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MA/PhD Theses Abstracts of Current Students & Alumni |
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Maes, Kathleen. 1996. Community Based Needs Assessment: A Study of Health, Education, Social Services, and Community Well-Being Programs in East Hillsborough County, Florida.
Abstract: The Plant City/East Hillsborough County Human Services Planning Project was a comprehensive human services needs assessment and planning project conducted in Plant City/East Hillsborough County, Florida, during the summer of 1995. The purpose of this project was to determine the types and amounts of needs of individuals and families within the community and to discover if the services directly available to them are adequate so that service planners and providers can better address the clients= needs. There are several reasons to argue that county level data are poor indicators of need and a poor basis for human service planning. This thesis proposes that needs assessment projects conducted on a smaller scale can help to build an awareness of the unique characteristics and perspectives which define a unified community and can better reflect the needs of individuals and families in the area as well as giving insight into the most effective methods of service planning and delivery to the community. The Plant City/East Hillsborough County Human Services Planning Project utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis. The discrepancy model was used to ascertain the difference between the services offered and the service needs of the community. The study investigated the complete system of human services in East Hillsborough County in order to determine any duplication, fragmentation or gaps in services. Based on the findings of the needs and resources assessments, this study found that the Acontinuum@ of services for individuals and families living the East Hillsborough County is fragmented. Many types of services are not available in the consumer=s local community and must be accessed in other geographic areas. Even where several types of services are available, often less of a particular service is available at the smaller service sites in the he study area. Furthermore, lack of available transportation is a serious barrier to accessibility for many services. This study is important because it provides information to individuals and families in eastern Hillsborough County, it documents the community=s demographics and human services, it serves as a model for further inquiry process, and it makes a contribution to applied anthropology.
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