Work attached
Assignment: COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT
Your submission should be a minimum of 2000 words (maximum 2500 words) in length and should completely answer the proposed questions/items as listed below. You should have a minimum of three (3) references. APA formatting is required, and all responses should be combined into a single document for submission.
Your community can be any geographically defined county, city, or town. Clearly delineate the following dimensions before starting the process of community assessment:
DEFINING THE COMMUNTY:
Describe the population that is being assessed?
What is/are the race(s) of this population within the community?
Are there boundaries of this group? If so, what are they?
Does this community exist within a certain city or county?
Are there general characteristics that separate this group from others?
Education levels, birth/death rates, age of deaths, insured/uninsured?
Where is this group located geographically…? Urban/rural?
Why is a community assessment being performed? What purpose will it serve?
How will information for the community assessment be collected?
ASSESSMENT:
After the community has been defined, the next phase is assessment. The following items describe several resources and methods that can be used to gather and generate data. These items serve as a starting point for data collection. This is not an all-inclusive list of resources and methods that may be used when a community assessment is conducted.
The time frame for completion of the assessment may influence which methods are used. Nonetheless, these items should be reviewed to determine what information will be useful to collect about the community that is being assessed. It is not necessary to use all of these resources and methods; however, use of a variety of methods is helpful when one is exploring the needs of a community.
DATA GATHERING (collecting information that already exists):
Demographics of the Community
When demographic data are collected, it is useful to collect data from a variety of levels so comparisons can be made.
If the population that is being assessed is located within a specific setting, it may be best to contact that agency to retrieve specific information about that population.
The following resources provide a broad overview of the demographics of a city, county, or state:
State and County Quick Facts—Easy access to facts about population, housing, economics, geographic data, business, based on U.S. Census data
Obtain information about a specific city or county on these useful websites: www.epodunk.com and www.city-data.com
Information from Government Agencies
Healthy People 2020—this resource is published by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (author of the Healthy people information), It identifies health improvement goals and objectives for the country to be reached by the year 2020
National Center for Health Statistics—this agency is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; this website provides statistical information about the health of Americans
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)—The CDC website contains a large amount of information related to the health of the American population. The search engine within this website can be used to find relevant information
Federal agencies with statistical programs
Every state in the United States has its own specific health improvement plan and goals that are based on the Healthy People 2020 document. This information may be available on the state health department website.
State and local health departments provide information related to vital statistics for the community.
Other Data Sources
America’s Health Rankings—this website provides information about various health indicators for each state: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/
Data Generation (data are developed that do not already exist)
Windshield Surveys: With the use of public transportation or by driving a vehicle around the community
Participant Observation: Spend time observing the population that is being assessed.
Informant Interviews: could be people who are familiar with and interact with the population on a regular basis.
Focus Groups: Use of a focus group involves open dialogue about the population, whereas an interview or survey yields only individual responses.
Surveys: Selecting a sample of the target population may prove helpful in the collection of data that are easier to analyze.
*** ZIP code, County, and State of study to follow ***
Please follow the Rubric to maximize your points:
Expertly defines the geographic area of the community. May include a map in the appendix. Defines cultural context of the population. Specific population demographics, including age, race, education, birth/death rates, life expectancy, insurance status, and other pertinent details. Connects community context and demographics with Healthy People 2020 objectives and identifies health concerns (20%).
Demonstrates expert ability to gather data from at least three government websites. Other scholarly data sources used to provide depth to the assessment. Gathered data presented in a logical and meaningful manner. Clear connections drawn between gathered and health issues (30%).
Data generated using at least three techniques. Multiple layers of the community context revealed through data generated. Demonstrates quality and depth of observation skills, identifying many cultural and contextual observations that impact health. In-depth comparisons made to gathered data. Clear connections to health issues (30%).
Style and voice not only appropriate to the given audience and purpose, but also show originality and creativity. Word choice is specific, purposeful, dynamic, and varied. A variety of sentence structures and effective figures of speech are used. Clear command of standard, written, academic English (10%).
A broad understanding of APA format and style is evident, with no errors. Accurate citations and references are presented. In-depth and meticulous process of writing and organizing assignment (10%).
HINT: Do not cite or reference Healthy people 2020 or Healthy people.gov as an author because they are websites, not authors. There is an author for the healthy people 2020 and healthy people.gov sites. Look at the bottom of the webpage for the author and date (all government websites have a group corporate author).
