Public health messages are breaking new ground with community outreach campaigns built around provocative cable programming and supported by interactive Web sites.
In an unprecedented partnership, The Robert Wood Foundation and HBO joined forces to raise awareness about the pervasive epidemic of substance abuse with their "Faces of Addiction" campaign.
This effort is among the most aggressive and comprehensive campaigns ever undertaken by either organization.
The Robert Wood Foundation, the nation's largest healthcare philanthropy based in Princeton, N.J., is spending $3.3 million to produce the three-part, hour-long series with HBO kicking in $1 million on the community outreach effort. "It's exciting that two different types of organizations have come together to make powerful use of commercial TV," said Chris Donlay, HBO's spokesperson.
The three programs, which began last Thursday and will run through August, aim to put a diverse human face -canvassing the rich and poor of varying ages and lifestyles - on the far-reaching impact of substance abuse problems from alcohol to heroin.
The Foundation pursued HBO three years ago because of its impressive production track record with social issues programming, its massive audience (32.4 million subscribers) and its strong outreach capabilities.
Due to the breadth of the project, the $3.3 million grant - a sizable contribution for one project - wasn't approved until last year. HBO, in return, has devoted special attention to this unique joint venture: producing and marketing three different programs on one topic and creating special task forces to work on the expansive community outreach campaign.
Keeping the Cause Alive on a Local Level
The extensive community outreach effort recently kicked off in May, blanketing a vast range of community organizations all over the country with instructional materials on how to spearhead their own grassroots anti-substance abuse efforts.
Enlisting the membership expertise of two nationally recognized anti-substance abuse umbrella organizations, Join Together and the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA), community leaders, healthcare providers, and various anti-drug groups are being targeted for the campaign's three-part outreach efforts.
The first phase provides interactive support and guidance to those interested in getting the latest information about substance abuse through a Faces of Addiction Web site (http://addicted.hbo.com). This site, launched in May, provides a myriad of substance abuse resources, from direct links with relevant organizations to healthcare advice and help hotlines.
Customized "Add-Water-And-Stir" Community Events
The next and most aggressive phase of the campaign is expected to generate a major ground swell of local action and support for community anti-substance abuse efforts. To invigorate a wide range of community support, HBO created "Community Action Packs" that contain all the instructional materials needed to stimulate strong local anti-drug programs, forums and dialogues.
These "add-water-and-stir" kits include: a 35-minute compilation tape with excerpts from the three-part television series, a brochure describing the series, a viewing guide with discussion tips and activities, a community action guide, a media handbook, tailorable event poster, newsletter template and other resource and support materials.
Join Together (Boston) and CADCA in Alexandria, Va., will recruit more than 9,000 community leaders, clinics, hospitals, churches and other groups interested in taking a proactive stand on substance abuse. "This campaign brings every major player to the same table, providing resources for fighting substance abuse on the hometown level," said Joan Hollendonner, communications officer for The Robert Wood Foundation.
The drivers of this extensive outreach campaign revolve around a series of flagship regional events that were kicked off in May and will continue throughout the summer.
Hoping to create a domino effect among local healthcare providers, public health facilities, schools, public officials and government agencies, these events provide a full range of community-based promotional event ideas. They started with a Washington D.C., luncheon that featured guest speakers from public health facilities like the Office of National Drug Policy and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, then a special screening/town meeting at the Chicago Historical Society that tapped into support from the Mayor's Office of Substance Abuse and Just Say No International, and followed by a number of forums, exhibits and educational events in other key cities.
Hospitals Seize Opportunities
For hospitals in particular, these customized anti-drug campaigns offer great opportunities to enhance their community image and stance on substance-abuse prevention. "Increasingly, more and more hospitals want to be perceived as vital parts of the larger community; these outreach programs give them an excellent vehicle to address this staggering problem in a very proactive and cohesive way," said Diane Barry, communications director for Join Together. To date, over 100 hospitals have requested Community Action Packs.
The third phase of the outreach campaign will be launched in the Fall and involves a Curriculum Package that will be distributed to 45,000 middle and high schools in the nation, identified by CADCA and the American Council for Drug Education. This package will arm educators with the latest drug abuse trends and issues, lesson plans, Q & As, classroom activities, access to helplines and information available on the Internet.
(The Robert Wood Foundation, 609/452-8701; HBO, 212/512-1778; Join Together, 617/437-1500; CADCA, 703/706-0560)