Community development is the process of helping a community strengthen itself in order to improve people’s lives. It addresses issues that have been identified by the community, and builds upon existing skills and strengths within the community.
Vancouver Coastal Health has a group of staff across our region who specialize in community development. These community developers help Vancouver Coastal Health, service agencies, local non-profit organizations, various levels of government and residents work together to achieve our common goals of keeping people healthy and improving access to care
What we do
Here are some examples of our work:
- Identifying and addressing access barriers to youth clinic services that are experienced by young men, in collaboration with a team of Public Health Nurses and academic researchers
- Improving shelter and housing opportunities and making food supplies more dependable by working with BC Housing, service providers and residents on community kitchens and urban agriculture
- Working with seniors to campaign for new seniors' centres
- Addressing the increased use of crystal methamphetamine among gay men by working with residents, service providers and businesses in the neighbourhood
- Working with marginalized individuals to set up peer support groups to help themselves and each other (e.g. parents of children with developmental disabilities or those with multiple sclerosis)
- Bring together community members and service providers to set priorities to address the high rate of diabetes among the South Asian population
- Helping former drug users build their leadership skills by assisting them in delivering peer outreach workshops
- Working with immigrant groups to develop opportunities for intercultural exchange and to create more inclusive communities that provide health-related support services
- Working with youth to develop Public Service Announcements on helmet safety when biking or skateboarding
- Developing a shower program/health drop in for the homeless in partnership with community agencies
- Collaborating with community based agencies to create non-medical home support services for seniors such as a neighbourhood shuttle, affordable housekeeping support, an information and referral database and walking clubs with the goal of supporting seniors to live at home independently for as long as possible
Contact us
For more information on how we can help you, contact a Community Developer in your area:
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