related problems in each community and work with local planners for conditional use permits.

	Demonstrates use of EP approach
	IPS provides training and technical assistance to WiLDCOAST, an environmental organization that protects and preserves coastal ecosystems and wildlife in the San Diego-Tijuana region.
	IPS has worked with WiLDCOAST on their Clear Water Campaign that addresses ocean water polluted by runoff, debris/trash, and sewage from the Tijuana River, and currently supports their work on the Otay River Conservation Program aimed at fostering community support for the preservation of the Otay Valley Regional Park. Training and technical assistance includes development of logic models, strategic planning, data collection, identifying contributing factors, strategic community organizing, media advocacy planning, and publications to support these campaigns by framing the problems and possible solutions.

Developed and implemented special high visibility DUI operations with law enforcement

The South Bay High Intensity Prevention project served the region of the US/Tijuana, Mexico border, a challenge for law enforcement since youth cross into Mexico where the drinking age is 18. HIPZ was as a novel media advocacy and data driven effort with youth, the community, and law enforcement for DUI operations to address impaired driving. Funded by the California Office of Traffic Safety, outcomes include reducing Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licenses

in Nestor and San Ysidro in addition to passing an ordinance in National City prohibiting open alcohol beverage containers in public places.

	Demonstrated the power of media advocacy to make community voices heard

	Prior to April 1992, not too many visitors took notice of the fact that Sea World, a family-oriented, educational theme park and a part of the Anheuser-Busch corporation, was busily promoting its products and logo-packed merchandise by offering free beer to adult ticket holders and selling products with the beer company's logo, including candies that were packaged like beer cans. They also maintained the famous Clydesdale horses at the park, offered kids' size T-shirts with the Budweiser logo and covering the park grounds with all manner of beer advertising.
Many parents took offense at this blatant self-promotion that not only target them but also their children and formed the San Diego County Advocates to eliminate alcohol advertising and free beer samples in the family-oriented Sea World park.
IPS staff worked with community members to bring the issue to the forefront of public concern through effective use of media advocacy. Newspaper articles ran in the Los Angeles Times and a live television broadcast of a forum held at a local station showed a community taking to task the high level representative of Anheuser-Bush's Sea World, culminating in changes to advertising policies at SeaWorld.

	Worked with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community to use EP approach to address ATOD concerns
	In 2001, IPS worked with community members, organizations, health professionals and government agencies to promote health and safety in San Diego’s LGBT community—a population that is disproportionately harmed by the adverse consequences of alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) use.

Accomplishments included the formation of the LGBT Advisory Group that worked with LGBT businesses and other organizations to adopt responsible alcohol and other drug policies. Community members received training in community organizing, data collection and policy development so they could assess the AOD risk in their community. Community members were also trained in media advocacy to improve coverage in the LGBT media that reflected the social norms of the community more accurately.

	Facilitated Transborder Discussion between US and Mexico officials of Tobacco Project
	The Transborder Tobacco Project focused on helping to foster a discussion regarding the environmental factors of tobacco use in Tijuana, with the goal of supporting policy development to establish smoke free spaces and higher tobacco taxes.

The Transborder Tobacco Control Policy Council was established as a platform for moving the discussion from education to a policy-driven campaign.

IPS’ bilingual staff provided training and technical assistance to community members and strategic partners, helping them with the creation of an issue briefing to support the campaign and hosting a smoke-free community event with the goal of generating policy-focused media advocacy.

Facilitated Countywide Childhood Obesity Action Plan

IPS partnered with various agencies to develop a San Diego Countywide Childhood Obesity Action Plan to prevent and reduce the epidemic of childhood obesity affecting San Diego youth and families. IPS facilitated a series of expert meetings and community forums that engaged partners across multiple disciplines to analyze and identify the environmental factors that contribute to childhood obesity.

As a result of these community-level strategy sessions, a Childhood Obesity Action Plan was created to define the scope of the problem and identify broad strategies that could be implemented to diminish the prevalence of childhood obesity and associated risk factors.

Coordinated regional component of national media campaign

IPS partnered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on implementing a media advocacy campaign promoting seat belt and child safety seat use in the Western United States.

IPS provided training and technical assistance in media advocacy to state transportation and law enforcement agencies on the following NHTSA campaigns:

Click It or Ticket
Child Passenger Safety
You Drink. You Drive. You Lose

Demonstrated use of EP Approach to pedestrian and bicycle safety

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Project in Downtown San Diego, a California Office of Traffic Safety project was conducted in conjunction with the San Diego Community College District to promote pedestrian and bicyclist safety in and around downtown San Diego’s community college, high school, and larger East Village areas. Project work included engaging students and neighbors in efforts to increase safety awareness; reducing environmental risks by advocating for more pedestrian, bicyclist and wheelchair-friendly walkways and streets; advancing safety policies; and increasing enforcement of traffic laws.

Led community-based town-grown coalition to reduce underage drinking in college town

Adding to the body of EP work in college populations, IPS provided leadership for the US Department of Education funded project to reduce underage drinking by college students in Bozeman, Montana with a “town-gown” coalition integrating all aspects of the IPS model. Results include several policy recommendations made locally, heightened visibility of issues with media advocacy, and advancement of community readiness for EP.

The project successfully passed a local ordinance eliminating open beer containers on city streets and established an Alcohol Policy Committee as a standing part of the Bozeman City Government.

	Launched Countywide EP Systems Building AOD Training and Technical Assistance Project.
	Designed and implemented the collaborative role with San Diego County officials and experts to establish the System Building AOD Training and Technical Assistance project. This capacity driven project served San

Diego County prevention organizations and partners in conducting meaningful prevention campaigns by integrating the IPS Model to develop an operational, cohesive, knowledge-based system with expert workshops, seminars and thematic TA.

	Louisiana Seat Belt Project
	IPS provided media advocacy technical assistance and services as part of an integrated NHTSA funded team to increase public support for and compliance with a new Louisiana mandatory seat belt law. The proposed law passed saving an estimated 143 lives per year in Louisiana.

About Us ▪▪ What We Do ▪▪ Samples of Our Work ▪▪ Next Academy Info ▪▪ Contact Us