About Connect The Dots

Mission

Connect the Dots promotes and builds capacity to address the connections between human, animal, and environmental well-being.

Vision

A peaceful and just world for all.

What We Do

Connect the Dots utilizes the social-ecological model.  This model emphasizes that individuals exist within multiple spheres of influence.  To change behaviors, therefore, we must build comprehensive solutions that focus not only on individuals, but also on all of the levels that impact their behavior.  The levels of the social ecological model include Individual, Relationship, Community, Institution, and Society.  Click on the tabs on the right to learn more about each level.

IndividualRelationshipCommunityInstitutionSociety
This level identifies personal factors that influence how individuals behave and that may increase or decrease the likelihood of behaviors.
This level includes family, friends, partners, peers, and mentors and describes how they may increase or decrease the likelihood of an individual’s behavior.
This level explores the community contexts in which social relationships occur and seeks to identify the characteristics of these settings that may increase or decrease the likelihood of behaviors.
This level considers the institutional processes and contexts that support or challenge norms that may lead to behaviors.
This level explores broad societal factors that may foster a climate in which behaviors may be encouraged or inhibited.

Along this social-ecological continuum, Connect the Dots creates the following changes.

 

Spectrum of Prevention

CtD’s activities are organized along the Spectrum of Prevention.  Developed by Larry Cohen, Executive Director of Prevention Institute, this model promotes a multifaceted range of activities for effective prevention efforts.  Its six levels for strategy development is a framework for a comprehensive understanding of prevention.  These levels are complimentary and, when used together, promote  synergy that results in greater effectiveness than is possible by implementing any single activity.

Every CtD activity identified in the chart on the right leads to interrelated actions at other levels of the Spectrum.

We are continually expanding and growing.  Check back often for updates.