Steps In The Planning Process
You may choose
to form a planning group, or you may continue to work with the
original group that came together to form the initiative. Once
you’ve convened that group, you should start to think about
the steps you must take to take action on the analysis of community
resources and needs. Your plan should start with the information
and ideas you have already gathered, and accommodate the new
information that the group will develop while brainstorming
about your initiative’s objectives and strategies.
Step 1: Identify Issues And Priorities
Before you can begin to promote
the mental health of people in your community, you have to
have a clear idea of the specific issue to focus on. A clear,
compelling issue is necessary to ignite interest and provide
a focus.
The issue unifies the energy
and identity of the group -- it defines the situation in a
way that suggests clarity of purpose and of action. It helps
participants stay on track. Without a specific issue for people
to rally around, a mental health promotion project can easily
lose a sense of direction.
There may be a long list of community
mental health needs that you would like to respond to, but
you can’t do it all with one project. You have to have a clear
view of what specific needs you’re responding to, and what
your priorities are. Determining your priorities can be a
difficult process because there are a multitude of mental
health issues you could potentially focus on and many of them
are interconnected.
The tools
included at the end of Chapter 1 can help you tease the issues
apart and determine which one should be the focus of your
mental health promotion project.
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Step 2: Set
Goals And Objectives >
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