Nancy Jacobs with Wendy Rowe, Heath Grant and Veronica Rivera (1999). The Bushwick Geographic Targeting Task Force Coalition Final Evaluation Report. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

The Bushwick Geographic Targeting Task Force, Inc (BGTTF) began its work in 1990 as a CSAP-funded substance abuse committee of a community partnership funded by the New York Community Trust.  The BGTTF was anxious to transfer and institutionalize service components within additional communities.

The goals were to develop a Latino leadership Institute to train youth in prevention and education relevant to ATOD, HIV/AIDS and violence, to enhance, augment, transfer, and institutionalize the community planning and decision making process based on lessons learned through existing BGTTF model programs, and to augment and enhance the existing service delivery system through the utilization of resources and technology within the Coalition.

The evaluation indicated that the Coalition had access to significant human, fiscal, and technical resources, but was unable to mobilize these resources as productively as it would have liked due to staffing and leadership deficiencies.  BGTTF Coalition is a truly dedicated group of community members. However, the key lesson learned is that organizational accomplishment requires the balanced involvement of community residents, service providers, and public policy makers coordinated by professional leadership.

For more information, contact the Research and Evaluation Center