COMMUNITY THEMES & STRENGTHS ASSESSMENT ETHNOGRAPHIC INFORMED INTERVIEW FINDINGS

Presented to Community Partners by the Kendall County Health Department on 5/28/15

Mobilizing Action Through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) Assessment Lenses

Local Public Health System Assessment

Community Themes and Strengths Assessment

Community Health Status Assessment

Forces of Change Assessment

Community Themes and Strengths Assessment Focus

Provides a deep understanding of the issues residents experience as important

Community thoughts, concerns, and experiences are gathered

Community provides insight into issues of importance

Anthropological Research The problem with studying peoples not at

center of mainstream culture is that social schema is informed by a juxtaposition with the social world and the subsequent experience with social structures

Anthropological research deals with the creation and transmission of meaning

Ethnographic Method

Fieldwork is a form of inquiry that requires a researcher to be immersed in the social setting

Researcher becomes familiar with socio-cultural dynamics

Ontology (The study of the essentialities within the nature of being i.e. who is expert)

Epistemology (The theoretical analysis of knowledge as it relates to justification i.e. inductive inquiry)

Triangulation between primary data (new data), emergent theme, and secondary data (existing data)

Demographic Diversity

Interviewee Gender: Male-42% Female-58%

Interviewee Race: Caucasian-80% Latino-10% Black-6% Asain-4%

Approximate Age: 20’s-22% 30’s-18% 40’s-26% 50’s-12% 60+-22%

Landscaping Business

Dry Cleaners Laundry Mat Gas Station Beauty Salon Local Retail Grocery Store Coffee Shop Fast food Senior Center American legion Court House County Jail Grade School Subsidized Housing Local Church Local Hotel Senior Housing Shopping Center Local Library

Health and Wellbeing Themes Mind and body as essential

Physically fit/mentally fit/mental health/feeling safe/free from illness/positive outlook

Health including mind and body both preventative and ongoing My mind and body working 100% without flaws Cross between physical & mental wellbeing, standard of living & quality of

life Physical health as essential Daily activities without discomfort/free from sickness/up to date on shots/

physically fit Not being ill, being well-fed and having essential needs met Being proactive with how you treat your body Having beliefs, disease-free, having the physical means to care for self &

others Social wellbeing as essential Willing to help/being happy with what you want to do/being able to work A community that supports its fellow citizens; financially, physically, and

ethically Community centers, activities for youth and seniors, community

partnerships Comfortable living, happiness with yourself

Health and Wellbeing Themes

Access to care concerns Able to see doc free of insurance concerns/able to get needed shots/afford insurance Having enough money to live on, not worrying constantly, & having insurance Access to regular physical check-ups, dental, & mental health services Having affordable insurance and the ability to see a doctor Exercise and nutrition concerns Diet and exercise/eating well and exercising/fitness and good appetite Exercise and eating right Exercising daily, eating well, going to the doctor regularly Good diet, exercise, going to the doctor to get checked up Safety from violence concerns Safeguard against domestic violence/neighborhood violence/delinquent behavior No fighting in the house, no angry talk with the kids or the spouse We have the library and community police meetings We have neighborhood watch

Social Wellbeing Themes Socioeconomic stability as essential

Socioeconomic disparities/need rental assistance/funding & fundraising

People that have a low socioeconomic status will not have as good of health

Enough money to care for your family & resources to make life comfortable

Community resources as essential

Fitness clubs/senior services/food pantries/Health Department/good healthcare/human services

I have health insurance, I do not seek help & my kids are grown

We have many resources available; organizations, churches, & clubs that help

Community support as essential

Community development/do things beneficial to community/working together to support

Everyone taking care of everyone else

Being able to do things that are beneficial to the community

Community safety as essential

Public services/police officers/safe environment/safe things for kids to do/address bullying

Cleanliness and safety

Not a scary environment, like Chicago

Community connectivity as essential

Community centers/social activities/interacting with people/friendly neighborhoods/belonging

Making sure that you have friends and are able to socialize

Ability to interact with others, important to socialize with others

Social Wellbeing Themes Local Economy as context Economy plays a role/improving economy/quality of food/family-owned businesses/privately

owned There are a lot of locally owned businesses Small business are important Availability of community resources as need Substance abuse counseling/more support groups/need community center/gathering

spots/affordable medication The county will need more resources due to the growth in the county If resources are needed from the community that they should be available Employment opportunity as need Having a /being able to financially support family/full time jobs/well paid jobs Many local job opportunities and opportunities to volunteer are needed There are many without a computer & the computer is key to finding & applying for jobs Youth development as need Support for kids after school/youth centers/social activities for kids/structure for youth/ beyond

sports Expanding parks and making them more accessible for kids We do not have anything for teenage youth Named resources as asset Area churches/food pantries/Health Department/park districts/schools districts/ Senior

Services/YMCA PADS is a great asset in the community Private sports leagues for children

Mental Health Themes Emotional stability as essential

How one thinks about self/mentally stable/how you feel/interpret own thoughts & others

The cognitive ability to understand what is going on in your head

Making sure that you are doing everything you can to stay sane

Lifestyle stability as essential

Good conscience/ take care of self/complete functions of daily life/move forward positively/stay active

Being able to make good decisions for yourself

Having healthy behaviors

Stress moderation as essential

Reasonable stress/not worrying constantly/manage stress level/positive outlook/anxiety issues

Being stable enough to be stress and worry free

Positive thoughts

Relationship boundaries as essential

Happy relationships/ability to function socially/take care of family/healthy relationships/not letting others influence

Being able to balance work, family, & social commitments

Having a close family connection with healthy, open communication

Access to care as need

Need affordable MH treatment/insurance companies are difficult/need MH outreach

People cannot afford it

As the county continues to grow we will probably need more supportive services

Mental Health Themes Community resources as need

More activities for seniors & youth/transit options/prescription pain pills

More places for group functions like parks & shopping centers

There is a general lack of gathering places to relieve stress

Community awareness as need

People need to be aware of services/where to go for help/no mental health services in community

I do not see a lot of things in our community related to mental health

People need a place to go when they need help or information

Community education as need

Education about MH for the public/raise awareness of MH issues/MH and drug addiction

Need for more education, stigma to MH causes those in need not to come forward

Connection w/social health, awareness of activities that promote mental health

Named resources as asset

Area YMCA’s/Health Department/public parks/Senior Services

Senior Services brings doctors to present on health issues

Health Department has mental health staff to work with people with low income or no money

Community resources as assets

Center for Alzheimer’s/Physicians that can treat MH/school programs/counseling services

Community is calm, quiet, & peaceful; leads to a non-stressful environment

There are many resources, clinics, and physicians

Environmental Health Themes Clean surroundings as essential

Surroundings effect health/quality of environment/clean community/take care of land Good recycling programs and public transportation programs How the environment effects residents Programs and services as essential We have good services/PADs an asset/river good for boaters/need sidewalks/need

curbs Public transport allows for cutting down on pollution from personal vehicles Insect control, trash pickup, recycling, & skin product testing Air/water as essential Air quality is good/clean water/not much air pollution/clean air & water/truck traffic

could effect air The quality of the air and the overall state of the surrounding environment Clean air and water Community surroundings as context Have access to outdoor activities/good outdoors/open green space/slum lords/poor

sidewalks Clean community, I do not feel endangered at all. I have noticed upkeep in neighborhoods and park districts are clean Cleanliness/pollution as context Clean community/construction is dirty/keep the land clean/discard things properly It is a rural area, there may be a lot of pesticides we do not know about I see more electric cars around the community lately

Environmental Health Themes

Air/water concerns as need

Radium in water/risk of river flooding/clean up river banks/do not allow burning/public water not safe

Increased pollution in Fox River

Water seems clean, although it worries me that it seems highly chlorinated

Recycling interests as need

Recycling/electronic recycling/plenty of people recycle/appliance pick-up

Everywhere I go I see opportunities for recycling cans, bottles, & paper

Recycling options, Illinois does not recycle Styrofoam, we need a program for that

Parks and preserves as asset

Clean parks/more parks/plenty of green space/lots of parks/forest preserves

There are nature preserves and no pollution in the area

Lots of parks, trails, forest preserve areas, & the kayak chute at the Fox River

Clean air/water as asset

No smog/clean water and air/rural with less air pollution/water seems fine/well-kept streams

I think our water department does a great job keeping our water safe

Water here seems very clear

Physical Health Themes Body function as essential Body is functioning/gets me to work & home/body is operating/move comfortably Feeling good every day A healthy body, well maintained Exercise and fitness as essential Being fit/exercising/best shape possible/appropriate weight/be active/care for body You are up and active and not staying idle Maintaining your body at whatever age you are Fitness concerns as need Increase awareness in kids/out-of-school activities for kids/affordable park activities Fitness classes should be provided to those who cannot afford membership Would be nice if we could walk more places, we do not have enough sidewalks Access to care as need Difficult to access specialty care/cost of dental/must have insurance to access/no

nursing home Not sure about access in more rural areas I have Medicaid and this makes it hard to get medical services Nutrition concerns as need School lunches are processed/schools portions/produce is expensive While I see vegetable stands, more health food stores Farmers market would be great, there is a lack of access to fresh produce

Physical Health Themes

Fitness options as asset Opportunities for exercising/ physical activities programs/health clubs There are more fitness centers opening, there is an increased interest in

fitness Bike paths, running paths, open spaces, gyms, and parks are abundant Community resources as asset Biking paths/fitness centers/park districts/sports programs/walking paths Access to grocery stores The outdoors are important Access to care as asset Both Rush Copley/community immediate care centers/good doctors Access to hospitals and doctors in the event that health problems arise Right now, hospitals are close enough

Community Resilience Themes

Cooperation and helpfulness as essential Work together/many interested in helping/some not interested in helping/glued to

electronic devices We should face challenges together in ways that deals with the problems The community may still be small enough to be tight-knit & able to work together Adaptability and change as essential Some towns do not want change/long time residents do not welcome change/some not

adaptable Need to continually change and adapt, trainings and drills need to be ongoing If a community wants to evolve and survive, it has to focus Community communication as essential Texting rather than personal/listen to others/everyone knows one another/stay

connected There needs to be more communication Not sure there is enough communication about change or adaptation Disaster preparedness as need Need tornado plans/responders trained/zombie apocalypse/preparedness activities We have good law enforcement, fire control, & ambulance, but they are limited We have not been tested in a real disaster

Community Resilience Themes

Social concerns as need

Schools must support kids/dropouts are less resilient/need social services/Latino outreach

One of the fastest growing counties around

Increased drug use

Socioeconomic concerns as need

Socioeconomic disparity/affordable rent/foreclosure rate/lack of high paying jobs/lack of funding

Insurance will not pay for rehabilitation

Awareness of hunger and education problems needs to be present

Community context as asset

Neighbors are supportive/good community awareness/health conscious/many providers

Town meetings

Neighborhood watch groups

Named resources as assets

Emergency services/food pantries/Health Department/law enforcement/local schools

In small towns everyone still knows each other

Everyone took fairly good precautions during the Ebola scare, so we seem ready on an outbreak level

Emergent Themes(Findings) Meaning Making Both mind and body is essential to health and wellbeing Socioeconomic stability is essential to social wellbeing Emotional stability is essential to mental health Environmental health is identified with environmentalism & recycling Fully functioning body is essential to physical health Spirit of cooperation and helpfulness is essential to community resilience Community Themes Access to care is a identified as a need for health and wellbeing Availability of resources is identified as a need for social wellbeing Access to care is identified as a need for mental health Air & water concerns are identified need in environmental health Fitness concerns are identified as a need for physical health Access to care is identified as a need for physical health Disaster preparedness planning is identified as a continued need for community resilience Community connectedness including sidewalks and social gathering places is a need Community Strengths Community resources are assets to social wellbeing Organizational resources are identified as an asset for mental health Parks and preserves are assets to environmental health Fitness options available are identified as an asset for physical health Our community cooperative context is identified as an asset for community resilience Community connectedness including small town and public centers of activity is a strength

The Kendall County Health Department is grateful for the many community partners which have been thoughtful participants in our community health assessment process thus far; especially community interviewees, Aurora University Interns, and Rush-Copley Medical Center. Please feel free to contact Amaal at the Kendall County Health Department with further input or insights at (630) 553-8097.