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Current
Projects
Community
Action on Youth and Drugs Project (CAYAD)
CAYAD – national Community Action on Youth and Drugs – is SHORE and Whariki’s longest running evaluation project, now in its tenth year. It is in fact a series of projects which grew out of concerns about escalating drug-related school suspensions in the 1990s.
The first wave of six CAYAD Projects – four rural and one urban (Hokianga, Whangaruru, Opotiki, Nelson and Waitakere City) funded by the Ministry of Education and a sixth in Kaitaia funded by the Health Funding Authority – began a decade ago. The aim was to reduce drug-related harm to young people and to contribute to the overall health policy objective of improving population health.
Results that were produced included decreases in drug-related school suspensions and stand-downs and decreases in reported incidences of youth crime in their communities. There were also reported changes in attitudes and behaviour related to excessive drug use and better co-ordination of services for young people and their families.
Now CAYAD projects, funded by the Ministry of Health, are in place at 30 sites around New Zealand. SHORE and Whariki have had a role in CAYAD, providing both formative and impact evaluation and encouraging co-ordinated communication. Researchers work alongside facilitators to develop on-the-ground strategies in the community, provide on-going support and to look at what is working and what isn’t. In 2007 they organised the first of a series of regional and national hui to share ideas and research evidence and promote effective community action practice.
Recently, there has been a national project to compile stories from CAYAD kaimahi about the successes that communities are achieving in their work to address harm from illicit drugs.
Community Action Youth and Drugs - Success Stories 2009
The
team currently includes: Sally Liggins,
Verne McManus and Pariri Rautahi
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