A Proposed Framework to Guide the Development of Environment

Scans to Identify Recent, Current or Planned

Provincial and Territorial Activities Related to School-based and
School-Linked Substance Abuse Prevention

The purpose of these environment scans is to identify and briefly describe major activities that
PT stakeholders (education, health, addictions, mental health, government agencies) should be
aware of when planning or implementing their own activities. A similar scan will be undertaken
at the National level.

The intent is to reduce duplication of efforts, expedite information and knowledge exchange and
guide further developments and initiate collaborative activities whenever possible.

The product will be a summary that provides valuable information aimed at supporting and
building on current PT activities and in addition, weill be used as input for the June/07 Pan-
Canadian Forum.

As well, the framework to search for and display the information should encourage
comprehensive approaches to school health promotion as well as strengthening of systems
capacities in several designated areas. (Please see the outline attached)

Each environment scan could conclude by identifying any significant opportunities or challenges
in the topic area.

Section A: Who is who on this issue? (Please identify key organizations and individuals at the national,
federal, PT level on this issue as well as any key ongoing sources of research, web sites etc

What are they doing now, recently and planned in relation to school health
promotion?

1. Who are the key PT NGO

organizations on this issue?

2. Who are the key national agencies on

this issue? What is their role on the issue

3. What is the role of the health, education

and other ministries on the issue? Who
are the key provincial/territorial ministry
officials, programs and initiatives on this
issue?
4. What is the mandated role of school
boards, health authorities, other agencies
and schools on the issue? Are there
leaders at that level who should be
interviewed, involved, contacted for this
scan?

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 Section B: What is hot about the issue now? (General discussion of awareness, trends,
incidents, reports, media stories, large events etc that can be used to make progress on the issue to
identify strategic opportunities or challenges)

1. How aware are PT departments, senior

ministry officials, senior local agency
officials about the issue?

2. How aware is the public? Any recent

incidents to galvanize concern or interest?

3. What are the best opportunities to more

the issue forward? What is the connection
to learning and current health concerns?

4. What are the most significant barriers?

5 Any smaller steps or things that can be

done to move the issue forward or to
encourage comprehensive approach?

Section C: What are recent, current or planned activities that support a comprehensive approach
to school-based or school-linked interventions on this issue?

List any Statements, Reports, Frameworks, Policies, Programs, Practices, Major

Initiatives, Significant Research Studies or Research Programs with web links
and contact information.

1. Are there activities (statements,

guidelines, frameworks)
recommending CSH approaches?

2. Are there any activities that

require action to implement such
CSH approaches to the issue?
(Written policies or ministry
agreements requiring
coordination, funded action plans,
etc)

3. Are there activities that are

requiring, promoting,
implementing, evaluating
interventions in these five areas
of CSH on this issue?

a) Laws, policies or regulations

that stipulate certain conditions,

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standards or practices

b) Curriculum, instruction,
materials and teaching methods

c) Preventive health, social or

other services in or near schools,
screening, referrals, crisis
response etc

d) Increase social support (youth,

parent, community involvement
such as peer programs, school
climate etc

e) Healthy physical environment

or practical resources

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 Section D: What are recent, current or planned activities that support strengthening of systems
(ministries, agencies, schools, professionals, clinics, voluntary organizations) related to schools
on this issue?

List any Statements, Reports, Frameworks, Policies, Programs, Practices, Major

Initiatives, Significant Research Studies or Research Programs with web links and
contact information.
1. Coordinated policy
(interministry, interagency,
interdisciplinary) and senior
leader support

2. Formal and informal

mechanisms for cooperation
(agreements, MOU’s, procedures,
support for coalitions, joint in-
service, joint planning, joint
budgeting etc

3. Staff time or infrastructure

assigned to facilitating
cooperation at any level

4. Explicit and ongoing means to

exchange and transfer knowledge

5. Sustained work force

development (in-service and pre-
service)

6. Explicit procedures to identify

emerging issues/trends and
facilitate joint selection of priority
issues.

7. Ongoing monitoring and

reporting of

a) Related health literacy

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b) Child/youth health behaviours,
attitudes, skills and related
determinants/factors in home,
schools and communities
c) Status and capabilities of local
policies, programs and practices

d) Periodic assessments, studies

school/agency self-
assessment/needs identification
tools

8 Explicit plans or processes to

support sustainability, evolution
and evaluation of programs,
policies etc