Community-based support assessment and identifying gaps for…

Writing required only for 1-2 part of the assignment.

Part 3A: Community Assessment

As part of the capstone project, develop a detailed plan for conducting a community assessment, identifying gaps, and proposing a suitable intervention (Part 3B). While you will not carry out the assessment or intervention, your task is to create a comprehensive and theory-informed assessment plan.

Assignment Sections 1. Community Identification and Definition (~1-2 paragraphs)

In this section clearly define who the community is and establish the boundaries that will guide the assessment. Required Content

• Type of community (identify your at-risk, marginalized or vulnerable population clearly) Geographic boundaries (if applicable); include a map if required as an Appendix.
• Population characteristics (e.g., age distribution, cultural or linguistic groups, income, housing, migration status)
• Community context (e.g., urban/rural/remote, historical or structural influences)

Guiding Questions

• How is this community defined?
• Who is included and who may be excluded by this definition?
• How does this definition shape what can be assessed?

Choose your population from the sample list of at-risk, marginalized or vulnerable population.

Marginalized and At-Risk Populations (Broader groups affected by structural, social, economic, or systemic inequities)

• Racialized communities
• 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals
• Newcomers, refugees, and undocumented immigrants
• People with disabilities (physical, sensory, developmental)
• Persons experiencing housing insecurity or homelessness
• Individuals facing food insecurity
• Survivors of violence, trauma, or abuse
• People with substance-use disorders
• Individuals with limited literacy (health, digital, or linguistic)
• Rural or remote populations with limited access to services
• Low-income and working-poor families
• Persons without access to stable healthcare (e.g., uninsured)
• Sex workers
• Youth in care or those transitioning out of care
• Single-parent households with constrained resources
• People affected by systemic discrimination (e.g., anti-Black racism, colonialism, ableism)
• Other community-specific or context-specific marginalized groups: Indigenous populations, Women, children, Teens, Incarceration, war-torn countries, etc…

Now that you have identified your chosen community, next examine the determinants of health that impact them the most.

2. Social and Structural Determinants of Health (~1-2 paragraphs)

In this section analyze the key determinants of health shaping health outcomes and inequities in the selected population. Required Content

• Identification of the most relevant (top 3) Canadian determinants of health affecting the community (select those that matter most, do not list all)
• Explanation of how each determinant influences:

o Health status o Access to services o Inequities or unmet needs

• Use of population-level data and scholarly/governmental sources Examples of determinants may include:
• Income and social status
• Housing and neighbourhood conditions
• Employment and working conditions
• Education and literacy
• Food security
• Social support and isolation
• Access to health and social services
• Culture, language, immigration status
• Indigenous status and impacts of colonization
• Systemic racism and discrimination

Guiding Questions

• Which determinants most strongly shape health in this community?
• How do these determinants interact?
• What experiences or impacts are not fully captured in existing data?

An examination of the determinants of health should provide insight into priority areas/concerns/ inequities that require or prompt the Community Assessment.

3. Purpose and Focus of the Community Assessment (~1-2 paragraphs)

In this section explain why a community assessment is needed, based on preliminary evidence (ie. the determinants of health).

Required Content

• A clear purpose statement for the assessment
• A preliminary issue or concern or inequity that has been identified, prompting the assessment
• Population-level data supporting the need for assessment (e.g., census data, public health reports)

Guiding Questions

• What signals suggest a need to understand this community more deeply?
• What do existing data suggest, but not yet explain?
• What questions remain unanswered?

Next, identify how the community assessment will be conducted (Assessment Approach).

4. Community Assessment Approach (~1-2 paragraphs)

In this section describe your approach to conducting the community assessment.

Although no primary data collection is undertaken, students are expected to demonstrate how a structured community assessment process was applied using available evidence. This is a theoretical Community Assessment.

Required Content

a. Assessment approach

• Identify and describe the type(s) of community assessment strategies will be used (primary and secondary sources), such as: o Literature o Needs assessment o Asset and resource mapping o Priority population assessment o Community profile or environmental scan
• You may use more than one approach if appropriate and use additional strategies not listed here.

A multi-modal comprehensive approach is recommended.

o Provide a rationale for each approach o Explanation of how the approaches complement one another

Guiding Questions

• What type of assessment best fits the purpose?
• Why is a multi-method approach beneficial?
• How does this design support equity and inclusion?

This section is brief as you will be describing each data sources/collection approach (primary and secondary sources) separately the next sections.

Now, that you have identified how you will be collecting the data, next begin to populate the details of each and summarize your findings.

5. Data Sources and Evidence Base (Secondary sources) (~1-2 pages)

In this section identify, justify and summarize the findings from existing data sources used to conduct the community assessment and demonstrate the ability to critically appraise population-level evidence. In this section only secondary data sources (academic and grey literature) will be discussed.

Required Content

1. Description of data sources

Identify multiple credible sources used in your assessment, such as:

• Statistics Canada (Census, Canadian Community Health Survey)
• Local or provincial public health reports o Municipal planning or housing reports o Community health profiles
• Reports from community organizations or NGOs o Peer-reviewed literature

1. Rationale for source selection

For each source, briefly explain: o What type of information it provides

• Why it is relevant to your community and population o How it contributes to understanding needs, strengths, or gaps

1. Limitations of existing data Critically acknowledge: o Gaps in available data o Populations that may be underrepresented o Timeliness or geographic limitations o Over-reliance on quantitative indicators or lack of data.

In this section you must summarize the findings from secondary sources to support your community assessment, and not merely mention the sources.

In the next section you will now summarize the primary data sources chosen, why the method(s) was chosen and who will provide the information.

6. Data Sources (Primary sources) and Community Engagement (~2-4 pages)

In this section describe where the information would come from, who will provide it, how it was theoretically gathered and what did the findings indicate.

Required Content

1. Primary Data Sources (where and how)

• Identify potential methods or tools used (e.g., interviews, focus groups, surveys, forums, windshield surveys)
• Provide a rationale for the chosen type of assessment.
• Specify who participated
• Describe the type of information each method captures
• Identify strengths and limitations of your chosen method(s)

1. Community Engagement and Stakeholder Identification (who)

• Identification of key stakeholders and gatekeepers
• Consideration of marginalized or underrepresented voices
• Strategies to support trust, accessibility, and cultural safety
• Recognition of power dynamics

Guiding Questions

• Which organizations or services are already involved or available in the community?
• Who are the gatekeepers (individuals or groups who facilitate or create barriers) and stakeholders (those with a vested interest in the issues)?
• How will you communicate with these individuals about the identified issues?
• Whose perspectives or voices might be overlooked regarding these issues?
• How will you engage socially excluded, marginalized, or at-risk populations in the assessment process?

c. Community Engagement findings Synthesize the findings from the primary source(s)

Key Issues Identified by Community Members

• Summarize what existing engagement sources report about:
• Health or social concerns identified as priorities by community members o Barriers experienced in accessing services or supports o Gaps in programs, resources, or policies o Issues affecting daily life, well-being, or health

This should reflect community-identified concerns, not professional assumptions.

Community-Identified Strengths and Assets

• Describe strengths noted in engagement findings, such as:
• Existing formal or informal supports o Community resilience or coping strategies o Cultural, social, or environmental assets o Trusted services, organizations, or leaders Avoid framing the community only in terms of deficits. Stakeholder and Service Provider Perspectives Summarize perspectives reported by:
• Community organizations o Service providers o Advocacy groups o Local leaders or coalitions o Include:
• Commonly identified challenges
• Observations about service capacity or system barriers

Areas of alignment or tension between services and community needs

Representation and Gaps in Community Voice

• Critically analyze engagement findings to identify:
• Which populations are clearly represented o Which populations appear underrepresented or absent
• Structural or systemic reasons for limited representation (e.g., language barriers, mistrust, accessibility)

This analysis should be evidence-informed and non-speculative.

Power, Trust, and Lived Experience

• Based on documented engagement findings, discuss:
• Indicators of trust or mistrust between community members and institutions o Power dynamics influencing whose voices are heard o Historical or contextual factors shaping engagement experiences o Whether community input appears influential or marginal

This discussion should focus on patterns, not individual opinions.

Synthesis of Engagement Findings

Provide a concise synthesis that integrates:

o Community perspectives o Stakeholder viewpoints o Identified strengths and gaps

This synthesis should clearly articulate what community engagement reveals about the nature and scope of the issue within the community.

7. Community Assessment Findings (Synthesis) (~1-2 paragraphs)

Synthesize existing evidence (from primary and secondary sources) and clearly articulate what the community assessment revealed regarding needs, strengths, gaps, and inequities.

This section represents the outcome of the theoretical community assessment and directly informs Part 3B.

Areas to consider in summary/synthesis

1. Key community needs

Using evidence from your sources, identify: o The most significant unmet needs o Health or social inequities o Service gaps or access barriers Support all claims with data.

1. Community strengths and assets Identify:

o Existing services, programs, or supports o Community resilience factors o Protective social or structural features

1. Synthesis and interpretation Interpret findings using: o Determinants of health analysis This should answer:

What does this assessment tell us about this community, and why does it matter?

• Explain how you synthesized all of the existing data to understand the community. This may include:
• What information was prioritized o How findings were interpreted
• How inequities and structural influences were identified

Next identify the most appropriate theory or conceptual framework that is applicable to your chosen population and guiding your community assessment.

8. Theoretical or Conceptual Framework Guiding the Assessment (~1 page)

In this section identify and justify the theoretical or conceptual framework that guides the community assessment.

Required Content

1. Framework Identification and Description

• Identify one primary framework
• Briefly describe its key concepts
• Cite scholarly source
• Examples of acceptable frameworks include:

o Social Determinants of Health Framework o Population Health Approach o Socio-Ecological Model o Community as Partner Model o Primary Health Care Framework o Equity-Oriented Health Care Framework o Anti-Oppressive or Structural Violence Framework o Indigenous health frameworks (where appropriate)

1. Justification for Framework Selection Explain:

• Why this framework is appropriate for the selected community
• How it aligns with identified determinants of health
• Why it is suitable for guiding a community assessment

1. Application to the Assessment Process Explain how the framework will guide:

• What data are prioritized
• Levels of analysis (individual, community, structural, policy)
• Attention to equity, power, and context
• Inclusion of community voice and lived experience

Avoid discussing how the framework will guide future interventions (this belongs in Part 3B).

9. Ethical and Equity Considerations (~1-2 paragraphs)

In this section demonstrate ethical reasoning in conducting a community assessment.

Required Content

• Respect for community autonomy
• Informed consent considerations
• Confidentiality and data stewardship
• Cultural humility and safety
• Distinction between assessment and research ethics

10. Strengths and Limitations of the Community Assessment (~1 paragraph) Critically reflect on the quality and feasibility of the proposed plan.

Required Content

• Strengths of the assessment design used
• Limitations (e.g., access barriers, data gaps, time constraints)
• Strategies to mitigate limitations in future phases

11. . Summary and Transition to Part 3B (~1 paragraph)

In this section conclude Part 3A and prepare for the next phase.

Required Content

• Concise summary of assessment purpose and scope
• Key domains likely requiring further exploration
• Clear statement that intervention planning will occur in Part 3B

12. Scholarly Writing and Referencing

• Use course concepts, frameworks, and literature
• Prioritize Canadian sources
• Reference all sources using APA 7th edition.
• This is a 15-page maximum double-spaced, 12-point font size, Arial font style formatted assignment. The page length does not include the title page, references page(s), or appendices.
• Double-spaced, APA margins and indent.
• Students are required to use 2 to 4 scholarly references from peer-reviewed journal articles to support their submission using the literature.
• This assignment should be written using essay/scholarly format; use full sentences and paragraphs per APA guidelines.
• Do NOT use numbered, bullet points, or any other point form in this assignment.