What is CTC?

Communities that Care Plus (CTC) is a strategic prevention framework that helps mobilize communities to reduce behavioral health problems in youth. This is done by a 5-phase framework:

  1. Get Started: Communities get ready to introduce CTC.

  2. Get Organized: The communities form a board or work within an existing coalition that represents all sectors.

  3. Develop a Community Profile: The community board assess community risks and strengths as well as identify existing resources.

  4. Create a Community Action Plan: The community board creates a plan for prevention work in their community to reduce risk factors and strengthen protection, define measurable outcomes, and select/expand tested and effective programs/policies.

  5. Implement & Evaluate: Communities will implement selected programs and policies then will monitor and evaluate them to track progress and ensure improvements are achieved.

This framework came out of the Center for Communities that Care, which is within the Social Development and Research Group at the University of Washington. The Center for Communities that Care has been on the frontlines of prevention science for behavioral health and has been at it for over 4 decades!