Community Assessment Sample - Part 3/3 Spokane Washington

1.1.1. Air and Railway Services

The Spokane International Airport is less than 15 miles from the 99207 area. Many hotels in the area offer shuttles service to the airport. There are several taxi cab companies to transport the citizens as well. The taxi cab would cost between $7.00 and $15.00 to pick up a passenger at Logan Elementary School and transport them to the airport.

The Amtrak station is located in downtown Spokane, less than 5 miles from the Logan neighborhood.

Greyhound Bus Services also has a station located in downtown Spokane approximately 7 miles from the Logan neighborhood.

1.2. Politics & Government

1.2.1. Type of Government

The city of Spokane uses a strong mayor form of government which means that the mayor, Dennis Hession, is the Chief Executive Officer for the city. While the mayor is in charge of the executive branch of office the city council is in charge of the legislative responsibilities for the city. Mr. Hession and the council members have good reputations for keeping the citizens informed.

1.2.2. Elected Officials - Location of Offices

The mayor and all of the city council members have offices located at the Spokane City Hall building in downtown Spokane. Citizens are able to visit the mayor’s office and may make appointments to speak with him/her about the issues important to their agenda.

The two city council representatives for the 99207 area are Mr. Al French and Mr. Bob Apple. The mayor and council members are all elected positions. Both of these gentlemen reside in the Logan Neighborhood as required in order to represent the area.

(City of Spokane, 2006)

1.2.3. Community Leaders

Logan Elementary School has the LEAP program which stands for Logan Educators and Parents. This program is very similar to the traditional PTA of most schools. There are presently 8 parents, 8 teachers, and the school counselor on the LEAP team. This team meets on a monthly basis for regular business and more frequently during fund raising campaigns, voter information, and student activity events.

(Sheri Charbonneau, 2006)

1.2.4. Politically Active Community Organizations

The LEAP team meets regularly and is a terrific advocate for the Logan students. (Sheri Charbonneau, 2006)

1.3. Communication

1.3.1. Formal

The only formal newspaper in the City of Spokane is the Spokesman Review. Delivery services and online subscriptions are available for a set fee. The local library usually has several copies on hand for those who cannot afford a subscription.

The local news is available on television basic channels including ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. Local radio options are abundant on both AM and FM formats.

1.3.2. Informal

Logan Elementary School has a weekly news brief and a monthly newsletter that is sent to all school staff and students. This newsletter keeps everyone up to date on scheduled events, school closures, and pertinent school policies. (Sheri Charbonneau, 2006)

1.4. Education

1.4.1. Educational Status

The 2005 Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) scores for 4^th grade Spokane school students were as follows:

Reading - Logan scores were 75.0 the average Spokane scores were 82.4.

Writing - Logan scores were 47.9 the average Spokane scores were 63.3.

Math - Logan scores were 47.9 the average Spokane scores were 65.0.

(Spokane Public Schools, 2006)

1.4.2. Educational Sources

There are six elementary schools, one dedicated preschool, two middle schools, one high school and one vocation skills center in the 99207 area. (Spokane Public Schools, 2006)

The closest community college is Spokane Community College which is located less than five miles from Logan elementary school. There is also a conglomerate of Universities sharing space in downtown Spokane offering a large array of courses. Eastern Washington University is about 15 miles from Spokane.

1.4.3. Educational Services for Specific Populations

Logan Elementary School offers the Collaborative Approach to Preschool Education (CAPE) program for preschool age children with special needs.Logan also one classroom for developmentally impaired students and two classrooms for behaviorally impaired students. There is also a learning support center where qualified students can receive intense tutoring and learning assistance. (Spokane Public Schools, 2006)

1.4.4. Programs for Special Populations

Logan Elementary School has been designated a Title 1 school which means it receives federal funds provided for low income students. These funds are spent to upgrade the entire educational program at Logan rather than targeting only specific students. (Spokane Public Schools, 2006)

The school nurse, counselor, and other school staff make several calls per month to the local Child Protective Services to report suspected abuse and neglect of the Logan Elementary School students. Last year in the City of Spokane, more calls to CPS were placed in the Logan Neighborhood than any other neighborhood in the city. The school nurse attributes a lot of these calls to low socioeconomic class, stress related to poverty, lack of parenting skills, and chemical abuse by the parents.

(Lorie Luber R.N. School Nurse Logan, 2006)

1.5. Recreation

1.5.1. Public and Private Facilities

The Salvation Army Community Center provides and indoor swimming pool, swimming lessons, basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, a game room, meeting rooms, and youth programs. These services are prorated based on income and need. This center is located less than one mile from Logan.

There is a roller skating rink about 15 miles north of Logan Elementary School the school along with the Fourth Memorial Church sponsor several “Skate Nights” throughout the school year so that the less fortunate students can roller skate at no cost to their parents.

(Sheri Charbonneau, 2006)

1.5.2. Entertainment and Cultural Events

Spokane offers many entertainment and cultural options. These include concerts and sports events at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, the Spokane Arts Festival, Pig Out in the Park food and concert series, the Lilac Festival, Spokane County fair and many more options. There are many activities for local residents which are free of charge throughout the year.

1.5.3. Recreational/Leisure Activities

There are multiple lakes and rivers in the area for summer boating, swimming, and fishing. Mount Spokane Ski Resort is only minutes from the city for those who enjoy snow skiing. There are multiple free concerts in many of the city parks on any given weekend.

1.5.4. Programs for Special Populations

Center Pointe is a program offering social and leisure activities for those with a mental or physical disability in the Spokane area.

(Spokane Community Resource Guide, 2006)

2. Strengths

2.1. Free or reduced meal program for low income students.

2.2. The Ronald McDonald medical and dental van provides free and sliding scale fee services to the students at Logan.

2.3. The Senior Volunteer Program provides a large group of volunteers who provide tremendous assistance to school staff and students each school day.

2.4. Community agencies provide services for low income students at Logan.

2.5. Community agencies provide services for those with special needs in the community.

2.6. The Express Program provides low cost child care and assistance with homework for students at Logan.

2.7. Spokane Public Schools offers the Kids in Crisis Program to assist students with any type of emotional crisis they may experience.

2.8. The high schools offer a Peer Mediation - Conflict Resolution program.

2.9. Summit Views Rehab Program for students with drug and alcohol addiction.

2.10.Spokane for Kids Program assists with making sure every Spokane kid has a coat, gloves, hat, and scarf for winter.

2.11.Free Vaccine Program through Spokane Regional Health District.

2.12.Skills Center provides vocational training for high school students.

2.13.Fourth Memorial Church provides back packs and school supplies to all of the students at Logan. They also sponsor roller skating nights for the low income students.

2.14.Caring and supportive staff at Logan Elementary School.

3. Prioritized Nursing Diagnoses

3.1. Risk for Abuse/Neglect

Risk for abuse or neglect due to Impaired Parenting related to financial difficulties, lack of family cohesiveness, low socioeconomic class, and associated stress as manifested by neglect of student needs and a high number of calls to Child Protective Services from the Logan school nurse, counselor, and other school staff.

3.2. Risk of Infection

Risk for infection related to impaired skin integrity secondary to excessive scratching of scalp due to head lice as manifested in several cases of recurrent head lice per week being seen in the school nurses office.

3.3. Ineffective management of therapeutic regime within the student’s family

Ineffective management of therapeutic regime within the student’s family related to head lice treatment regime and failure to follow through on treatment for head lice as manifested by large numbers of Logan students with recurring head lice problems.

3.4. Risk for Low Self Esteem

Risk for chronic low self esteem related to conditions associated with living in poverty, 62% of Logan students are eligible for free lunch and another 13% are eligible for reduced lunch. As manifested by student’s verbalization of hopelessness, students maintaining poor eye contact, and students with poor grooming habits.

4. Planning and Interventions

4.1. Risk for Abuse/ Neglect

Interventions:

· Early identification of students at risk for neglect or abuse.

· Facilitate optimal physical, cognitive, social, and emotional growth of students.

· Promote family cohesion and unity.

· Provide positive parenting information.

· Provide parents of students with chronic illnesses, disabilities or behavioral problems with information on the resources available to them in the community.

4.2. Risk for Infection

Interventions:

· Instruct students to avoid scratching as much as possible.

· Assist students in obtaining necessary resources and information to rid themselves of head lice.

· Instruct all students on means of transmission of head lice and prevention tips.

· Monitor for impaired skin integrity.

4.3. Ineffective management of therapeutic regime within the student’s family

Interventions:

· Assist students and families in proper combing techniques to facilitate removal of nits.

· Teach health room attendants on proper combing for nit removal so they can assist students who have a lack of parental follow through.

· Encourage health room attendants to use a discreet location, maintain discretion, and reassure and support students when doing head lice checks.

· Teach proper combing and nit removal to students.

4.4. Risk for chronic low self esteem

Interventions:

· Assist students and facilitate development of a positive outlook toward their future.

· Assist parents in finding resources for education on promoting positive self esteem in children.

· Assist student to increase his/her personal judgment of self worth.

· Assist students in setting goals for their future to break the cycle of poverty.

Implementation of Intervention

Facts about Head Lice: Presented to non licensed Health Room Attendants at Logan Elementary School

• Goal:

– Promote understanding that ANYONE can get head lice.

– Encourage discreetness when dealing with student’s afflicted with head lice.

– Encourage Attendants to assist in combing out nits in students without parental support in doing so.

• Teaching Methods:

– Video – “How to Comb out Lice” from the Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD).

– Handouts, including lice booklet from SRHD website.

– Brief Lecture with question and answer time allowed.

Evaluation/Reassessment - Outcome of Intervention

• Health Room Attendants agreed to:

– Perform the head lice checks in a private room to prevent unnecessary embarrassment to the student being examined.

– Be reassuring to the students and explain the ways head lice are transferred from one student to another – not related to cleanliness or lack of.

– Send home copies of the head lice booklet from SRHD explaining combing and cleaning of bedding etc. with students found to have head lice.

– Assist students in combing out nits while at school if the student does not have a supportive parent at home to assist.

• Positive reinforcement:

– Mrs. Ault, interim principal at Logan – implemented the guidelines I presented to the Health Room Attendants as the new “Lice Policy” at Logan Elementary School!

References

City of Spokane. (2006). Retrieved on October 1, 2006 from http://www.spokanecity.org/

Spokane Community Resource Directory. (n.d.). Find a resource. Retrieved on January 29, 2020 from http://spokanecares.org/index.php?c_ref=13&search=

Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. (2020). Retrieved on January 29, 2020 from https://www.spokanecleanair.org/

Spokane Regional Health District. (n.d.). Retrieved on October 6, 2006 from http://www.srhd.org/

Spokane Transit Authority. (2006). retrieved on January, 2020 https://www.spokanetransit.com/contact

Washington State Department of Health. (n.d.). Retrieved on October 2, 2006 from http://www.doh.wa.gov/

Washington State Vital Statistics. (n.d.). Center for vital statistics. Retrieved on October 2, 2006 from http://www.doh.wa.gov/EHSPHL/CHS/cert.htm