Triangulating Perspectives: A Needs Assessment to Develop an Outreach Program for Vulnerable and Underserved Populations

Abstract

W hen developing outreach programs for vulnerable populations, a key challenge that many practitioners face is gaining access to the population they are attempting to reach. Vulnerable populations are comprised of individuals who risk poor physical and mental health due to a lack of access to resources. Th ese individuals may experience homelessness, substance abuse, mental illness, and physical abuse. Attention towards bridging the gap between healthcare resources and vulnerable populations is needed for the following reasons: a) Th e needs of aff ected individuals are in many cases debilitating or life-threatening; b) Th ey require an extensive set of medical and nonmedical services; c) Th e growth in their number and magnitude of needs are placing greater demands on the medical care, public health, and related social and human service delivery sectors; d) Th eir multi-faceted needs are not adequately met through existing fi nancing or service delivery arrangements; andThis article describes the tiered process used to conduct a needs assessment and the implications of the methods employed had on the design and development of interventions for a community audience. A needs assessment was conducted to identify health needs for an underserved, vulnerable population. This report emphasizes the fi ndings addressing the need for preventative educational materials and programming. Ethnographic characteristics were used to gather information from multiple sample sources in order to triangulate data from three diff erent perspectives: (1) the client, (2) providers and support staff , and (3) educators in the community.The outcomes of this project will serve as input for designing and implementing innovative educational outreach programs for the vulnerable and underserved populations and for community-based physicians and medical students who serve the community.

Participation’ goals of Community- based organizations in the COVID-19 pandemic based on capacity gaps

“…[ 21 ] To achieve this, community stakeholders who are able to supply the needs of vulnerable people and provide services; should involve in disaster response. [ 22 ] In Iran, as CBOs mostly established to cover the health needs of vulnerable and deprived people, they are the main community stakeholders. CBOs can give state authorities a deep understanding of the specific needs of the target community and clear the best way of delivering health services adjusted to community culture and values.…”

Community Policing: Using Needs Assessment to Gain Understanding before Implementing

“…Local communities, however, may also use needs assessments to determine gaps in serving the unemployed, the homeless, or other clients of governmental agencies. Stefaniak, Mi, and Afonso (2015), for example, relied on the Witkin and Altschuld (1995) three-phase model to identify the healthcare needs of homeless-shelter clients. By involving the clients and the staff of the shelter as well as the librarians working near the shelter, these investigators found that the librarians were an untapped medical resource that the shelter could partner with to meet the needs of homeless individuals seeking information about medical issues.…”

“…Not only do needs assessments allow for a systematic assessment of a situation, but these methodologies also engage multiple stakeholders to uncover the performance gap and collaboratively develop solutions (Stefaniak, Mi, & Afonso, 2015). Furthermore, to engage in effective community policing, law enforcement leadership must be willing to move beyond the rhetoric of community policing to determine whether their citizens and police force are actually trying to understand each other's perspectives and are working together to solve community problems.…”