How Do I Build a Healthy Community?
To address community health in a meaningful way, consideration must be given to the fundamental relationship between a person’s social environment, their behavior, and their overall health and well-being. This means it is most effective to create an environment supportive of healthy decisions by implementing, evidence-based environmental strategies that promote health and that ensure all people have access to quality education, safe and healthy homes, adequate employment, transportation, proper nutrition, and quality healthcare.
Prevention research has illustrated the importance of using data to guide efforts in making a positive change. This assessment process involves the gathering and examination of data related to substance use and related consequences, community climate, environment and infrastructure/resources.
Based on the assessment of need, resources and readiness, we are able to pinpoint what the problems are in our state, community, and tribe and identify prevention priorities on which to focus our efforts.
Use the following resources to assess your community:
- Find Data
- Data Resources
- Sample Assessment Toolkits:
North Dakota communities and tribes are coming together and investing in substance abuse prevention with a common goal to create safe and healthy individuals, families, businesses and communities.
Learn about what North Dakota communities and tribes are doing and connect with them!
Prevention efforts that are well-supported with adequate resources and readiness are more likely to succeed.
Identifying a comprehensive set of evidence-based strategies which can be implemented in multiple settings while working toward a few common goals offers the best chance to prevent substance abuse and lead to positive community change.