I have a small group of members who are developing a newsletter to assess social problems in county in PUERTO RICO. We intend on utilizing your training method to learn how to assess a community. We all live in the United States and would like to know where to start?
Hello Peter,
Thank you for contacting The Community Tool Box. I guess the first place you can start is with Chapter 3 in The Community Toolbox: Assessing Community Needs and Resources. After reading through this chapter and utilizing the training, the next step will be to get to know the area you plan to assess. Look up existing data such as reports available through Federal web sites, such as the CDC, SAMSHA, Department of Justice, other Health and Human Services Sites, the U.S. Census, and any other sites that may have reports and data broken down by State and Territory. Next, find out what local organizations, such as the health department or police department are in the area and what types of reports they produce. Look at local education institutions (universities, school districts), hospitals, non-profit organizations and other types of organizations. You should also find out who the local officials and formal and informal leaders are in the communities of interest. Then, work with them to find out the best way to move forward with implementing your project.
If you have more questions, please write again.
The Community Tool Box Advisor