COMMUNITY MAPPING
Community mapping is a process of identifying and cataloging who is doing what in a given geographical area.
It helps us build a care system for vulnerable children and families by:
Encouraging collaboration
Identifying service gaps
Learning who offers what services where
GATHER KEY STAKEHOLDERS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
ESTABLISH PARAMETERS
ASSESS FIT
CREATE YOUR MAP REFLECT ON LEARNING
To attempt community mapping alone is to miss the opportunity for collaboration Don't forget to include organizations that are focusing on different goals
Community mapping is a highly interactive process! Begin the meeting by building relationships Add a fun, creative question to get them talking!
Start with a conversation about the purpose of community mapping Cast vision for the process! Start small - you can always expand
Ask the group, “What kinds of services might be helpful for children and families at risk?”
Include names, contact info, and what services they provide The goal is not to get every detail of information, but rather to create a framework of broad categories
Ask questions such as, What did we learn from this exercise? What services are readily available? What services are lacking? How might we fill those gaps?