Ask an Advisor Answers

Dear Mary,
I guess the first step would be to reach out and meet people from the organizations of interest. You might see if there are local events where you might network. Perhaps a local conference or presentation. If there is a specific topic of interest, see if there is a local coalition or collaborative that meets, find out when and where they meet (and whether membership is open), and go. Do some research on the various organizations and individuals before you go. 
Another strategy is to find out if there are opportunities to volunteer. 
If you have decided on a couple of organizations that are interesting, simply set up informational interview meetings to learn more. Keep them short and have a set of prepared questions - in other words, make sure the meeting has purpose.
Good luck!
The Community Tool Box Advisor

Dear Krishna,
The Community Tool Box courses are available to everyone online and free of charge. There is no certification associated with their completion.
The Community Tool Box Advisor

Hello Engel,
The first suggestion is to review and familiarize yourself with the Community Tool Box materials. Pay special attention to those topics that may be relevant to the work you will be doing. In addition to the chapters with information and tool kits, you should also explore the "Help Taking Action" features. Then, as issues arise in the work you are doing you will know which resource you can you that may be helpful.  You might also check out the Global Journal of Community Psychology Practice at www.gjcpp.org. It also offers tools and may have articles that are helpful for you to use. Good luck in your work.
The Community Tool Box Advisor

Thank you for your question. I’m sorry to hear that you feel there aren’t sufficient resources to support you in your community (and especially that you haven’t been treated well when reaching out for support).
I wasn’t able to tell from your question if you were interested in starting a support group, but if so, here are some general steps you could follow to make that happen (from healthcentral.com). You don’t need to be a professional counselor or social worker to bring people together to talk about the things you have in common and support one another in your journey.

1. Evaluate the need- are there already relevant resources in your area? (which it seems like you have been doing by putting out feelers)
2. Evaluate yourself (Do you have the time necessary to plan and publicize the meetings, coordinate special events, and talk with individual members who call with problems? Are you committed to attending the meetings, even if you’re having a bad day? Do you feel comfortable in front of a group? Are you able to be assertive enough (in a kind way) to keep the meeting on track? Do you maintain a positive, encouraging and hopeful attitude? Are you a good listener?)
3. Find a co-leader (or two). Starting a group is a big lift for one person.
4. Start with the basics (who should be included in the group? What are you going to call the group? Where are you going to meet? Why are you forming this group?
5. Create a comfortable meeting format (a standard format is 15 minutes for welcome and announcements, 45 minutes for a speaker or program, and 30 minutes for Q & A)
6. Spread the word!

I would also recommend that you check out Chapter 16 of the Community Toolbox: Group Facilitation and Problem solving. There you will find information and resources for developing facilitation skills and leading group discussions.
If you are more interested in joining an existing support group, but haven’t been able to find them in your community, I would suggest looking for support/interest groups online. There are some wonderful online groups out there that come together around a variety of needs, issues, and topics. It may not be in-person, but it could be a good start and could even help you to find others in your area to connect with.
I hope this response answers your question. Thank you for using Ask an Advisor. I wish you all the best in finding the support that you need!

Hello Katie,
Thank you for your question and for your dedication to preventing gangs and violence in your community! Based on my personal knowledge of the literature and this topic, there are five areas/competencies that contribute to resilience that I find to be very actionable and a great place to start when designing an intervention on this topic: health (physical and mental), communication skills, family/peer belonging and cohesion, problem-solving skills, and leadership skills. Perhaps starting with these areas will help you narrow down your focus for the programming activities you are working to develop.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, it may help to talk to other stakeholders in the community—including the youth themselves—about what they think would help youth become more resilient (able to bounce back from hard times) and to be more caring and confident, particularly as it relates to the context in which you are working. You may be surprised at the actionable information you can get from the youth themselves -they are the experts on what it is like to be a young person in this day and age. Evidence also shows that programs developed along with the people who are most influenced by a particular issue (in this case gang and violence prevention) tend to be the most impactful and sustainable.
You can learn more about how to assess the needs of youth in your community related to this topic in Chapter 3 of the Community Toolbox: Assessing Community Needs and Resources (particularly Sections 4, 6, & 10). You may also want to explore Chapter 18 may also help you with intervention design and participatory approaches to planning community interventions.
Finally, there are many existing evidence-based violence prevention programs out there (some of which you can see on the CDC’s website: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/youthviolence/prevention.html; also check out the link for bullying research on the left-hand side of this page). You may want to start with an existing evidence-based strategy and then tailor it best fit with your community’s needs, culture, and history. If you take this route, I would encourage you to check out Chapter 19 of the Community Toolbox.
I hope this response answers your question. Thank you for using Ask an Advisor. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!
 

Mary,
Thank you for your question. Learning how to plan and facilitate groups effectively is certainly a skill that can be developed with practice. As you consider what ice breakers or other tools you may use, I would share a series of questions for your to consider as you prepare that can help you decide what you need:
1. What does success look like for the session? One of the biggest mistakes that group facilitators make is being unclear about what they are trying to accomplish. Clearly defining your end goal early in the process is a huge help. Also note that sometimes we like to try and do too much in a single session. Be okay with accomplishing less, particularly if you are doing a series of group interactions where the next can build upon the last.
2. Who is in the group? Knowing who the group members are as individuals is essential to obtaining engagement. If you know beforehand, some review and reflection from their perspective is appropriate. If you do not, a good first session can help you identify what is important to the participants and help you tailor questions and content to their needs and desires. Also, it is important to do an analysis of the group dynamics. Is it the first session among strangers? Is it an established group? Is there conflict perceived or anticipated? These questions will help you anticipate as you plan each session.
3. What level of interaction do you want? As you've clarified your purpose, next you should think about how you want the group members to interact. Is this a teaching session where the facilitator gives instructions and participants respond, or an open dialogue amongst participants. Establishing the expectation will help you prepare content, questions or activities for the group. Ice breaker activities that may or may not relate to the topic can be particularly effective in the early stages of group process to generate trust and comfort among group members.
Once you have clarified your definition of success, your understanding of the individual and group dynamics and your level of desired interaction, you can effectively choose tools, like ice breakers, to help accomplish that purpose. For example, for a group that is completely new to each other in which you desire a great deal of interaction with the goal of having an open dialogue about an uncomfortable topic, get-to-know you icebreakers are particularly appropriate. Conversely, a group that has some track record and a clearly-defined task or decision, may be ready for deeper sharing or project-based activities to generate a sense of teamwork. 
For further information, please consult Chapter 16 of the Community Tool Box for more insights and resources on group facilitation. Best of luck as you build your skills in this important topic.
 
 
 

Thanks for your question, Aoy. I'm glad you're finding the Toolbox valuable. I'm not certain how to best answer your second question, but I hope to add some help in relation to your first. 
The difference between community and coalition capacity lies mainly in the scope of focus and type of measures used. Coalition capacity is focused on the activities and interactions of the coalition members in reference to their collective work. It might entail relationship quality, funding, and technical expertise. Community capacity refers to a broader set of capabilities within a defined community that are typically more generalized than the work of a specific coalition and could include the conditions of education, employment, opportunity and resource availability. 
 

Alisa,
Thank you for your question. There are number of tools that I would suggest regarding community health assessments. For starters, please consult Chapter 3 of the Community Toolbox for a wealth of information on different methods, measures and strategies. You may also want to consult the Association for Community Health Improvement Community Health Assessment Toolkit. The Public Health Institute released a nice report on Best Practices for Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy Development. 
As you consider these examples, I'd strongly encourage you to incorporate ways to engage multiple stakeholders within your community and use qualitative data alongside quantitative measures. Many community health assessment processes have prioritized quantitative measures that are often costly, lack the ability to add new information and are duplicative of other existing data sources (e.g. hospital utilization data). Working with a group of stakeholders to identify "what we know" and "what we need to know", can help you prioritize the type of data collection you invest in.
Best of luck on your assessment process. Community health assessments can be valuable tools for engaging stakeholders and developing collective understanding and activity to improve public health.

Hi Aoy, and thanks for contacting CTB.
The Community readiness Model is research informed and can be used to help assess community readiness for addressing a wide variety of issues.  Chapter 2 under our table of Contents has a section with information about the model and a link to the model's developers.
Please feel free to use it, and to adapt it if there are elements that don't work well in your culture(s).  Other chapters may become relevant as your project planning proceeds.

Hi Everisto,
Thanks for contacting CTB.  Take a look at our Chapter on Building a Social Marketing campaign (under the Table of Contents graphic), but expect that you will need to adapt some of our suggestions to work better in the culture(s) present in Malawi. Also, click on Toolkits under the Table of Contents and you will find a related toolkit.
Consider doing one or more surveys of high school students to learn what information they most want and need when making decisions about college.
You might also ask some of the NGOs at work there for advice on marketing.  You have picked an important issue, and we wish you solid success!

Hi Cynthia,
Unfortunately, CTB cannot recommend specific organizations.  We suggest that you ask human rights organizations in your area for trainer recommendations.
You might take a look at Chapter 27 and Toolkit 9 in our table of contents for relevant information about building cultural competence.
Cultural competence is an increasingly important quality as our nation, cities and neighborhoods become more diverse.  We hope you find a good trainer.

Thank you for your question, Jennifer. I'm happy to see that you're interested in disseminating data in a way that is consumable by the community. As a start, I would refer you to Chapter 6 on Communication. This section contains some important questions that could help guide your thinking like:

• Why do you want to communicate with the community?  (What’s your purpose?)
• Whom do you want to communicate it to?  (Who’s your audience?)
• What do you want to communicate?  (What’s your message?)
• How do you want to communicate it?  (What communication channels will you use?)
• Whom should you contact and what should you do in order to use those channels?  (How will you actually distribute your message?)

I would add to this a major question: "What does the community want/need to hear?". If you haven't already, I'd suggest having interactions (from informal conversations to structured interviews) with your target audience. You can develop the most clearly-written document, but if it does not meet their needs -- incorporate their language, etc -- it will not be as effective as you would like. Don't be afraid to "beta test" this with the intended audience. By trying it out, you'll understand what connects-- and what doesn't-- before you publish more widely. 
Of course, you should be mindful of literacy level and write all materials at the lowest grade level possible (there are many online tools that can assist with testing your writing level). In addition, note that research literacy must also be considered, but your report can be an opportunity to enhance those skills in partners. Infographics are great tools that help people of all research literacy levels quickly grasp data.
Best wishes on your project. 
 

Hi Craig,
We don't know the answer to your question but suggest you contact the DC equivalent of Municipal court clerk or auditor for information.

Hii Beth, and thanks for contacting CTB.  Take a look at the listing under our Services graphic to find information about how to order training curriculum.

Thanks for asking, Joe; but we don't have an answer for you.  Suggest you seek help locally.

Hi John, and thanks for asking.
CTB is connected with a very good university but does not grant degrees itself.  If you approach a local university in your own area and propose an independent study of the Community Tool Box content, you may be able to earn academic credits in that way.  
We hope you find our information valuable for your own work and community and wish you well in your endeavors.

Hi Kasey,
I have given a lot of thought to your question, because you have an audience with which I am not familiar.  So I have several suggestions that I hope will be helpful:
First, I suggest that you do some "ride alongs" with drivers (Unless they are all long-distance drivers and it's not practical), as a way of getting acquainted and to give them an opportunity to talk informally about what challenges and stressors they experience doing their work.  Ask them to teach you about what they encounter.  Do a lot of listening, maintain individual confidentiality, and offer advice when asked.  Probably you will be "tested" to see if you listen, understand, and can be trusted to keep confidentiality.  All that is crucial to building trust and credibility.  Expect that may take some time.
Second, if management has no objection, ask to talk with union representatives to learn about stressors common throughout the industry, and about behavioral solutions that the union can support.  The involved unions may already have wellness programs or suggestions to contribute.
Same advice re building relationships with sedentary office workers.  As a theoretically sedentary group, I would add inquiry about physical discomforts that arise from lack of active movements, and about practical solutions that have worked for them and can be shared without attribution. 
A useful program goal is to learn what health-related issues the employees really care about and what health-related questions they would like to have answered in your newsletters and presentations.  Remember that "health" involves "social determinants" as well as physical health, and that family issues also impact employee wellness. 
Again, if management is supportive, recruit an advisory group from among both employee cohorts to help identify needs that can be addressed with periodic presentations and in-house media.  Also to design a company-wide wellness culture.
One issue that may come up and will need to be handled confidentially is that of substance use/dependence.  It will take your building a reputation as one willing to help get treatment without jeopardizing the employee's job.  Your company's employee assistance policies also will be key to effective helping.
I am not familiar with relevant occupational health literature, so I suggest that you seek consultation from practitioners of physical and occupational therapy for advice and leads to literature.  I do know that you will find relevant information by web-searching "employee wellness."  Within CTB, Chapters 3 through 7 may be relevant.  I have flagged several core competencies that may have chapters with relevant information.
 

Hi John, and thanks for asking.
Currently the only certification that is offered is through our courses on Kansas TRAIN. The certification is offered through TRAIN, not CTB.  Information can be found at: ://ctb.ku.edu/en/online-courses. 
Certificate or not, I hope you find the material you are studying helpful to your work.
 
 

Hi Mikkal, and thanks for contacting CTB.
We have several sections, which I have check-marked below.  The core of it all is to find others who share your concern, clarify what you all want to accomplish together, train participants in skills they will need to advocate for change, and continue to recruit additional participants.  The fact that your focus is upon a state licensing activity you communicate your concerns to both the state licensing body the fact that your focus is upon a state license process also suggests that your advocacy group discuss its concerns with the licensing authority and with relevant state legislators.  Advice from a knowledgeable attorney probably should be part of your planning proess.
Hope this helps.  Please do review the sections I have checked by looking them up in our Table of Contents, and take a look at related Tool Kits.

Hi Suzette,
There are indeed laws to protect homeless persons from discrimination and abuse; even some that provide support and dignity.  Unfortunately, the effect of many local laws and practices is to exclude homeless persons and to criminalize homelessness.  However, laws vary from state to state and locality to locality.  You have picked a very broad topic, and I suggest that you narrow your focus to a state or county with which you are familiar.  
Typically, inquiries may be made to local Human Rights commissions, Human Services commissions, law enforcement (You might want to ask for a "ride along" with a law enforcement officer, especially if the department has Community Liaison officers), or local charitable organizations focusing on services to homeless persons.
Take a look at our section on Assessing Community Needs and Resources, found under the Learn A Skill Graphic in the Table of Contents and related tool kit, for suggestions that may help you plan your study.
 

Hi Jeannie,
The only suggestion I can offer is to consult an attorney for appropriate advice.

Hi Cori, and thanks for asking.
Please see our Sections on Creating Coalitions and on Building and Maintaining Membership for guidance on finding members.  Boiled down to basics, you should identify a clear issue, mission, and purpose; then identify other people in your area with similar concerns or needs.  Reach out and talk to them.  Part of that agends might be to educate others about the issue or need and invite them to join you (or you decide to join them) in building mission and strategy.  It can take a lot of work, but is worth the effort.
My answer to the second part of your question depends entirely upon what level of organization you want to create.  If you want only a non-incorporated coalition, then you do not need any legal document.  If you want to incorporate, then you may need to incorporate as a nonprofit.  It depends upon the organization's purpose and whether you will seek tax-deductible contributions from supporters.  Best to ask a lawyer for specific advice.
 

Hi Nambulana, and thanks for contacting CTB,
Forming a club may be the easier part.  Ask friends and other people your age if they have similar interest in healthcare and invite those who do to help start a club.  Another approach would be to ask local health care providers (physicians, nurses, home health outreach workers, clinics, hospitals) if there are already clubs focused on health care, and join one of those.
The more complicated parts will be identifying one or just a few health care needs that the club will try to address.  Again, health care providers can provide valuable advice and guidance they welcome people who have a genuine interest in helping, because resources almost always are insufficient to meet needs.  CTB's Table of Contents lists chapters and provides toolkits that you may find valuable as guides to organizing both the club and its mission,  feel free to read through them and to apply or adapt the information you find useful.  I have checked several sections below that may help you get started,, and you can read further as your effort proceeds.  Feel free to submit future questions if we can be or assistance, and thanks for your interest in helping others achieve health lives.

Hello Elizabeth,
Thank you for reaching out to us,
This seems like an interesting project! We have a few chapters that address this topic, and the links below will lead to them. It can be difficult at times to find existing data, so it can be helpful to do your own assessment, if that information is not ravailable online. 

• Deciding where to Start
• Assessing Community Needs and Resources
• Analyzing Community Problems and Solutions
• Analyzing Problems and Goals
• Developing an Intervention 
• Choosing and Adapting Community Intervention

 
Good Luck with the project!
RB