This article reports a study conducted on a citywide partnership seeking to mobilize community members, city government and other partners toward substance abuse prevention. This community development effort attained mixed results during its planning phase. This study's mixed qualitative/quantitative research design is imbedded in the citizen/community participation literature. The views of community members and agency representatives about their experiences and the meanings they attach to their involvement provide insightful information about community participation in a large Southwestern city. Different community participation themes are identified and presented as lessons learned, suggesting ways in which practitioners and researchers can support communities as they organize through partnerships.

Mode of access: Internet.