The goal of this assignment is to conduct a community mental health needs and resources assessment that also familiarizes you with the overall mental health needs in your community. Having assessed the most pressing local mental health needs, you will focus on one of the major identified issues involving a specific, marginalized population and evaluate what services are offered and by what organizations.
Your paper must be 10-12 pages (not including title page, abstract, or reference page; however, these are required as well). You must use current APA style (write in third person) and integrate references to at least 10 recent and relevant sources. Ideally, include both June & Black and Scott & Wolfe in a meaningful way. You may use scholarly journal articles, but your most important sources will be (local and state) government reports, census data, hospital records research, news reports, information from CDC and DHHS, and professional organizations. Sources cited must be specific and relevant to your immediate locality. Include the following content, using appropriate headings:
1. Introduction of your community: Describe its location, populations, demographics, and relevant trends, etc.
2. Local needs assessment: Articulate the overall, big picture of your communitys mental health needs and at-risk populations. Be sure to give clear attribution to your sources.
3. Identification of a specific population or issue: Explain why you chose to focus on this particular group.
4. Local resources assessment: Identify the specific organizations that work with this specific population/ issue. Include government, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations in your analysis. How are these organizations addressing this specific need in the community? Your goal is to briefly describe what they do, not to evaluate their effectiveness.
5. Personal reflection: Reflect on how this project has changed your view of your community and/or aided you in better understanding your community. You may use first person in this section.