141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

277749
Leveraging our place to transform a community: The westward ho initiative

Monday, November 4, 2013

D. Christopher Fike, MSW , School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Michael Shafer, PhD , School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Robin Bonifas, PhD, MSW , School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Kristen Gustavson, LCSW, PhD , School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Kay Jarrell, MSN , College of Nursing & Health Innovation, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
Pegge Vissicaro , ASU Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, School of Dance, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Fei Sun, PhD , School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ
This presentation will describe a unique community development partnership between the owners, managers, and tenants of a large urban subsidized housing property and a local university. The findings of a mixed-methods assets and needs assessment, designed and implemented by university faculty and students, provided an in-depth portrayal of the health and social status, service utilization and quality of life among a representative sampling of the subsidized housing property tenants. Archival data provided by local police and fire departments supplemented the tenant-reported high rates of 911 calls and elevated utilization of crisis and emergency services. While tenants reported good access to routine health care, they also reported elevated chronic health risks (including mental illness, cardiopulmonary disease, and diabetes), as well as social isolation and community disconnectedness. Consistent with the principles of participatory action research, tenants, property management, and community stakeholders have been engaged with the university in designing and implementing a student-staffed, faculty-supervised onsite program that provides psychosocial rehabilitation and health promotion support and services. Embedding the university within the community in this manner provides an opportunity to revitalize a sense of community among property tenants, involves the local philanthropic community in addressing the needs of an often-marginalized population, and expands service learning and research opportunities for university faculty and students.

Learning Areas:
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the role universities can play in revitalizing local community assets through engaged partnerships and collaborations

Keywords: Community Development, Needs Assessment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have served as a research assistant on multiple evaluation projects assessing the effectiveness of programs designed to serve vulnerable populations. I also coordinated a needs assessment focusing on health, behavioral health, and psychosocial needs and indicators among tenants in subsidized housing. Among my scientific interests has been identifying risks and points of intervention with marginalized communities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3311.0: Behavioral health issues