Preparing Health Educators to Assets Map: The interface between assessment training and the practice of building community capacity through assets Micky D. Roberts, M.Div., CHES Bobby Abdolrasulnia, MPH, CHES Katherine M. Anderson, MS, CHES

 Objectives: This study determined the level, scope and sequence of Assets Mapping as a curriculum component in preparing health educators for practice in the field.  Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to 184 identified Health Education academicians specializing in community assessment methodology/instruction at Schools of Public Health and Programs in Health Education/Promotion across the nation. Descriptive analyses were conducted on items to determine frequency and extent of instruction, research and application of assets mapping by these academic institutions.  Results: 59.6% of responding schools were aware of Assets Mapping with 16% teaching it at the undergraduate level and 41.9% teaching at the graduate level.  Conclusions: The authors conclude that Assets Mapping is a tool currently not utilized in preparing public health educators for practice. Abstract

Introduction Program planning, in the traditional approach for communities, focuses upon problems that, as described to communities, can only be resolved by professionals and experts from agencies. This approach is no longer consistent with principles of community engagement (Principles of Community Engagement, 1997) as described in the CDC publication of the same name. Emerging new tools are available to the health education practitioner to work in collaboration with communities utilizing community- developed approaches to prevention. Assets Mapping is one of those emerging techniques.

“Rather than thinking of the world in ‘parts’ that form ‘wholes’ we start by recognizing that we live in a world of ‘wholes’ within ‘wholes’. Rather than trying to put the pieces together to make the whole, we recognize that the world is already whole.” Koffman and Senge (1993)

Background Community Assessment is one of the core competencies for health education specialists as identified by NCHEC. Three additional priority competencies for health educators have since been added. The new core competencies rest upon the skill of assessment including planning, implementation, and evaluation of effective health education programs. These skill sets are consistent in identifying the valuable contributions health educators can make in enabling public health to fulfill the core functions of public health, i.e., assessment, assurance and policy development as described in institute of medicine publication, The Future of Public Health (NIH, 1988).

Background cont. This alternative approach is one useful way of describing the community and its sectors through a technique known as mapping by identifying various levels of human and material capacity both potential and static. Each of these resources has assets that can be catalyzed to approach issues of concern and bring about change. (Kretzmann et al. 1993) Therefore, communities recently engaging in assets mapping are focusing upon implementing all the assets mapping tools in concert with a community as opposed to a piece-meal approach. The primary steps to conducting community-based assets mapping include the following: 1) mapping the assets of individual 2) mapping the assets of associations 3) mapping the assets of institutions.

Methods: Study Design Self-administered surveys were mailed to study participants listed in a national directory, by ETA SIGMA GAMMA, of college and university health education programs and faculties. Specifically, surveys were sent out to identified staff, faculty or department heads in universities, colleges and schools with health promotion/ education programs; as well as, schools of public health to determine if assets mapping was being taught as a regular part of the curriculum.

Methods: Sample We surveyed those who would be knowledgeable with both undergraduate and graduate curricula. The study sample consisted of inquiry from health education academicians (n=184) with frequencies established based upon replies (n=52) that were received. Therefore the response rate was 28.3%. Information is not available for comparing respondents with non respondents.

Methods: Measures  Survey questions were asked concerning to what extent assets mapping was being taught to students, at what level (undergraduate, masters, or doctoral).  Survey questions were also asked to determine the depth of assets mapping instruction, community application and use in research as well as which concepts of the model were being emphasized.  Additionally, the survey asked to what level the process had been implemented within local neighborhoods with student fieldwork.

Results Of the 184 mailed, 52 replies were received. Analyses of the data found that 59.6% of responding schools were aware of assets mapping. Highlighted outcomes from the completed surveys (28.3% response rate) include: of those teaching assets mapping, 16% were teaching it at the undergraduate level and 41.9% were teaching it at the graduate level. Of the 52 respondents, 30.7% were aware of assets mapping for more than three years, 30.8% for one year, and 3.8% were not aware of the concept.

Results

Discussion The authors conclude that assets mapping is a tool currently not utilized to prepare public health educators for practice. Although the response rate is low, one could infer from qualitative discussions that took place during the course of implementing this study that assets mapping per se, as a community planning and intervention tool is not broadly utilized as a topic for study. Assets Mapping, as described in John McKnight and John Kretzman’s seminal work Building Communities from the Inside Out (McKnight, 1993), may be viewed by health educators as a social science tool more appropriately utilized by sociologists than by public health practitioners.

Discussion Cont’d As evidenced by Healthy People2010, the national public health agenda is increasingly emphasizing health disparities and quality of life as primary goals. Thus, the question of social economic status (SES) and health determinants is becoming more significant as public health practitioners work to develop societal interventions. Assets Mapping has been utilized in population based approaches to prevention in assessing a community’s or coalition’s capacity for prevention. In order to accomplish this the assets of the individuals, agencies and supporting institutions partnering in collaborating efforts must be identified, categorized and consequently coordinated for efficient implementation.

Acknowledgements zKretzman, J.P., & McKnight, J.L. (1993). Building communities from the inside out: A path toward finding and mobilizing a community’s assets. Evanston, IL: Center for Urban Affairs and Policy Research. zDeKalb HIV/AIDS forum, DeKalb County, Georgia, zKnox Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Initiative. Knox County, Tennessee, 2000.