Measuring Dimensions of Coalition Functioning for Effective and Participatory Community Practice.
Social Work has a long history of community practice, but community practice models have been understudied. An important first step in conducting such studies is the establishment of psychometrically sound measures relevant for evaluations of community practice. In this paper, data are used from a community-randomized trial of Communities That Care (CTC), a coalition-based model of community practice shown to be effective at transforming communities and changing rates of youth problem behavior. Coalition functioning is reported by coalition members in 12 communities across intervention implementation phases. A four-dimensional model of coalition functioning (goal-directedness, efficiency, opportunities for participation, and cohesion) was confirmed using factor analysis and the dimensions were found to be invariant across time. One test of validity of these dimensions is conducted by correlating coalition members' ratings of coalition functioning with those of external observers.
School of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley, 120 Haviland Hall #7400, Berkeley, CA 94720; fax 510-643-4507.
Valerie B
VB
Shapiro
Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115; fax: 206-543-4507.
Sabrina
S
Oesterle
Educational Psychology, College of Education, University of Washington, Box 353600, Seattle, WA 98195; fax: 206 616-6311.
Robert D
RD
Abbott
Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115; fax: 206-543-4507.
Michael W
MW
Arthur
Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA 98115; fax: 206-543-4507.
J David
JD
Hawkins
Communities That Care; coalition functioning; coalitions; community practice; community-based research; evidence-based practice; macro practice; social work