STRENGTHENING GENERATIONS

In this section:

• Project Harmony
• Family Harmony
• Prevention Plans
• SSMART
• SSMART Answers Conference

Strengthening Generations is a program of the City of Ballarat and local community services. The project currently facilitates two working groups:

1. Family Harmony
2. SSMART  Network (Surviving Substance Misuse and Alcohol Risk Taking)

Strengthening Generations has a unique evidence based approach to targeting key areas of community concern. The Young People's Health and Wellbeing Survey was administered to over 1,300 young people in identified communities in 2003. The following reports provided the research base for the community to create strategic community plans.

Since its evaluation in 2005 Strengthening Generations made significant changes:

• Moving from a model focusing on communities of interest to a model focusing on specific risk factors critical to the Ballarat community
• Establishing targets for 2006/2007/2008 relating to drug and alcohol misuse prevention and increasing family harmony

What can Strengthening Generations offer you?

A mechanism to network with a key local and state government, education, welfare, health and law enforcement agencies and community representatives:

• Access to a body of primary evidence that scientifically maps the risk and protective factors specific to Ballarat
• Access to research on programs likely to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse and increasing family harmony
• A mechanism to be actively involved in supporting the building of community resilience for young people in the Ballarat community.