Utilize Healthy People 2020 as your guide to help determine whether or not something is a problem in terms of community health and well-being. o Do you think a solution is possible?

Windshield Survey of Howell Township, New Jersey
Community Assessment Paper ****** ALL INFORMATION MUST BE BASED ON HOWELL TOWNSHIP, NEW JERSEY *********** A community/population-focused assessment is to be completed by each student. The student will assessment their community. Part I: Definition of the Community It is the community/population that is the focus of this assignment not the individual. Briefly describe how your community of interest fulfills the definition of a community. This should be no more than a paragraph and will serve as the introduction to the paper. Part II: Windshield survey Using the following guidelines, collect data on your community. Label all sections and subsections. 1. Do a windshield survey of the community you have chosen. A windshield survey includes your direct observations of the community in question, ie. Is the community urban or suburban, are the homes primarily single or multiple dwellings, does the community seem affluent or does it appear to be a low income area? Are the streets clean , are there burnt-out buildings or poorly cared for properties evident? What visible resources are available, eg churches, community centers, schools (public or private) etc. Does the area appear safe or would you be hesitant to proceed any further? Is there a visible police presence, etc.? Is there public transportation, senior and/or low income housing? Look for evidence of health and social service systems or services; recreational facilities; correctional facilities. 2. This is best done with a partner at 2 different times ie. in morning and late afternoon or early evening. Part 2 of the paper is best presented in a table format. Windshield Survey (Community Assessment Assignment) Housing and Zoning Description: What is the age of the houses, architecture? Of what materials are they constructed? Are all the neighborhood houses similar in age, architecture? How would you characterize their differences? Are they detached or connected to others? Do they have space in front or behind? What is their general condition? Are there signs of disrepair-broken doors, windows, leaks, locks missing? Dont forget senior housing, subsidized housing and housing such as assisted living centers. Open Space Description: How much open space is there? What is the quality of the space green parks or rubble-filled lots? What is the lot size of the houses? Lawns? Flower boxes? Do you see trees on the pavements, a green island in the center of the streets? Any parks, are they in use or empty and desolate? Is the open space public or private? Used by whom? Boundaries Description: What signs are there of where this neighborhood begins and ends? Are the boundaries natural—a river, a different terrain; physical—a highway, railroad; economic-difference in real estate or presence of industrial or commercial united along with residential? Does the neighborhood have an identity, a name? Do you see it displayed? Are there unofficial names? Commons Description: What are the neighborhood hangouts? For what groups, at what hours (e.g. schoolyard, candy store, bar restaurant, park, 24-hour drugstore)? Does the commons area have a sense of territoriality, or is it open to the stranger? Transportation Description: How do people get in and out of the neighborhood—car, bus, train, bike, walk, etc.? Are the streets and roads conducive to good transportation and also to community life? Is there a major highway near the neighborhood? Whom does it serve? How frequently is public transportation available? Service centers Description: Do you see social agencies, recreation centers, signs of activity at the schools? Are there offices of doctors and dentists, rehab centers, hospitals, etc.? What about child care centers or adult medical day care centers? Stores Description: Where do residents shop—shopping centers, neighborhood stores (eg. local bodegas), outdoor markets, eg. farm markets? How do they get there, by foot, car, public transportation? Street People Description: If you are traveling during the day, whom do you see on the street-an occasional housewife, mother with a baby? Do you see anyone you would not expect-teenagers, unemployed males? Any homeless visible? Is the dress of those you see representative or unexpected? Along with people, what animals do you see-stray cats, pedigreed pets, watchdogs? Signs of Decay Description: Is this neighborhood on the way up or down? Is it alive? How would you decide? Trash, abandoned cars, political posters, neighborhood-meeting posters, real estate signs, abandoned houses, mixed zoning usage? Race Description: Are the majority of the residents Caucasian, African-American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American or Pacific Islander? Does the area seem to be integrated or does one racial group predominate? Ethnicity Description: Are there indices of ethnicity—food stores, churches, private schools, information in a language other than English? Religion Description: Of what religion are the residents? Do you see evidence of heterogeneity or homogeneity? What denomination are the churches, synagogues, temples, etc.? Do you see evidence of their use other than on Sunday mornings? Health and Morbidity Description: Do you see evidence of acute or of chronic diseases or conditions? What about substance use/abuse, mental illness, etc.? How far it is to the nearest hospital or multi-purpose clinic? Any clinics designated for particular purpose, eg. infectious disease, planned parenthood, etc. Politics Description: Do you see any political campaign posters? Is there a headquarters present? Do you see an evidence of predominant party affiliation? Media Description: Do you see outdoor television antennas? What magazines, newspapers do residents read? What media seem most important to the residents-radio, television, print, internet based ? Part III : Data collection Include information on the following population characteristics and trends in your community over time: age distribution; sex distribution; racial characteristics; ethnic and cultural characteristics; birth rate; death rate; infant mortality rates; leading causes of death; morbidity rates; case specific rates for conditions such as tuberculosis, AIDS, STDS, cancer, and other chronic diseases; median family income and its range; poverty statistics; median education level and range; homelessness, crime and persons living in institutional/group settings. Key sources for information for sections 2 data collection include census data, morbidity and mortality statistics, statistics reported in research and clinical literature on your community or in newsletters and reports on your community. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) is an excellent resource for morbidity and mortality statistics. Statistical information is available on the Internet for your city, county and the state of New Jersey. Visit or call City Hall, local or county health department, local libraries, community organizations to obtain current statistical information on your community This part of the paper is best presented in a table format. Part IV: Assessment and analysis of the health of your community. Analysis of the data which you have collected through assessment should lead to an identification of the strengths as well as the problems/needs of your community Using the information gathered for parts I, II and III of this paper, identify the major strengths, problems and needs of your community. Identify one of the problems you consider to be highest priority . o Discuss the issue and articulate why you consider this problem to be high priority. Utilize Healthy People 2020 as your guide to help determine whether or not something is a problem in terms of community health and well-being. o Do you think a solution is possible? Has the community identified the problem and initiated any plan to remedy? If you are performing this community assessment as a shared project with another classmate, you are required to identify two priority problems and proceed as above.