Index Community resources and challengesIncarceration and vulnerabilityPotential health challengeCommunity prioritiesAboriginal communities and addictionHealth promotion strategiesReferencesCommunity nurses play a vital role in health and in the well-being of a community (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, & Pike-MacDonald, 2017). The in-depth analysis of a community is the fundamental work carried out by the community nurse; this includes gathering a summary of the data and interpreting the findings in terms of both strengths and concerns (Stanhope, et al., 2017). The overall purpose of this document was to complete an in-depth community assessment in order to identify community strengths, challenges, vulnerabilities and priorities. The topic of addiction and substance abuse was considered a priority for this community; Input from community members and Elizabeth Fry staff weighed heavily in the decision-making process. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Tertiary interventions to address the problem of addiction will be discussed last. When referring to community, this will include women of the Elizabeth Fry Society, Pine Grove Correctional Center and those residing in or around the Riversdale community. Extensive data was collected using a windshield/walk survey and academic sources. It is important to note that permission has been granted for all names mentioned in this document. Overall, it is clear that conducting a thorough community assessment and including community members in the process is critical to identifying appropriate health issues and priorities. Community Resources and Challenges The Windshield/Walk Survey was used to observe and collect data within a one kilometer radius of the Elizabeth Fry Society. Based on these findings and through multiple interactions with women in the community and Elizabeth Fry Society staff, community resources and challenges were identified. Strengths Various health services. Within a one kilometer radius of the Elizabeth Fry Society there are numerous health services accessible to the public. This includes a health bus, which often parks within walking distance of Elizabeth Fry (Primary Health Care, 2018). The health bus, staffed by a paramedic and a nurse, provides diagnosis and treatment of common illnesses and injuries. They also provide testing for sexually transmitted infections, birth control, chronic disease monitoring, and wound care (Primary Health Care, 2018). The bus functions as an interdisciplinary team and can refer patients for mental health help, addiction services, social workers, and other community services (Primary Health Care, 2018). The health bus is beneficial because it provides on-site care and promotes health and well-being at no cost to the community (Primary Health Care, 2018). St. Paul's Hospital and two pharmacies are located within the community, providing members with easy access to healthcare services. One woman interviewed in the community said, “As a single mother of 3 young children, I am grateful for how many health resources there are in this community. It makes things easy for me” (anonymous, personal communication, September 11, 2018). It is evident that the various health resources within the community are beneficial and are also used by women in the community. Hopkins and Rippon (2015) report that any service that strives to promote and maintain health isa resource for the community. It is clear that all the health services available within a mile of the Elizabeth Fry Society are an asset to the community. Recreational activities for young people and families. Another community resource is recreation for families and youth. The White Buffalo Youth Lodge (WBYL) is the largest recreational facility in the neighborhood, accessible free of charge to anyone (White Buffalo Youth Lodge, n.d.). The after-school program for children includes a free meal (White Buffalo Youth Lodge, n.d.). “Many of the children who come into this place will not have anything to eat until the next day. Providing food to the children gets them in, which also allows them to access all the other supports we have” (Gail, WBYL Coordinator, communications personal, 10 September 2018). This gets children off the streets and into a safe place full of positive support. The WBYL is also affiliated with the Saskatoon Tribal Council, the Strengthening Families Program, Jump Start, and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (White Buffalo Youth Lodge, n.d.), making it a very valuable community asset. Since many women in the community have children, this is a valuable resource for them. There was a self-defense course recently at WBYL that the women of Elizabeth Fry were welcome to attend. Station 20 West. The Station 20 West building, which includes the Elizabeth Fry Society (Station 20 West, 2018), appears to be a popular community resource. A woman standing outside the building said, “all my needs are met when I come here. I had Quint look at my CV, I go to the mothers' center with my children and in the past I have also received boxes of food from CHEP” (anonymous, personal communication, September 10, 2018). The building has been called “the engine of urban renewal” (p.12) and is made up of many dedicated organizations with valuable resources that are dedicated to giving back to the community, and they are all located within the same building (Meili, 2012 ). Their vision is to make a “significant contribution to social, health, educational and economic equality” (Station 20 West, 2018). Some, but not all organizations within the building include CHEP, which is dedicated to providing the community with nutritious foods, the Mother's Center for Women and Children, Quint, a resource for affordable housing, and the Elizabeth Fry Society , for women involved in the criminal justice system (Station 20 West, 2018). It has been noted that there are many women using this building. When visiting women in Pine Grove, it is encouraged that they visit this building once reintroduced to the community. Overall, the Station 20 building offers various community-focused charitable resources.ChallengesFood. After exploring the Riversdale community it was noted that, other than small ethnic food markets, there were no large supermarkets within a mile of the Elizabeth Fry Society. A community report conducted by the City of Saskatoon (2010) found that those residing in Riversdale do not have easy access to supermarkets, as do those living in other Saskatoon communities. Lotoski, Engler-Stringer, and Muhajarine (2015) report that major neighborhoods, which include Riversdale and Pleasant Hill, are deprived of supermarket chains, which offer a wide range of foods that are not only healthy but also affordable. In an interview, a woman who had lived in Riversdale all her life said: “I've never owned a car and walking to the grocery store isn't realistic for me. In all the years I've been here, I can hardly believe there still isn't a major grocery store in the center of town” (anonymous, personal communication, September 10, 2018). Interacting with the women of Pine Grove,many reported that nutrition quality is lacking within the institution. It is clear that access to proper nutrition is not always easy, both for the women of Pine Grove and for other women in the community.Accommodation. Another significant issue according to Elizabeth Fry Society staff is access to housing. This is supported by statistics from the City of Saskatoon (2018), which report that housing affordability in the Riversdale area is not considered to fall within the median affordable range within the city. This is not only a problem for women in the community, but also for those currently in Pine Grove and who will be released in the near future. Many women in Pine Grove have requested housing application forms because they are worried about where they will go. go after release. According to the Saskatoon Housing Authority (2018), once an eligible individual applies, prioritization still needs to be considered, making the process potentially lengthy. Quint, an organization that often provides affordable housing options for people, still requires proof of employment (Quint Saskatoon, 2018). This is a barrier for women post-incarceration as many are unemployed and looking for housing. Addiction services. Aboriginal women in Canada face oppression and dominance within the prison system compared to non-Aboriginal women (Hansen, 2014). Swopes, Davis, and Scholl (2015) also report that a high number of incarcerated women are facing addictive conditions. Beverly, office director of the Elizabeth Fry Society, said “there is a lack of resources when it comes to addictions for these women. When they look for help, they need it that second, not tomorrow, not a week from now” (Beverly Fullerton, personal communication, September 18, 2018). It was also mentioned by Sue Delanoy, executive director of Elizabeth Fry, that not only are addictions a problem for women, but there is a lack of information on how to access addictions services in the city. Two methadone clinics are located within a kilometer of Elizabeth Fry, however, their hours vary and an evaluation by an addictions counselor is mandatory before treatment can begin, which can be timely (Saskatchewan Health Authority , 2018). Incarceration and Vulnerability According to Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, and Pike-MacDonald (2017), vulnerability refers to specific groups of people who are at higher risk of adverse health outcomes due to determinants of health. Vulnerable populations are at greater risk of disease and often do not receive adequate care (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec & Pike-MacDonald 2017). Elizabeth Fry Society (2018) focuses on women involved in the criminal justice system, which is an example of a population considered vulnerable (Rich, Cortina, Uvin, & Dumont, 2013). These findings suggest that the female community of Elizabeth Fry and Pine Grove would be considered vulnerable. As Aboriginal women are overrepresented in the criminal justice system (Balfour, 2013), it is clear that this needs to be investigated further. Balfour (2013) suggests a link between Aboriginal incarceration and social determinants of health. This includes disadvantages such as single parenthood, low education, transience and low income (Balfour, 2013). Balfour (2013) further states that “Aboriginal populations migrating to urban centers from reserves are more vulnerable to criminalization and incarceration. In urban communities and on reserves, Aboriginal women are more likely to be charged and incarcerated for violent crimes than non-Aboriginal women” (p.87). Since many of the women ofElizabeth Fry are Aboriginal, it is clear that when working with these women it is necessary to implement an upstream approach. Pine GroveWomen serving their sentences are in a particularly vulnerable state (Correctional Service Canada, 2017). Women entering a correctional institution have higher rates of mental health problems, addiction, and history of physical and sexual abuse than those in the rest of the world. community (Correctional Service Canada, 2017). For this reason, Chartrand (2015) finds that they are unable to conform to the rules of the institution, which can result in imprisonment, solitary confinement, and increased sentences. An inmate at Pine Grove revealed that she felt the mental health counseling she was receiving was very poor, as she “felt judged” (anonymous, personal communication, September 7, 2018). As the literature suggests those entering the prison system have higher rates of mental health problems, it is clear that these services should be considered a priority. Potential Health Challenge A potential health challenge for this community may be the inability to reintegrate into the community without reoffending. Wilma, personal communication, September 10, 2018, stated the following: Every woman in prison is there because of unhealthy coping skills. Many women turn to addiction to cope with racism, domestic abuse and colonization. We act out in anger towards other people because we have so much pain stored up inside us and that's how we always end up back in prison. Reintegration into the community after incarceration poses many health challenges not only for the woman reentering society, but for the community as a whole (Jenkins, et al., 2017). Communities often lack the resources needed to help women reintegrate into the community, so women return to the same destructive behaviors, thus making them susceptible to reoffending (Jenkins, et al., 2017). This also relates to the social determinants of health and the need for an upstream approach to address these issues. Community Priority The challenge identified as a community priority is substance abuse and addiction. Not only were these identified as a challenge by staff working at Elizabeth Fry, but they were also a concern expressed by the women themselves. Through active listening and community involvement, addiction was found to impact the lives of many women. This was the biggest motivation for choosing addiction as a community priority. Comments made by women suggest a lack of education regarding addiction coping skills and the need for more immediate addiction resources. Sue Delanoy, executive director of Elizabeth Fry, noted that many women within the community do not know how to access services available in the city (personal communication, September 11, 2018). It is reported by Lang et al. (2013) that there is often a lack of awareness regarding addiction resources, as well as ineffective knowledge about how to access them. It is clear that addiction is common among those who belong to the specified community. Prioritizing this challenge is not only relevant but important for health and well-being at individual, community and population levels. An important thing to note about addiction is that it impacts many aspects of an individual's life (Selbekk, Sagvaag, & Fauske, 2015). An individual suffering from addiction is likely to have difficulties with other aspects of their life such as relationships (Selbekk, Sagvaag, & Fauske, 2015), homelessness, nutrition, incarceration (Hansen, 2014), and their life. mental health (Lang et al.,2013). It is clear that when you live with an addiction, it can interfere with your ability to thrive in other aspects of your life. Aboriginal Communities and Addiction When considering the many aspects of addiction, an important term to keep in mind is intergenerational, which is defined by Merriam-Webster (2018) as “existing or occurring between generations.” A study conducted by Marsh, Young, Cote-Meek, Najavits, and Toulouse (2016) found that the trauma of the residential school system has been passed down from generation to generation, and often, substance abuse is the only coping mechanism that individuals know. Many women in the community have shared stories of substance abuse among their parents, among themselves, and now, with their own children (personal communication, September 18, 2018). Although addiction is a complex topic, it should not be ignored. We must strive for a preventative approach to addressing addictions and educating women about addiction and prevention. A strong point made by Hansen and Calihoo (2014), suggests that the answer is recovery from addiction, not prison sentences. Because addiction can often be linked to some sort of trauma, whether it is the intergenerational impact of the residential school system, assault, abuse, or neglect, it is critical to implement coping skills (Marsh, Young, Cote-Meek, Najavits, & Toulouse, 2016). It is essential that when speaking to women in the community we take their history into consideration. Helping women learn new coping strategies during times of high stress, when they might normally rely on substance use, is essential. Health Promotion Strategies After a thorough community assessment and data collection, the community nurse must begin a health promotion planning process (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, & Pike-Macdonald, 2017). When working with vulnerable populations, the community nurse has a key responsibility in knowing the resources within the physical community (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, & Pike-Macdonald, 2017). The overall goal for the community is to help decrease the prevalence of substance abuse and addiction by implementing tertiary interventions. One activity that will be implemented in the identified community will include an educational booklet with addiction resources and services distributed throughout the City of Saskatoon. As noted previously, there is often a lack of awareness regarding resources available for addiction (Lang, et al. 2013). . A critical role of the community nurse is advocacy (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, & Pike-Macdonald, 2017). Offering these women basic information on how to access addiction resources is a necessity. A second intervention that will be implemented in the community involves educational resources regarding coping skills. As it has been recognized that many individuals who abuse substances are dealing with some sort of trauma, the use of alternative coping strategies has been identified as a priority need (Swopes, Davis, & Scholl, 2016). Please note: this is just an example. Get a customized paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Because the goal of tertiary prevention strategies “attempts to restore and improve functioning and reduce disability” (p. 448), it is evident that a downstream approach must be used when addressing addiction. The downstream approach takes a curative versus preventative stance (Stanhope, Lancaster, Jakubec, & Pike-Macdonald, 2017). Implementing activities that address addiction and substance abuse is a step in the right direction to reduce rates of