Community Prevention Proposal

Identification of the problem
The covid-19 pandemic has affected life as people have known it. Many people in different
parts of the world, including in Finleyville, have suffered the consequences of the pandemic.
People have encountered a myriad of challenges ever since the pandemic struck. The sudden
change and disruption have made life stressful and, in some instances, overwhelming. Some
people in Finleyville have lost their jobs, some have lost their loved one, children have lost
parents, and the loss caused by the pandemic has been immense. Some people have had to close
their businesses because they were no longer profitable. Some people have moved to affordable
neighborhoods as their previous were too expensive and now not cheap due to a reduction or
sudden loss of income.
Additionally, interaction and free movement have been affected by different public health
directives and policies that have been put in place ever since the pandemic struck as some of the
necessary measures to contain the spread of the virus. The sudden changes have led to isolation
and loneliness, and these have consequently led to stress, anxiety, depression, and feelings of
hopelessness. Also, some people have been affected by the illness health-wise. For instance,
essential services providers had to still report to work even when the pandemic was considered at
its peak. They continued to report to work amidst fears that they could contract the virus and die
in some unfortunate circumstances. Statistics show that essential workers have a higher
probability of experiencing suicidal thoughts and anxiety or depressive symptoms compared to
other workers who do not provide critical services (Panchal et al., 2020). All these
unprecedented changes have taken a toll on people’s mental health.

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The pandemic has had an adverse impact on the psychological well-being of members of
communities. Finleyville has also been equally affected. Most people do not consider mental
health a severe medical issue. Most prefer to self-medicate, while others hope that their health
will be restored over time. Additionally, mental health professionals are limited in number,
which complicates acquiring these services. They can also be costly, and that has not been a
good thing, especially at a time like this when most people have been constrained financially. An
ideal community can meet the psychological needs of its population. Finleyville does not qualify
to be an ideal community as it fails to ensure its population’s psychological well-being is
supported adequately. The program I proposing aims at providing psychotherapy services to
children and adolescents in schools within Finleyville. The program will be rolled out in schools
and target children and adolescents whose psychological well-being has been adversely affected
by the changes occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Background of the History of the Program
Baughman et al. (2020) hold that depressive symptoms, feelings of hopelessness and
anxiety are also common during a child’s early stages of development. Contrary to popular
beliefs, children too can fall into depression. They can go through certain events in life that end
up affecting their psychological well-being. Baughman and other scholars engaged in a stud on
which they wanted to find out more on the Preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies
(PATHS) program. In the study, they found that PATHS is an effective program in fostering
expression and reception of emotions. Children can be guided on how to achieve positive
emotional states, and this can lead to social change. PATHS program is more effective when it is
well understood by parents who are considered to be the child’s first educator. Baughman et al.
(2020) made findings that support the idea of implementing a program that helps address the

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emotional and psychological needs of children and adolescents in Finleyville. The program to be
implemented mirrors PATHS in many ways, only that it also includes an additional group of
adolescents and children above seven years. PATHS does not include this group. Since the aim is
to be comprehensive and offer help widely, the program will cover children and adolescents in
Finleyville and aim at enhancing their psychological well-being.
Further, a study conducted by Werner-Seidler et al. (2017) show that programs that deal
with depression and anxiety among children and adolescents are advantageous in helping
minimize the effects that these issues cause. The study also found that early detection is possible
when the population is made aware of signs to look out for and how depression and anxiety
present, especially among children and adolescents. Thus, the findings of the study support the
implementation of programs that help create awareness and provide treatment and interventions
in populations where the problems of depression and anxiety are affecting the psychological
well-being of community members. Funding is necessary for ensuring that the program has wide
coverage and that programs are availed to everyone within the target population.
These studies provide guidance in the implementation of the proposed program. There is
empirical evidence that supports the implementation of the program. The different studies that
have been conducted show that depression and anxiety are actually threats to psychological well-
being among children. Upon observations made within the society, the covid-19 pandemic has
caused anxiety, hopelessness and depression among children and adolescents within Finleyville.
As a result, the implementation of the program comes in handy in ensuring that the psychological
well-being of this population is safeguarded. It also ensures that those already affected receive
the services that they deserve, and this will be possible if the program is implemented and if
there is wide coverage.

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A Sense of Community
Moreu et al. (2021) state that it is possible to acquire a sense of community from a wide
range of communities. It points to the fact that a sense of community focuses on the experience
of community and does not rely on how it is structured, formed or other features such as
demographic composition. Psychologists have found that cultural competence, individual
feelings, perceptions, attitudes and understandings influence an individual’s sense of community.
The relationship that a person has with the community and their participation in it affect their
sense of community. Thus, it is not about being from a majority or minority community within a
society but rather how a person relates to it and participates within it.
A sense of community is observable within Finleyville. An observation in Ringgold Middle
School, one of the schools within the region, showed that there is a lot of respect for all students
despite their racial backgrounds. Students participate openly within the school. There is a good
relationship between them and with the school. Additionally, wide acceptance and cultural
competence are among some of the ways through which students have been supported in
acquiring a sense of community. All students within the school, inclusive of those from
marginalized communities, demonstrated a strong sense of community. According to Hill (2017),
a sense of community is not synonymous with social network density. This was evident in
Ringgold, and it shows that developing a sense of community within the society is not a problem.
A sense of community within the beneficiaries of the program will help ensure that they are
receptive. They will be willing to be part of the program because they know that their
community offers them support. A good relationship with the community will have a positive
influence on the children and adolescents as well as other stakeholders such as parents. They will
be willing to be part of the program because they have participated in community projects in the

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past. This will be beneficial to us as we implement the program. Receptivity is a key issue to
consider when implementing a program. The willingness of individuals to take part in the project
is key in ensuring that they take advantage of services made available to them through the
implementation of the project.
Role of Diversity in the Issue
Finleyville is a racially disparate community. The White Non-Hispanic community is
widely represented while other ethnic and racial communities are not represented. The
community comprises a very small population, and there are currently no projects aimed at
enhancing cohesion within the area. An increase in racial representation would be necessary for
this community because it would ensure that members of this community learn about different
perspectives. Culture influences our perspective and how we view the world. When we interact
with people from different cultures, we acquire diverse ideas and experiences, and we are
inspired to see the world differently. In a society that is almost exclusively occupied by people
who share the same culture, then the people generally view the world from the same point.
Additionally, diversity drives innovation and breeds creativity (Riccucci, 2018). An increase in
diversity in this community will be beneficial in helping people solve societal problems and meet
their needs in different and exciting ways. Multiple perspectives give rise to multiple voices,
which are necessary for societal growth and development.
Diversity is an imperative practice and value within any community. It is considered a
foundational ethical value and a moral imperative in community psychology. It is thus a value
that is considered important in addressing issues affecting a community such as systemic
oppression, social injustices and systemic inequalities. It becomes difficult to achieve liberation
from oppression and systems of power that carry out social injustices. Diversity entails centering

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multiple perspectives, lived experiences as well as voices that differ from those of one individual
through a process of democratization of knowledge. As people interact with people and systems
of life different from their own, they learn to tolerate and appreciate differences. Diversity entails
affirming, acknowledging, and appreciating communities, individuals and ways of life and
recognizing the differences and uniqueness. Communities are able to see, make use of, and
nurtures all persons when differences among them are made visible. When people value
diversity, they intentionally work together with others and relate respectfully to conditions and
qualities that differ from their own.
Failure to respect and value diversity in Finleyville can have adverse effects on the
success of the project. However, upon observation of community dynamics, it became apparent
that there is a difference between diversity and a sense of community. Both are key components
in community psychology. According to Palmer & Watkins (2017), the values of inclusion,
equality, and diversity are interrelated. In Finleyville, racial disparity does not mean a lack of
diversity. While this would generally be an issue of concern for most community psychologists,
the situation in Finleyville proves otherwise. This is because the racial and ethnic disparity in the
community does not imply a lack of diversity. The whites who are the majority interact freely
and respectfully with the minority communities. Remarkably, members enjoy a sense of
community regardless of their racial background. Cultural competence is evident in Finleyville.
Even though races are disparately represented, the individuals possess an awareness of the
differences that exist and practice tolerance and respect towards one another.
As a program designer, it is possible to have some bias and create a program that
identifies and helps solve problems that affect only the children and adolescents from my racial
background. However, I come from a community that possesses dialectic in terms of diversity.

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Thus, although my racial background is likely to interfere with my ability to remain objective, it
most definitely will not because I come from a diversely dialectic community. Besides, different
stakeholders will be involved in the implementation process; through democratic participation, it
will be possible to capture the needs of all involved parties and ensuring that their needs are well
met. Also, when selecting professionals to help in the achievement of the goals of the program,
multi-cultural competence and awareness will be considered. This will ensure that the
psychotherapists will understand the cultural background of all the children and adolescents that
they will be serving.
Description of the Program
The program I am proposing helps children and adolescents dealing with feelings of
depression, anxiety, and hopelessness or who are on the verge of falling into such mental states
get the necessary help that they deserve from trained professionals. The program acknowledges
that depression is not a problem that only affects adults, but children and adolescents also find
themselves battling depression, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness. The program
acknowledges that children and adolescents are handled by different people, including but not
limited to parents, teachers, school counsellors, school administrators and community members.
The program seeks to involve all these stakeholders in the implementation and evaluation of the
program to foster its success in providing a long-lasting impact on the lives of children and
adolescents. The program targets adolescents and children who are already enrolled in different
learning institutions.
The program will be implemented in schools within Finleyville through the help of
psychotherapists, volunteers and paid, and school counsellors. Each child and adolescent who
will enroll will go through ten sessions. Children will be assisted on how to deal with feelings

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and symptoms related to depression, anxiety and hopelessness right from the onset. The children
will then be guided on developing resilience and identifying when to seek help by not dismissing
signs and symptoms from the onset. Additionally, the program will provide early intervention
and treatment before the issues become complex. It will also provide help to children and
adolescents who may already have sunk into depression, hopelessness, and anxiety. The program
will also be made available to students taking classes online as a result of some of the measures
that have been put in place to contain the Coronavirus.
Four-step evaluation model
Programs should be planned with evaluation in mind as it is a component of its life-cycle. The
evaluation model outlines four key steps in evaluating a program. These include;

1. Planning
   When designing a new program, the first step should be to carefully plan how the evaluation
   will be conducted. It is important to review evaluation results of previous similar programs as
   these can inform the design of the new program. In planning for this program, implementers will
   review evaluation plans to ensure that coherence and coordination are achieved (National
   Institutes of Health, 2015). They will also carefully plan the time when the evaluation will be
   conducted and ensure that they have the necessary funding personnel and other resources
   required for the success of the process. All necessary documents will be reviewed to ensure that
   a tentative plan is created and ensure that last-minute changes are avoided for proper
   coordination.
2. Implementation

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The evaluation process during the implementation of a program helps implementers
determine whether there is successful retention and recruitment of the target participants.
Evaluation materials prepared during the initial stage are used to check whether the program is
maintaining the projected timelines, meeting anticipated goals and whether coordination is being
achieved (National Institutes of Health, 2015). In the program, this stage will entail checking the
number of children and adolescents already benefitting from the program and checking whether
the number meets the projected ones. At this stage, mid0stage corrections will be made based o
already done observations and feedback provided to the implementers. Evaluation will also shed
light on the different processes and progress being achieved.

3. Completion
   It is the third stage, and it involves the outcome, summative evaluations and assessment
   of the impact of the program. After the program is completed, the evaluation will help examine
   the outcomes, both immediate as well as impacts to be achieved in the long-term (National
   Institutes of Health, 2015). The program will entail ten counselling sessions per individual. At
   this stage, professionals involved, school counsellors, parents as well as the child or adolescents,
   will be requested to give feedback. This feedback will be useful at the end of the project as it will
   be used to determine the success rate. Upon confirmation that the program has had a positive
   outcome on the involved individuals, then subsequent programs may examine the impact that the
   implementers hope to achieve in the long run.
4. Reporting, Follow-up and Using Results
   The final evaluation step entails holding discussions and liaising with involved
   stakeholders at the internal and external levels in order to discuss the results and develop a

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follow-up as well as a response plan (National Institutes of Health, 2015). Discussing the report
and the follow-up is necessary for ensuring that the evaluation process has an impact. Also, it
ensures that implementers can communicate the results to other relevant stakeholders. For
instance, in line with this program, results and the overall outcome will be communicated to the
children and adolescents, parents, teachers and school counsellors. Even long after the program
is concluded, the tips learnt can still be implemented in homes and schools. Children and
adolescents are also empowered to be resilient individuals and imparted with tips on how to
handle onset signs of depression to help them remain safe and ensure that they do not develop
the advanced symptoms of depression, hopelessness and anxiety.
Empowerment Evaluation Principles
In the establishment and implementation of a project in a community, evaluation
procedures should be set at the beginning to ensure that members of the community can have a
voice in the improvement as well as adjustment of the program. The process should be guided by
empowerment evaluation principles as they help address key issues relating to the importance of
the program, its relevance as well as helping in earning the trust of the members. The program
will be addressing desperation and hopelessness during the pandemic. It is a serious issue and
affects the psychological well-being of children and adolescents who are the key beneficiaries of
this program. The empowerment evaluation principles discussed below will be considered, and
they will help put the issue at hand into perspective, demonstrate the need to address the issues
and be used to evaluate some of the interventions that have been considered by the implementers
and determine how effectively they help solve the problem.
(a) Improvement

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This principle ensures that the lives of people within the community are enhanced. According
to Fetterman et al. (2017), the principle of improvement ensures that the necessary effort is put in
the process of implementing the program and that the involved individuals or beneficiaries are
involved. Based on this principle, children and adolescents will be actively involved. Feedback
will be taken to ensure that the program is tailored to effectively meet their needs. Additionally,
the parents or guardians, school counsellors and school administrators will also be engaged in
ensuring that the issues of depression and hopelessness are detected early enough, and necessary
action is taken.
(b) Community Ownership
Ownership is a cumulative process; it starts during the initial stages of a project and is then
reinforced along the way to ensure that it gets deeper and stronger. The problem being addressed
through the implementation of the project in Finleyville is community-driven. First, parents and
school administrators must consent to the implementation of such a program within their schools.
Parents too must consent to have their children be involved. As such, the community will be
involved right from the start, and this will help ensure that they develop a strong sense of
ownership. It is necessary for the community to own the program because its success largely
depends on the reception and support that will be received from the program. Additionally, the
evaluation process will entail receiving periodical reviews and feedback from the community,
which will be instrumental to the adjustments and improvements that will be made on the
project.
(c) Inclusion

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According to Fetterman (2012), the number of stakeholders allowed to take part in the
project should be as high as feasible, reasonable, and possible. The principle of inclusion
requires that all affected stakeholders be involved in the implementation process. Inclusion is key
in enhancing community ownership. The project will bring together different stakeholders such
as parents, children and adolescents, school counsellors, funders, teachers, as well as members of
the community. Inclusion enhances diversity. It will also ensure that the program is
comprehensive and puts into consideration the unique culture and ways of life of different people
represented within the schools and community at large. Besides, inclusion ensures that the
project benefits from different forms of support available. For example, funders will ensure that
required financial resources are availed. Professionals will offer their knowledge and skills,
while school administrators will provide infrastructure such as rooms and school vehicles to
facilitate movement and enhance service delivery.
Additionally, this principle emphasizes representation. It ensures that everyone’s voice is
acknowledged and well represented in the implementation of the project. Fetterman (2012)
argues that this principle helps planners reach an authentic and meaningful consensus as a
considerable number of people are involved in objectively and deliberately airing their opinion
concerning the required plan of action. The more the people involved in the project, the more the
planners ensure that it captures the needs of the children and adolescents who are the primary
target. Inclusion is also a great way of bringing together resources, both human and financial, to
ensure that the project implementers are enabled and able to meet the set goals.
(d) Democratic Participation
The principle of democratic participation entails not only ensuring that inclusion is adhered
to but also ensuring that every individual present is allowed an opportunity to have their voice

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heard. Thus, inclusion is meaningful only if there is democratic participation. Democratic
participation allows for deliberation and action that are achieved when members are engaged in
well-reasoned discussions and ensure that their opinions are supported by evidence. This way, it
becomes possible to take action and enhance the effectiveness of the project. Additionally,
equality and fairness are achieved better when there is meaningful democratic participation.
(e) Social Justice
The principle of social justice is aimed at ensuring that the people’s social concerns are
ameliorated. For instance, the rate of suicide among children and adolescents in the area is a
social concern. Depression and feelings of hopeless could be one of the causes of suicide among
this population. Thus, by having a program aimed at addressing the issues of depression and
hopelessness, then in a way, the rates of suicide could reduce. Social justice is a guiding
empowerment and evaluation principle when it comes to developing and implementing a
program. It reminds members of the community of their role in pursuing social justice in their
daily endeavors (Donaldson, 2017). When community members work with disenfranchised
groups, they play a role in ensuring that social justice is achieved.
Relevant Approaches
The program will utilize the school system as the schools provide unparalleled access to
children and adolescents. Professionals will work alongside school counsellors in providing
psychotherapeutic services to the target population. The program will run independently, and
schools will allocate time, as is convenient to them based on their schedules, during which the
children and adolescents will be allowed an opportunity to interact with professionals. The hope
is that based on evaluation and overtime, the program will be adopted and integrated into the

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school routine. For instance, over time, the implementers look into the possibility of having a
lesson during the school routine that creates awareness on such issues. For example, the last
lesson of the day can be set aside to equip young learners with the necessary skills to achieve
resilience and identify depressive symptoms early enough. This will help alleviate many barriers
to accessing psychological and emotional support.
The program is designed in such a way that it addresses the problem from its roots. It
seeks to provide emotional and psychological support, create awareness on signs and symptoms
of depression, anxiety, and feelings of hopelessness and assist the population in picking out such
signs right from the onset. It takes a preventive approach while at the same time a=offering
support to those already experiencing the problem. The program will ensure that professionals
are available to avail of mental health services at no cost. Thus, children and adolescents, even
from families that cannot afford these services, will have access to them. The aim is to ensure
that there is wide coverage that does not depend on the financial power of the parents. Also,
children and adolescents will be made aware of how to be conscious and aware of their health
and some self-care tips that can help them take good care of their mental health right from an
early age. Additionally, parents will be involved. They will be given flyers and pamphlets with
information to guide them on how to support their children as well as help them identify the
symptoms early enough. The importance of early detection cannot be overemphasized.
Conclusion
Overall, the program acknowledges that children and adolescents need support to achieve
psychological well-being. They, too, are susceptible to depression, feelings of loneliness and
anxiety. It, therefore, will avail the necessary support and opportunities for children and
adolescents within schools to access services necessary to enhance their psychological well-

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being. Additionally, it will avail support to young people already experiencing depression and
hopelessness due to the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.

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References

Baughman, N., Prescott, S. L., & Rooney, R. (2020). The prevention of anxiety and depression
in early childhood. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 2333.
Donaldson, S. I. (2017). Empowerment evaluation: An approach that has literally altered the
landscape of evaluation. Evaluation and program planning, 63, 136-137.
Fetterman, D. M. (2012). Empowerment evaluation. Empowerment Evaluation Principles in
Practice, 92.
Fetterman, D. M., Rodríguez-Campos, L., & Zukoski, A. P. (2017). Collaborative, participatory,
and empowerment evaluation: Stakeholder involvement approaches. Guilford
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Hill, J. L. (2017). Where is the Dialectic in the Community‐Diversity Dialectic?. American
journal of community psychology, 59(3-4), 276-279.
Moreu, G., Isenberg, N., & Brauer, M. (2021, July). How to Promote Diversity and Inclusion in
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Initiatives. In Frontiers in Education (Vol. 6, p. 253). Frontiers.
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people of color. Paper presented at the annual retreat of Adler, University, Chicago.

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