Unchartered Territory: Initial Adaptations by South Carolina's Drug-Free Community Coalitions During the Pandemic

The national trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges and opportunities for community coalitions who rely on methods of engagement, education, interaction, and dialogue. This article describes how the Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions in South Carolina adapted to changing circumstances emerging from COVID-19. Using personal experiences and semi-structured interviews with ten DFCs, the authors describe ways community coalitions have modified their education, prevention, and environmental strategies in light of the current pandemic and uncertain future. The authors present a prospective adaptation framework (e.g., Model for Adaptation Design and Impact-MADI) and an illustrative example for how coalitions can use structured questions to determine the benefits and risks of an adaptation and the impact it may have on desired outcomes.