Analyzing Community Resources and Needs

Introduction

Most of us want the same things from our communities. We want them to be safe from violence and illness; we want neighbourhoods that are alive and work well. And we would all like to have people who care for us and whom we trust. But how do we develop a community like that? Our belief is that communities are built when people work together on things that matter to them, like creating environments where each person feels a sense of belonging and mutual support.

The factors that affect people’s mental health don’t fit into neat categories, but often involve just about every aspect of their lives, and every sector of the community. Defining our problems as being connected to other issues (and people) helps us to see the many ways in which we are linked together.

Complex issues like improving mental health require cooperation throughout a community in order for significant change to happen. No one person, organization, or even sector can bring about major improvements in people’s mental health without the cooperation of virtually everyone involved in or affected by the issue.

In this chapter we look at some of the initial activities that are essential to successful mental health promotion initiatives: defining and analyzing the community’s resources and needs, and engaging the community to build collaborative partnerships and facilitate broad community participation. Completing these activities ensures that the initiatives that result will reflect community values and encourage community ownership.

We examine the ways that people worked to engage the community and identify the issue to focus on which reflected the unique context of the setting -- from a group of Aboriginal Elders concerned about the spiritual and emotional health of younger generations to a group of community members who were interested in creating new opportunities for people with mental illness.

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Acknowledgements

Developed with the support and help of the Mental Health Promotion Unit of Health Canada.