The health and wellness of a community is dependent on many factors. Just as in a head-to-toe assessment of an individual client, a community health assessment will require a systematic approach to diagnose the health of a community. Whether for class or clinical application, this book is a perfect resource for any nurse evaluating the health of a community, guiding a user step-by-step through an assessment. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version.

The Community-Oriented Needs Assessment (CONA) model presented by the authors demonstrates that effective two-way communication between providers of human services and the community is necessary for effective and efficient social services. The (CONA) model uses data from demographic/statistical profiles, key informants, and random community members to define needed services, to develop programs, to enhance interagency cooperation, and to improve accountability. The authors both outline the logic behind the use of this model and sketch a step-by-step approach for developing the model for use in a variety of settings.

In planning community and social services, perceptions of need come from many sources - from the local news to political interest groups - but the first step in conducting efficient and effective community interventions is to look beyond perceptions and identify the actual needs based on available evidence. Creating a comprehensive needs assessment is essential for securing funding and designing programs in governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations. This workbook helps community groups, social service organizations, and government agencies collect, analyze, prioritize, and present local data in a way that will ensure that a community's needs are understood and met. Employing a learn-by-doing approach, the book walks readers through the actual steps of creating a comprehensive needs assessment. The workbook offers thorough background information and provides step-by-step activities to address the entire process beginning with the planning stage, followed by data collection and analysis, and concluding with preparing your report and implementing findings.Whether in a classroom setting or in the workplace, this is the book that practitioners will use throughout their entire careers. Features: text is formatted as a workbook designed around tasks, worksheets, and tools to guide the reader through the process of creating an actual needs assessment the website www.rodneywambeam.com accompanies the book and has downloadable copies of all the worksheets included so that readers can print and use them for future projects demonstrations provide real-world examples of communities and organizations at every step of the process covers important topics frequently left out of needs assessment texts including survey research, and using completed assessment reports for making decisions, and writing grant proposals

This guide describes a systematic way of identifying the resources and needs of community residents by gathering data, soliciting the perspectives of residents and leaders, and surveying service providers and other community resources. Part 1 of the guide differentiates community assessment from traditional needs assessments and details the 5-step community assessment process: (1) establishing a community planning team; (2) defining community boundaries; (3) developing a statistical profile, including determining what information to collect, gathering the data, and analyzing the data; (4) assessing needs from residents' perspectives; and (5) assessing community resources through provider surveys, association surveys, consumer surveys, and community mapping. Part 2 deals with sorting through the large body of information to set community priorities, focusing on the use of a community assessment matrix to provide a framework for analysis. Two appendices provide (1) guidelines for developing a resident survey and (2) copies of the surveys and other tools described in the guide. (KB)