Community health assessment (CHA) is a process that engages with community members and academic, private, and public agencies to systematically collect and analyze health-related data from a variety of sources in a specific community. The findings of a CHA can inform community decision-making, drive prevention initiatives, and identify priority health concerns for future health planning.
IIKD's approach to CHA supports tribal self-determination, builds community capacity for CHA, and promotes sustainable health planning. We focus on building knowledge, developing skills, and sharing tools for proactive health planning through our "Community Health Assessment Institute for Tribal Communities." IIKD also provides mentorship for Indigenous communities in developing, implementing, and evaluating a CHA process.
Examples of our CHA work include:
Our signature Community Health Assessment Institute (CHAI) is designed to increase the capacity of tribal communities and American Indian-serving organizations to pro-actively identify the factors that impact the health of their communities and to develop and implement sustainable health planning efforts informed by a community health assessment (CHA). CHA is a customary practice and a core function of public health and is defined as a systematic process of collecting and analyzing health data.
The CHA Institute is a great way for community health professionals of all skill levels to gain knowledge that can be used in conducting a community health assessment. It also gives participants the opportunity to get hands-on experience with the health data that they will use in their CHA and in future program planning, grant writing, and policy development. At CHAI, we will focus on the themes of Indigenous Data Sovereignty, Self-Determination, Capacity Building, and Health Planning for participants of all skill/knowledge levels – from beginners to the most advanced.
CHAs can:
For more information about our signature CHA Workshops or other CHA-related initiatives, contact Nathania Tsosie at ntsosie@salud.unm.edu or 505-925-4377.
IIKD has hosted many workshops with Tribes, Pueblos, Nations, and off-reservation urban Native communities across the US and has developed a unique approach to Indigenous CHA.
Our model of culturally-centered CHA supports Tribal/community self-determination by presenting participants with a broad introduction to the diversity of CHA models, skills and tools and allows participants to design Action Plans that are responsive to local change, integrates cultural core values, builds on community strengths and assets, and engages tribal leaders and community members as partners in health.
To further our team-based approach to CHA, we encourage workshop participants to register as team of 2-3 individuals to build inter-/intra-tribal partnership and aid in the long-term sustainability of CHA.
Our workshops are semi-structured learning experiences that involve a variety of instructional methods that are interactive and experiential, such as role-play exercises, facilitated discussion, lectures, demonstrations, panel discussions, and action planning.
This approach provides a structure for clear dialogue and reflection, engages the participation of each team member, and maximizes involvement to develop actionable strategies and timelines. Participatory learning techniques also encourage participants to teach others by sharing their diverse perspectives and experiences to highlight Indigenous Best Practices.
CHA Mentorship aims to provide technical assistance for CHA Institute (CHAI) alumni in completing their community health assessments. With CHA action plan in hand, IIKD and their academic and community partners provide ongoing mentorship.
To date, IIKD has provided:
Our "Indigenous Visions of Health" initiative is a collection of Indigenous knowledge about health and well-being as stated by tribal and Indigenous community leaders and champions. The collection integrates deeply held cultural core values and beliefs about individual and community health and serves as IIKD's core value foundation for research, service, and education programming.
Leaders and champions who contributed to this initiative include:
For more information, contact Nathania Tsosie by phone 505-925-4377 or email ntsosie@salud.unm.edu.
MSC07 4246
1001 Medical Arts Ave NE
Albuquerque, NM 87102
Physical Location:
Integrity Building
2nd Floor
Phone: 505-272-4100
Fax: 505-272-6019
Email: hsc-cnah@salud.unm.edu