Lessons in Community-Based Prevention, Readiness, and Adaptation: A Keynote in Hawaii Informed by Experience

Prevention isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned throughout my career is that prevention must be community-driven. The same holds true for Hawaii, where I recently had the opportunity to deliver a keynote presentation and workshop focused on evidence-based prevention models, community capacity, and the importance of adaptation.

Prevention is often discussed in broad, theoretical terms—but real change happens when we focus on what works for each community, not just what has worked elsewhere. It was inspiring to be in a space where leaders, practitioners, and community members are committed to making prevention meaningful, sustainable, and locally driven.

Key Themes from the Conference

✅ Community Readiness Matters

Community-based prevention efforts don’t work in isolation. For any model or strategy to succeed, a community needs both the capacity and readiness to implement it. This means:

✔ Strong multi-sector coalitions – Bringing together community champions, schools, families, policymakers, and community-serving organizations to create a shared vision.

✔ Protected time and resources – Ensuring prevention is a priority, not an afterthought or solely reliant on volunteers.

✔ Understanding the local landscape – Using risk and protective factor information and local data to inform efforts.

✔ Respecting community priorities – Prevention efforts must align with what communities value, need, and are ready to address to build trust and engagement.

Without readiness, even the best strategies can struggle. But when communities build a strong foundation first, prevention efforts have the power to create real impact.

✅ Adaptation Over Replication

One of the biggest mistakes in prevention work is assuming that a successful model should be copied exactly as it was originally designed. There are many evidence-based prevention models, and while they provide strong frameworks, the key to success is adapting them to fit the cultural, structural, and resource needs of each community.

💡 Example from the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM):

✔ IPM is recognized as a community-based prevention approach that strengthens protective factors through youth surveys, parental engagement strategies, and structured youth activities.

✔ While the model provides a strong foundation, its success lies in how communities adapt it to fit their local needs, cultural contexts, and policy environments.

✔ In some U.S. communities, key elements have been modified—whether by developing locally relevant parental engagement efforts, expanding after-school programs in new ways, or utilizing regional data more strategically. Additionally, with different and sometimes more challenging funding systems, US communities often have to be strategic and creative in how to fund a long-term prevention effort.

✔ The most effective communities focus on core prevention principles rather than rigid frameworks.

Prevention should never be reduced to a one-size-fits-all template. Instead, it should remain a set of guiding principles that communities can shape, adapt, and make their own. A structured model can be a helpful starting point, but true prevention efforts require flexibility, responsiveness, and community-driven decision-making.

✅ Sustaining Long-Term Impact

Prevention is not a short-term initiative. It requires:

✔ Consistent investment – Long-term funding, staffing, and leadership commitment to sustain efforts.

✔ Policy support – Local policies and structural changes that reinforce prevention strategies.

✔ Community ownership – Those most affected by prevention work must have a voice in shaping solutions.

Sustainable prevention efforts don’t just react to immediate concerns—they create the conditions for long-term, systemic change.

During the workshop following my keynote presentation, we focused on identifying barriers, building on existing strengths, and brainstorming action steps that can help sustain prevention efforts in Hawaii. The conversations were thoughtful, solution-driven, and inspiring, reinforcing that prevention must be community-led, not externally imposed.

It’s clear that there is a strong commitment to creating healthier communities, and what stood out most was the excitement around developing a prevention approach that truly reflects Hawaii’s unique needs, values, and priorities. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all model, leaders and practitioners are focused on shaping solutions that work for them—built by the community, for the community.

I look forward to seeing how these ideas take shape in the months and years ahead, and how Hawaii’s prevention efforts continue to evolve in ways that are locally driven, sustainable, and impactful.

What’s Next?

This conversation doesn’t end here. I’m currently working on new resources to help communities:

✔ Assess their readiness to implement prevention initiatives and strategies.

✔ Strengthen coalitions and partnerships for long-term sustainability.

✔ Adapt evidence-based models in ways that fit their unique communities.

Stay tuned for more insights, tools, and guidance! If you’re working on prevention, public health, or community engagement, let’s connect—I’d love to keep this conversation going.

A big thank you to the conference organizers and everyone who participated in the event—your insights, dedication, and passion for prevention are what make this work so meaningful.

Let’s keep the momentum going!