CommunityAssessment

• Explain the purpose of a community assessment and why you are performing this one.
• Explain how specific social determinants within the community might impact the overall health of the community.
• Give a background of the health problem that you identified in PH4002 and describe any information that you have already gathered on the topic. [[[EG, See attached PH4002 ]]]
• Define the section of the community that you are assessing: . [[[EG, See attached PH4002 ]]]
o The section of the community should correspond to the population selected for the practicum problem in PH4002. . [[[EG, See attached PH4002 ]]]
 Example 1: A lack of vaccination among elderly could focus on senior housing projects in a specific area.
 Example 2: A lack of vaccination among low-income children might focus on low-income housing situations in a specific area.
o It is preferred that the selected area has specific boundaries if possible. .[[[EG, Within 20706, mention some streets eg,301, Good luck road, Greenbelt Rd, Annapolis Rd …]]]
 It is not feasible to perform the windshield survey of large areas such as the City of Chicago or Atlanta or the State of Wisconsin; you must select bounded areas such as from 99th Street North to 108th Street West, since you must either walk or drive around. Selecting a ZIP code is a common way of setting boundaries.
 Note: It is not advisable to perform your windshield survey in an area that is unsafe. Also, perform your survey in daylight hours, and take any and all precautions to keep yourself safe.
o If a specific target area cannot be identified because the problem is widespread throughout the area, then you may use a section of the community that is new to you or a section that is home to a specific population (e.g. Chinatown, Manhattan, or the Fillmore District of San Francisco). .[[[EG RehabNow.org, Samhsa.gov, publicsafety.gc.ca may provide useful information on illicit drug use in Lanham. ]]]
• Give a description of the size and density of the population with which you are concerned. Include any appropriate demographics (e.g., race, ethnic groups, gender, age) both current and historically.
Section 2: Perform a Windshield Survey
• The windshield survey should reflect that which is described in the Community Assessment Report Template and as noted in your readings. As each community is different, topics on the Community Assessment Report Template may need to be tailored to fit the needs of the selected population. It is critical for this part of the project that you actually drive or walk around the community that you are investigating.
• Be sure to capture pictures of some observations to include in your report.
Section 3: Findings and Conclusions
• Based on the information that you have gathered:
o Explain your overall impression of the community and population.
o Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the community and population.
o Evaluate the overall healthiness of the community and population.
o Analyze the safety of the community.
o Make inferences about which elements that you observed may contribute to the health problem with which you are concerned.
o Be sure to consider the social determinants of health, the cultural factors that apply, and any other specific observations regarding your population and community.
• Support your responses with evidence from health DATA, literature, and observations. [See PH4002]
• Include a reference page at the end of your report
NB.
The conclusion must be at leaaqwst 1.5 to 2 pages.