Hello Sarah,
Thank you for reaching out to us with such an initiative. It can be difficult assessing the needs of a community, especially if you had a number of barriers such as distance, culture, and language. We faced a similar challenge during my work with a mental health NGO working on Syrian refugees integration in Lebanon. The NGO has previously implemented the training program in Lebanese schools with local students, however this time they needed to implement it unto Syrian children possibly suffering from PTSD. The NGO overcame this challenge by first using academic search engines to find similar studies/training programs internationally and locally. These studies/programs allowed the organization to locate people working in Syrian refugee communities and are more knowledgeable of the culture or have already conducted a study concerning the needs of the community; and partnerships were formed on that basis.
It will help if you begin your search with similar programs/clinics implemented in the area, or surrounding areas, and touch base with them. That is a start to build upon, since they are already familiar with the needs of their communities.
Also, please follow the links bellow for a more detailed guide on the how to:
Chapter 3. Assessing Community Needs and Resources: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/assessment/assessing-community-ne...
Toolkit 1. Creating and Maintaining Partnerships: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/creating-and-maintaining-partnerships
Toolkit 2. Assessing Community Needs and Resources: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/assessing-community-needs-and-resources
Chapter 18. Deciding Where to Start: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/where-to-start
Chapter 5. Choosing Strategies to Promote Community Health and Development: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents-community-assessment/choosing-str...
Chapter 17. Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/analyze/analyze-community-problem...
Toolkit 3. Analyzing Problems and Goals: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/analyzing-problems-and-goals
Toolkit 7. Developing an Intervention: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/developing-intervention
Good luck with the project.
