Population Based Strategy Reach Tool Manual

This manual may be downloaded via .pdf format at the bottom of the page. 

Version 1.0 – January 2019

Population-Based Strategy Reach Tool Summary

The Population-Based Reach Tool is intended to help prevention providers to correctly calculate reach based on SAMSHA Rules for accurately calculating reach for the ECCO Reporting System.  The Population-Based Strategy Reach Tool is designed to address the following specific issues:

• It provides a mechanism for translating census data to block grant reporting guidelines
• The tool currently includes worksheets for retail alcohol and tobacco access, safe medication storage, and CSRS utilization/Safer Prescriber training interventions.
• Providers may request worksheets for additional interventions via the TTA Center

SAMHSA Definition: Population-Based Strategies

SAMSHA defines a Population-Based Strategy as a “Planned and deliberate goal-oriented practices, procedures, processes, or activities that have identifiable outcomes achieved with a sequence of steps subject to monitoring and modification”.  Such strategies may include:

1. Onetime/single events (e.g. health fair, school assembly, materials distribution), AKA Information Dissemination
2. Other activities intended to impact a broad population, AKA Community-Based Process
3. Establishing/changing written/unwritten community standards/codes/laws/attitudes), AKA Environmental Strategies

Population-Based Strategy Counting Rules

SAMSHA provided the following guidance to consider when reporting Population-Based Strategies:

• How to report actual numbers vs. estimates:
  • Use actual numbers if known
  • Use Census data or similar to estimate if actual numbers are unknown
• How often to count individuals?
  • Count an individual one time per intervention per fiscal year.
  • Count individuals for each intervention (it’s ok to duplicate across interventions)

Determining the Impacted Population

A primary goal is to determine the impacted population that the strategy is directed towards.  Keep in mind the following aspects:

• The impacted population is the group for whom you are trying to prevent substance abuse
• Is usually indirectly targeted
• The population varies by substance and intervention goals, e.g., with the following as possible examples:
  • Retail access: impacts underage youth
  • Rx safe storage: impacts those with Rx
  • CSRS Utilization/Safer Prescriber: Impacts those with Opioid Rx

Reach Tool Instructions

Access the reach tool via the North Carolina Training and Technical Assistance Center’s Help Desk at https://ncpreventiontta.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013891452-Population-Based-Strategy-Reach-Tool.  This manual may be downloaded as well as the reach tool.   PowerPoint slides and a video recording of a webinar provided during November 2018 is also allowable. 

Population-Based Strategy Counting: Standards and Counting Rules

There are specific standards and counting rules as provided by SAMSHA that must be followed for accurate reporting into ECCO.   The Population Reach Tool is designed to address the following items and help prevention providers ensure accuracy related to:

• Population-Based Strategy Counting: Information Dissemination
• Population-Based Strategy Counting: Community-Based Process
• Population-Based Strategy Counting: Environmental Strategies
• How to Count Everyone, Those Involved, and Those Impacted

Population-Based Counting Rules for Specific Strategies

The following four charts provide a detailed matrix of example interventions and associated counting rules based on strategy type.

Population-Based Strategy Counting: Information Dissemination

Intervention	Counting Rule
Health Fair	# attending
School Assembly	# attending
Brochures	# receiving brochure
Radio-TV talk show expert	# listening to/viewing show
Public Service Announcement (PSA)	# listening to/viewing PSA
Bottom Line: Count Everyone for Information Dissemination

Population-Based Strategy Counting: Community-Based Process

Intervention	Counting Rule
Coalition-building	# in coalition
Planning, managing and coordinating efforts to effect positive community change	# involved in planning
Bottom Line: Count Those Involved for Community Based Process

Population-Based Strategy Counting: Environmental Strategies

Intervention	Counting Rule
Communication campaign	# living in the community impacted by campaign
Policy (media advocacy, keg registration, ID card enforcement, warning labels, server training)	# impacted by the strategy
Bottom Line: Count Those Impacted for Environmental Strategies

How to Count Everyone, Those Involved, and Those Impacted

Populations Counted	Details
Information Dissemination (Count everyone)	Ask the organizer, media, school, etc.  how many people they reach and their demographics?  Many have to translate demographics to block grant reporting categories.  If unsure contact the TTA Center.
Community-Based Process (Count those involved)	List those on coalition or in planning groups.
Count Those Impacted (Environmental Strategies)	Define those impacted and use population-based reach estimator to calculate reach.

Getting Started: Population-Based Strategy Reach Tool

1. Determine if you need to use the Population-Based Strategy Reach Tool via the Master Grid. The Master Grid can be accessed with instructions for use via https://ncpreventiontta.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/360000839492-Master-Grid-Resources.  Download the Master Grid via the provided Excel Spreadsheet.  Take special note of Column F: Counting People Served and Column H: Notes.   Column F: Counting People Served will provide details regarding the use of relevant United States Census Data and required percentages of population based on the respective strategy. 

 Master Grid Example for Lock Your Meds                        

2. Access the reach tool via the North Carolina Training and Technical Assistance Center’s Help Desk at https://ncpreventiontta.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013891452-Population-Based-Strategy-Reach-Tool. Review the materials provided and download the Excel Spreadsheet to your computer.

NCTTA Help Desk Screen Shot 

Population-Based Reach Tool Excel Spreadsheet

3. Users will need access to the United States Census Bureau via the American FactFinder link at https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/community_facts.xhtml

American FactFinder Screenshot

Enter state, county, city, town, or zip code into the search bar & click “GO” on the American FactFinder Website.

4. Click on Demographic & Housing Estimates – This is found under the 2017 American
Community Survey

 American FactFinder Search Results for the example “King, NC” 

5. After clicking on the Demographic & Housing Estimates for your respective community, a chart similar to the one below will appear:

American FactFinder Estimate Results after clicking on 2017 American Community
Survey, Demographic and Housing Estimates

6. We must align the results of the American FactFinder Estimates Table to our Population-Based Reach Tool.

 Population-Based Reach Tool Excel Spreadsheet

The following matrix can help users transfer information from the American FactFinder Estimate Results <Source> to the Population-Based Reach Tool (Excel Spreadsheet) <Excel Spreadsheet>.

Note:  For Column 2B, 2C, 2D, etc. – Enter the location identifier (county, city, zip).  Columns 3B, 3C, 3D is provided as an optional descriptive area.  Columns B – K is provided to users can use the same spreadsheet for multiple locations.  There should one column of data per location. 

American FactFinder to Population-Based Reach Tool Matrix

American FactFinder Data (Source)	Population-Based Reach Tool (Designation – Excel Spreadsheet)
Subject Heading	Column A Classifiers
Estimate Heading	Contains the number to be entered the green boxes in the reach tool spreadsheet
Sex and Age Sub Heading	Numbers for age ranges
Sex and Age Sub Heading	Gender Total Population
Race	Race Total Population
Hispanic or Latino & Race	Ethnicity Total Population

Please Note:

• Do not attempt to enter numbers into the blue boxes. These are the numbers to be used for the block grant report and Ecco
• If two or more categories need to be added together – add and then round the final answer
• Rules for Rounding
  • .4 and under round down
  • .5 and higher round up

Need Assistance?

Contact the North Carolina Training and Technical Assistance Center if any type of assistance is needed using this tool!  Email NCTTA Staff at [e-mail].

Specific questions about statistical processes and Excel formulas can also be directed to 
Melinda Pankratz at [e-mail].