Hello Malvin,
We are not aware of anyone having used it in that manner, although that does not mean you cannot do so. I think that will depend on whether you can find something useful for it within yourself. SWOT was developed to assist groups and organizations.
The Community Tool Box Advisor
Dear Kostandino,
It sounds as though you really need someone nearby to assist you with setting up your organization. I suggest you try the Michigan Nonprofit Association (https://www.mnaonline.org/). They may be able to offer some training, capacity building services, introduce you to a local mentor, or other services that will support you in achieving your goals.
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!
Hello Laura,
I am not sure what your question means because The Community Tool Box is not a program. Also, since it is an online resource I am sure there will be no impact on anyone's being in contact with family.
Dear Krishna,
The Community Tool Box courses are available to everyone online and free of charge. There is no certification associated with their completion.
Hello Doug,
The information and tool kits provided through the Community Tool Box are all free of charge.
The Community Tool Box
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.
Whether building networks online or in the real world, it is useful to create opportunities for participation from the key stakeholders on the project. By understanding and empathizing with the unique needs of your intended users, you'll be able to develop a better product and set up opportunities for ongoing engagement. While it is difficult sometimes to access particular groups, you can often find opportunities by connecting into the settings where people already are (e.g. Tuesday afternoon weekly Bocce group, faith community, etc.). These interactions can be formal or informal and time-limited or on-going (e.g. formation of an advisory group).
The article below presents several strong ideas about how you can create participation:/en/table-of-contents/participation/encouraging-involve...
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.
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!
Thank you for your question. Improving parks and other community facilities is an important task. The Community Tool Box has a nice section on this topic that you might find useful as you move forward.
I agree with your assertion that a powerful visual has the capacity to help multiple stakeholder groups connect with the project. While I cannot provide specific advice on graphic lay out, I would suggest that you consider adding user participation to your process, creating a space and process for the end users to share and co-develop an image that represents what they would like to create. There are several methodologies for doing this that often incorporate visual aspects. Photovoice has been utilized widely to capture user perceptions of assets and needs that can inform design and increase engagement. Creative placemaking and Design Thinking approaches can also be used. In each of these, the end user of the service (in your case the kids and families that will utilize the playground) help define their needs and desires for the space and can use collaborative art, photography, word clouds, etc. to paint a picture that is energizing and reflects their hopes for the space. You could pay a designer a lot of money to develop a beautiful image, but if it is disconnected from user perception, it may not create the type of enthusiasm and engagement that you desire.
Best of luck on your important project.
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!
Hello Nichole,
Thanks for reaching out – we love it when students use classroom assignments to produce real-world benefit for their communities, and it sounds like that’s the path you are on. We appreciate it and will support you however we can.
In terms of your question, you’re never going to hear us advise against systems-level change. Changes to policies, procedures, settings, and regulations [the outer ring of the Social-Ecological Model] have the best chance to address the root of the issue (in your case, firearms that are incorrectly stored and lead to accidental death and injury) for the broadest amount of people (your community). However, as you indicated in your question, it’s not an easy place to start. Plus, from experience we know that policy change, whether at the local, state, or national level takes time – and from your email, it sounds like this issue needs attention now.
I’d advise you to develop a framework/model of change for what you want to see happen in your community around firearms. This process can help you link your two ideas, public education and policy change, under one larger effort. In this case, your awareness campaign would have two purposes: education that hopes to produce behavior change in gun owners, and growing public awareness of the issue in order to build support for introducing such a bill.
As you’re undertaking this project, we encourage you to bring in other partners in your community. These can include those organizations that may be working on this issue already, those that may naturally align on your side (e.g. public safety organizations, religious communities) but who maybe haven’t taken up the cause yet, as well as community leaders and residents. Creating a diverse stakeholder group can be a make-or-break for community interventions. Don’t forget about the gun owners themselves – before designing a public education campaign, it may be worth doing a focus group or some non-participant observations around current firearm storage behavior. That way you really understand the roots of the problem behavior, and can design a campaign that speaks directly to those you are trying to reach.
It sounds like you already have a handle on the community-level indicators (accidental death, theft of firearms, criminal misuse) that are by-products of unsafe firearm storage. I encourage you (and your partners) to both use that data in your public awareness campaign, as well as to monitor your progress throughout the stages of your work. Thank you for all you are doing to make your community safer!
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.
Justin,
Thanks for your question. Please see instructions for citing the Community Tool Box on the Use Policy Page. Best wishes on your project!
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.
Marcia,
Sounds like you have your plate full with your day-job and this new non-profit role. The world could use more people with your level of dedication! Thank you!
As someone who works for a large, non-profit hospital, I can give you some insider advice. Leveraging your relationship with the CEO is definitely a plus and can help you get in the door, and get your ideas heard. However, he/she may not be the best person for you to partner with in TriHealth for the long term. In preparing for your meeting, I’d suggest doing your homework about TriHealth. What departments/individuals/sites are working on similar issues? What are the community health needs (identified by their most recent Community Health Needs Assessment, or CHNA) has TriHealth committed to addressing? Where could your organization complement their efforts – with outreach, seminars, or the Circles Program? Figure this out before hand, that way, you’re asking the CEO for something specific and tangible, e.g. an introduction to so and so to explore collaboration on X, rather than an abstract ask of “partnership.” Also, remain flexible during the course of the meeting. As CEO, the person you are meeting with has a broad perspective of the organization, and is likely a strategic thinker, and may be able to suggest another point of connection that you may not have come up with on your own.
When preparing for the meeting, remember that it’s extremely powerful when organizations, especially new organizations, can share their “story” of why they came to be, and what unmet need they are trying to fill, succinctly – with both qualitative and quantitative data. It’s an art to getting others to “see” your cause, but those who are successful, are usually the most successful in garnering support as well. Best of luck with your meeting! Question Date:
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.
Beatrice,
Many thanks for your question and for sharing a bit about your work. It sounds like your approach is in building organizational capacity within communities to do this work.I actually think that corresponds rather well with the collective impact concept of a backbone organization. You are providing the connectedness and shared resources that make shared action happen, even though you are not implementing the action at a local level.
To be more specific and distinguish the type of work that you're doing from others, you might consider a technical assistance vantage point. In this approach, you're providing expertise in support of local implementation, hopefully building sustainable capacity in those organizations to move forward independently over time.
Best of luck with your project.
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.
Pidson,
Please do! Best of luck with your work.
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 Luda, and thanks for contacting CTB.
If your organization has an accountant on your board, you might ask him/her for advice or for referral to a CPA whose practice includes real estate transactions.
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.
Hi Kari,
We can suggest only two possibilities: Consider contacting the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). You can do a search for their national website and find the nearest local chapter. The members are persons challenged by mental illness and family members of persons facing those challenges. They can offer support, general information, and relevant classes. Please give them a try. If he is willing, invite your son to attend also.
If your son is an adult, your options for getting him connected with mental health services may be limited by his right to be unwilling. If you see signs of suicide risk, it is important to ask local mental health providers to do an assessment of risk.
Best wishes!
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:
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.
Hello Juanda,
Thanks for contacting CTB for advice on how to resolve the tragic situation you describe. However, we are not able to help. We can only encourage you to seek further justice through the courts, and to seek emotional support for yourself through connecting with a counselor and/or support group of your choice. Best wishes for a happier future!
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.
Hello Analia, Thanks for contacting CTB. You might want to take a look at several chapters within CTB on building strategic plans. Those may help you in selecting strategy and tactics. CTB policies prohibit advisors from recommending specific organizations with relevant experience. However you will find several possibilities among the Community Stories described under our Connect With Others graphic. Feel free to search those stories and to contact directly any of the organizations you find there. You might also ask them for leads to other similar organizations in your general vicinity. You are working on an important issue. Best wishes for success!
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.
Hi Anja,
We apologize for the delay in responding. If you will click on the Graphic headed "About the Tool box, you will find contact information there.
Thanks for asking, Joe; but we don't have an answer for you. Suggest you seek help locally.
Hi Kelley, and thanks for contacting CTB, My first impression is that you have the beginnings of a good idea, but only the beginnings. I sense that you are trying to take too many steps all at once and, therefore, have difficulty keeping a focus on what to do next. So my first advice is to slow down and focus on a couple of the most important first steps!
You mention having a plan, but it is not clear to me whether you have a fully developed formal business plan. That usually is a necessary first step, and you can find information in Chapter 42 of our Table of Contents. A formal business plan is structured in a way that helps people focus and guides their thinking about best ways to build their organization. I also suggest that you find a mentor to help you with the plan, because few human services training programs address business planning. You might ask a respected local business person to mentor you, or seek advice from a business education instructor in a local school district or community college.
Finally, I suggest that you call up the existing arts program you mentioned and offer to collaborate with them, at first as a volunteer and later as a colleague. That can get you connected with informal local networks of people interested in the arts and in building arts businesses.
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 Sara, and thanks for asking! It seems to me that you have, in part, answered your own question when you say that you learn best by personal interaction. I will get to that in a minute, but first I want to acknowledge that physical health care constitutes only about 40% of the variables contributing to a healthy life and healthy community. The other variables can be aggregated under the rubric "Social Determinants of Health." The latter seems to be what you are interested in exploring, and I applauded that. When you ask "but what," my generic response is "Invest some time in learning about community needs and resources wherever you live and work. The key skill for doing that is one you already possess: seeking out community people who can talk with you about those things. Apply your human interaction skills to exploration. Eventually, you will find specific opportunities that excite you and complement your medical skills. Then join or form coalitions to partner with the community and address those opportunities. The portions of CTB that probably will be most relevant to your search can be found under the Community Assessment section in our Table of Contents - Chapters 4 through 6 - and Creating and Maintaining Coalitions and Partnerships. I have listed them in reverse order because it sounds to me that exploring the community first fits your situation best. Notice that both of those sections have accompanying Toolkits that are quite relevant. You may also want to look at the Stories found under Connect With Others.
Anyway, enjoy your search!
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 Austin,
I think the correct answer depends upon what you hope to accomplish in the way of a relationship with an inquiring student. If you merely want to convey information to the student, a general guide can accomplish that. If you want to engage the student actively, the online assessment seems a better first step. Ultimately, a combination of the two may work, with assessment first and then relevant information selected and sent to the student based upon the students assessment responses.
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 Jerry, and thanks for asking. The skill is called Role Reversal and Empathy. A good explanation can be found at: http://www.blatner.com/adam/level2/conflictres.html For more general information about conflict resolutions, see CTB Chapter 20, section 6, Chapter 27, and a related Troubleshooter Guide
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 Kelly, and thanks for contacting CTB,
Our policies do not permit me to recommend specific sources of potential funding, so I encourage you to look at foundationcenter,org for a directory of charitable foundations and their funding priorities. You may find relevant sources there.
Perhaps our chapters on Grant Writing may assist you in developing applications for grant funds.
You have a good cause and we wish you good hunting.
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 Sonia, and thanks for asking.
We are not permitted to refer to specific products or organizations when we reply to requests for advice, so I can't help you. You might check out our Community Stories section under Connect With Others, or simply web search for Organic Cleaning Products for possibilities.
Hi Jeannie,
The only suggestion I can offer is to consult an attorney for appropriate advice.
Hi Latasha, and thanks for contacting CTB. I know very little about resources for information about system management in public health, but I was attending a meeting this morning that included the Assistant Director of our city-county Health Department. When I asked her for advice, she suggested that you contact the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Emory University for leads to the information you are seeking. I suggest, also, that you take a look at our Table of Contents: Chapter 2, Section 13. It provides one model for strengthening public health.of a community.
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 Katherine,
Your question is very complicated and one for which CTB has no answer. We encourage you to contact a mental health counselor or therapist for assistance in coming to understand the reactions you describe.
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 Solomon,
Thank you for reaching out to us! I'm glad to hear you are interested in getting active in the community. We have several Chapters and Toolkits that can help you better familiarize yourself in how to approach the topic. This link will lead you to our Table of Content and Toolkits pages that will give the information you need. http://www.youtube.com/
Ramy
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.
Good Luck with the project!
RB
Hello Christa,
Thank you for contacting us,
You can check the Community Tool Box 'Use Policy', at /en/use-policy. There is also a link to it on the Tool Box home page.
Basically, what the Use Policy says is that printing depends on the purpose for which the materials will be used. Specifically:
* Someone can freely print anything in the Tool Box without limit if it is for their personal use, or for non-commercial use within a nonprofit group. (can copy/paste it or use the browser printing option)
* In other cases (for example, for use in courses, paid workshops, or re-publication), someone who wants to use materials should contact the Tool Box directly asking for permission.
In any case, the Tool Box asks for appropriate crediting when its materials are used. Details on how to do this are in the Use Policy itself.
