Transferring prevention skills to teams in public housing communities

Teams consisting of Public Housing Authority staff, public housing residents, and representatives of local organizations were trained in drug and violence prevention and community mobilization. The evaluation is based on a transfer of training framework. First, it examines the participant self-reported increases in skills and knowledge, and the intent to apply these skills and knowledge. Next, it describes how a subsample of teams implemented action plans developed during the training. Findings indicate that potential barriers and opportunities for application of the training should be considered prior to and during the training. Following the training, implementation of the action plans depend to a large extent on the level of support, resources, and encouragement received from the home environment, as well as on the availability of further technical assistance or on-site training.