University of North Texas Increased Rates of Juvenile Crime Assessment Paper Required 12- 16 page count. Must be written in APA style. COMMUNITY ASSESSMEN

University of North Texas Increased Rates of Juvenile Crime Assessment Paper Required 12- 16 page count. Must be written in APA style.

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT “EXAMPLE PAPER ATTACHED BELOW”

Below are some suggestions to assist with the development and preparation:

Suggestions: Add sub-heading’s – Sub-heading’s allow a dedicated section for each discussion. This particular format will help you with flow, organization and style. Use your assignment rubric to explain what is required in each sub-heading. Provide an overall written section of information within each sub-heading.

Sub-heading’s

Introduction/Abstract
Target Population
Community Characteristics
Community Structure
Advocacy
Conclusion
References

Be certain to include map location. It is also, helpful to include statistical data graphs if relevant such as race, ethnicity, crime statistical brief charts. Your graphs and or bars will depend on what is relevant to include. Graphs and bars are not mandatory however, they can assist with your research and point of view. Be certain to review some of your community assessment video’s. Video’s will help with additional source of information to include if needed.

Within each sub-heading above, provide the relevant research information to include in your assignment paper.
The purpose is to gather information and data to provide your community assessment.
Follow- the outline with the suggested topics. The outline and assignment rubric provides specific detail information regarding what is needed within the paper.
Much of the information needed within the community assessment paper, you have already completed the task, either by module assignment reading or discussion board assignment.

Helpful APA Guideline Tips:

Be certain to check your title, header and reference page style for correct format.

Remember you must give credit to the writer thus, within body citations must be included within your assignment paper. P UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL WORK
GUIDELINES AND RUBRICS
COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT PAPER PROPOSAL
General Instructions:
Students will write a 3 – 4 page paper proposal that identifies and describes the community to be
assessed in the community assessment paper. A demographic overview, map of the location designated
and APA reference list is a part of the proposal. Map and reference list are not part of the page count.
Preliminary Reference List is required (2010 and later) for this assignment (Some references are
possible to change if needed and or relevant:
A minimum of 6 references is required. Students will research a chosen topic within the community
using professional empirically based knowledge obtained from professional journals, books, the course
text, local community assessments such as the United Way, the CDD (Center for Disease Control), or
other governmental organizations that provide professionally supported data.
The following content & format MUST be followed.
I.
Cover Page (APA)
II.
Introduction
III.
Demographic Overview
A.
Identify and discuss selected topic. Why interest in selected topic? (See community
assessment paper rubric or syllabus for suggested topics/locations).
B.
Identify and discuss location area. Why did you select this particular area?
C.
Summary – Include reference to at least two of the six the core values of NASW code of
ethics.
D.
Location Map – Students may go to Google map or perhaps the interest site to obtain a
map of the location area.
E.
Reference list (APA) 2010 and later.
SOCW 5306 Generalist Macro Practice
Meets
requirements
Average- some
minor gaps
Below averagesome major gaps
Name: _____________________________________________________________ Grade: __________
10
9
8
Introductory summary (statement and or definition can be included.
20
19
18
Identification and discussion of the chosen topic and interest in topic.
20
15
10
19
14
9
18
13
8
Identification and discussion of the chosen location and interest in area.
Applicability to the practice of social work and NASW Code of Ethics
Minimum of 6 references 2010 and later. Professional journals, books, the
course text, local community assessments
10
15
9
14
8
13
Appropriate grammar, sentence structure and word choice. (APA style)
Length 3-4 pages minimum, double-spaced, not including cover, map,
reference page
Running head: FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
Community Assessment Paper: Food Insecurity in Southeast Dallas
SOCW 5306 Generalist Macro Practice
University of Texas at Arlington
1
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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Introduction
The focus of this community assessment is food insecurity in the zip code of 75217 which is
the neighborhood of Pleasant Grove in southeast Dallas and the deleterious impact this social
problem has on the health outcomes of residents. Specifically, the assessment addresses the
manifestation of food insecurity in the form of a food desert in this zip code. The United States
Department of Agriculture (hereinafter USDA) (2019) defines a food desert as a low-income
census tract where a substantial number or share of residents have low access to a supermarket or
large grocery store. Low income tracts are defined as those where at least 20 percent of residents
have income at or below the federal poverty levels for a family size of four, or where the median
family income for the tract is at or below 80 percent of the surrounding area’s median family
income. Tracts qualify as low access tracts if at least 500 persons, or 33 percent of their
population, live more than a mile from a supermarket or large grocery store (USDA, 2019).
Community Assessment
Target Population
The General Population of Pleasant Grove
The total resident population in Pleasant Grove is 59,187 which comprises 4.6 percent of
Dallas city. It is predominantly Hispanic (67 percent) with a significant Black population (24
percent) and a small White population (8 percent) (2011-2016 Five Year American Community
Survey Estimates, as cited in Pleasant Grove Now, 2018). The neighborhood has a relatively
young population with 35 percent aged 17 or younger and 5 percent are 65 or older (2011-2016
Five Year American Community Survey Estimates, as cited in Pleasant Grove Now, 2018). Of
those 25 and older, it has a relatively low educational attainment with just 5 percent with a
Bachelor’s degree or higher and 44 percent with no High School Diploma (2011-2016 Five Year
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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American Community Survey Estimates, as cited in Pleasant Grove Now, 2018). 42 percent of
the working-age population (16 and older) are not in the labor force and the areas’
unemployment rate of 7.1 percent is higher than the City rate of 6.8 percent (2011-2016 Five
Year American Community Survey Estimates, as cited in Pleasant Grove Now, 2018). A main
source of employment in the neighborhood is the construction sector (23.7 percent) and only 8.6
percent are in professional or scientific jobs (2011-2016 Five Year American Community Survey
Estimates, as cited in Pleasant Grove Now, 2018).
The Target Population of Pleasant Grove
The target population for this community assessment are residents of Pleasant Grove who
live outside of a one-mile radius of a large grocery store or supermarket thereby living in what
the USDA classifies as a food desert. Food insecurity is an issue which is prevalent throughout
Pleasant Grove and is not limited to or confined to one specific area (A. Basey, Personal
Communication, April 12, 2020), however, access to grocery stores becomes an even greater
challenge the further southeast one travels in the zip code (M. Doleshal, Personal
Communication April 22, 2020). The highlighted section of the USDA food access map in
Figure 1 shows low-income census tracts in the 75217-zip code where a significant number or
share of residents live more than one mile from the nearest supermarket. South Dallas is
estimated to have a total of 177,663 persons living more than a mile from a major or large
grocery store and this number includes residents of Pleasant Grove (Regan & Rice, 2012).
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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Figure 1: USDA Food Access Research Atlas. Low Income and Low Access Layers 2015 for the
75217-zip code. Reprinted from US Department of Agriculture, October 31, 2019. Retrieved
April 2, 2020, from https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas/go-tothe-atlas/
The Needs of the Target Population
Food insecurity and lack of access to nutritious and affordable foods are key issues affecting
this target population. Furthermore, food insecurity has been shown to have a deleterious impact
on people’s physical health and exacerbates prior social and economic stress with individuals
more likely to struggle with psychological and behavioral health issues (Crowe, Lacy and
Columbus, 2018). For example, people who are food insecure are disproportionately affected by
diet related chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer which are amongst the
leading causes of death for Americans (Regan & Rice, 2012; Dallas County Community Health
Needs Assessment, 2016). These diseases are linked to obesity which affects more than one-third
of adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents in the U.S. High Body Mass
Indices, the primary measure of obesity, are associated with socioeconomically distressed
populations in the U.S. suggesting that environmental factors external to biological makeup, such
as a person’s zip code, affect a person’s physical, psychological and behavioral health (Regan &
Rice, 2012).
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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Community Characteristics
Description of the Community
The neighborhood has 3.4 percent of Dallas City’s housing stock, has a relatively high
owner-occupancy at 53 percent, and a significant number of single-family rentals at 38 percent
(2011-2016 Five Year American Community Survey Estimates, as cited in Pleasant Grove Now,
2018). The 2018 property value averaged at $96,079,508 which was an increase of 3.5 percent
since 2013 (Pogue, C. 2019). As communicated by a local resident working in a neighborhood
food pantry, housing is largely of poor quality, apartment complexes are in disrepair, and the city
is not holding homeowners accountable for much needed improvements to rental properties
which particularly affects tenants who rely on vouchers (A. Basey, Personal Communication,
April 12, 2020). There are also many pawn shops in the neighborhood reflecting poor economic
stability (Texas Health Resources, 2018). While the zip code is well serviced in terms of public
transportation, distance to the bus stop, especially for those with mobility issues, and its
prohibitive cost for those on fixed incomes have been identified as key barriers to accessing
services (Texas Health Resources, 2018; A. Basey, Personal Communication, April 12, 2020).
Notwithstanding its high crime rate and drug problem, there is no police station in Pleasant
Grove. Education is also a key issue with just one high school in the zip code. There are,
however, a significant number of community assets in Pleasant Grove, as outlined in Figure 2,
including a satellite branch of Eastfield College, and some recreational assets as well as
institutional assets. There are also a number of homeowner associations and neighborhood
associations registered with the city. While the community does not have a hospital, Parkland’s
Southeast Dallas Health Center offers healthcare to residents (Texas Health Resources, 2018).
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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Figure 2: Area Map and Community Assets in the 75217-zip code. Reprinted from Pleasant
Grove Now, January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 2, 2020 from
http://www.dallasgrowsouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/pgn_charrette_slides.pdf
Location of the Community
Pleasant Grove is a residential neighborhood in the Dallas city limits, eight miles southeast of
downtown Dallas. The area is unofficially bounded by Bruton Road to the north, White Rock
Creek to the west, Trinity River to the south, and Cheyenne Road to the east. It borders the city
of Mesquite to the east and the neighborhood of Oak Cliff to the west. Over the years, Pleasant
Grove has gone through many changes in relation to its ethnic composition. A white majority
neighborhood until the 1980s, this was followed by the so-called “white flight” northwards (M.
Doleshal, Personal Communication, April 22, 2020). It was subsequently a predominantly
African American neighborhood and now has a majority Hispanic population. This has largely
been a result of Hispanic growth in Dallas city over the years combined with black migration to
the suburbs and white migration to the north (A. Basey, Personal Communication, April 12,
2020).
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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Description of Major Needs in the Community Affecting Target Population
As already mentioned, the target population of this assessment are residents of Pleasant
Grove who are food insecure to the extent that they live in a food desert. One of the main causes
of food insecurity is poverty. 65.69 percent of residents in Pleasant Grove live 200 percent below
the federal poverty level (Texas Health Resources, 2018). Residents face wide gaps in income
levels and educational achievement and often have to choose between paying for medication,
transportation or food (A. Basey, Personal Communication, April 12, 2020). This issue is
particularly prevalent among senior members of the community who rely on minimum levels of
social security as their only source of income as well as the neighborhood’s sizeable homeless
population (M. Doleshal, Personal Communication, April 22, 2020).
Another cause of food insecurity is neighborhood deprivation which is reflected in the
sources of food available to residents which include eight small grocery stores and forty-nine
convenience stores, nineteen of which accept SNAP/food stamps (Dallas Community Food
Assessment Map, n.d.). Healthy foods are not readily accessible and when they are, they are not
affordable (M. Doleshal, Personal Communication, April 22, 2020). Alternatives to traditional
food retailers such as farmers markets do not exist. There are, however, two community gardens
in the neighborhood which donate to food pantries and residents can grow food on plots (M.
Doleshal, Personal Communication, April 22, 2020).
Related to poverty and neighborhood deprivation is the impact food insecurity and lack of
access to nutritious food has on residents’ health and well-being. Without easy access to larger
supermarkets, residents are forced to turn to convenience stores, corner stores or other small food
retailers which typically stock processed foods high in calories and low nutritional quality. As
previously noted, studies show that residents of communities without proper access to a large
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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supermarket suffer from disproportionately high rates of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related
health problems. It is therefore unsurprising that residents of this zip code have a higher than
average rate of chronic diseases (Texas Health Resources, 2018). Evidence also suggests that
food insufficiency is a better indicator of behavioral health outcomes such as depression than
conventional socio-economic variables and that people living in poverty are twice as likely to be
depressed (Texas Health Resources, 2018). In 2018, 60.7 percent of behavioral health encounters
were depression related. Furthermore, 10 out of 10 most frequently admitted patients to hospitals
from this neighborhood in 2018 had a co-occurring behavioral health diagnosis (Texas Health
Resources, 2018). From a health access perspective many residents have no access to mental and
behavioral health treatment; no structured counseling programs in community organizations and
few substance use disorder recovery programs. There are also no free or reduced-cost primary
care clinics in the zip code (Texas Health Presbyterian Dallas CHNA, 2019). These barriers are
compounded by a lack of healthcare coverage with 47.5 percent of residents in Pleasant Grove
lacking health insurance (Pleasant Grove Now, 2018).
Dominant Values in the Community that Uphold Root Factors
Food deserts do not exist in a social vacuum and cannot be separated from the context in
which they operate. They are a result of macro-economic conditions that exacerbate health and
other outcomes for individuals. In the U.S., food insecurity and hunger are a persistent problem.
For instance, in 2010, 14.5 percent of American households were food insecure at some point
during the year, and 5.4 percent had very low food security meaning that “food intake of one or
more household members was reduced and their eating patterns were disrupted at times during
the year because the household lacked money and other resources for food” (Crowe et al., 2018,
p.1). In addition to household food insecurity, community food insecurity, which looks at
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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accessibility and adequacy of food for residents in a community, is also prevalent in the U.S.,
particularly in the most rural and urban areas of the country (Crowe et al., 2018).
In Dallas County, thirty-six percent of zip codes have areas of limited access to affordable
and nutritious food and the County is home to one of the largest collections of food deserts in the
U.S. with most of these food deserts south of the city. According to Regan and Rice (2012),
based on the USDA’s criteria for food deserts, as previously outlined, 48 census tracts in south
Dallas (61 percent) are food deserts. 100 percent of the population of 19 food desert tracts in
south Dallas live outside of a one-mile radius of a large grocery store or supermarket, and 80
percent or more of the population of 10 additional food desert tracts live outside of a one-mile
radius (Regan & Rice, 2012).
In addition to having too few supermarkets, existing supermarkets are unevenly distributed
across the city with a higher proportion in more affluent White majority neighborhoods (Albert,
Manon & Waldoks, 2015). As such, the demographic and economic disparities in Dallas County
zip codes with low food access are considerable. Nearly twice the percentage of African
American and Latino residents and nearly twice the number of residents who live below the
poverty line live in areas that lack access to healthy food, as compared to white, higher-income
residents (Albert, Manon & Waldoks, 2015). As reaffirmed by the Community Foundation of
Texas (2018), there are wide disparities in household income by race and ethnicity in Dallas
County with income levels mirroring the ethnic makeup of those communities. Areas with higher
concentrations of African American and Hispanic residents, like Pleasant Grove, have
significantly lower income levels than areas populated by white residents, like East Dallas and
the Park Cities. For instance, the median income for both Hispanic and African American Dallas
County residents is less than 60 percent of the median income of White or Asian residents. These
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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differences are driven by several factors, including racial and ethnic disparities in access to
employment, remuneration and educational attainment (Community Foundation of Texas, 2018).
Description of Community Strengths
In terms of community strengths, there is heightened community concern of the social
problem and the needs of residents. For instance, there are sixteen emergency food sites, thirtyfive afterschool feeding sites and fifty-six summer lunch sites (Dallas Community Food
Assessment Map, n.d.). In partnership with the North Texas Food Bank (hereinafter NTFB),
there are numerous food pantries working on the frontlines responding to the immediate needs of
residents. In addition to providing food, these organizations are working with the NTFB to
provide nutrition-related programs, including SNAP/food stamp benefits outreach services. Since
over half of the meals provided through the NTFB are tied to government programs, these
organizations, together with the NTFB, are working with local government officials to increase
meal participation in schools, after-school feeding, and summer meal sites. These smaller food
pantries are also raising this social problem with local groups, such as the South East Dallas
Chamber of Commerce, the South East Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Kiwanis
Club of Pleasant Grove (M. Doleshal, Personal Communication, April 22, 2020).
A second community strength is the attention which Pleasant Grove has secured of Dallas
City Hall policy makers and the mayor’s office. This is reflected in the inclusion of the
neighborhood as a focus area of the Mayor’s “Grow South Initiative” which, since 2012, has
been addressing economic issues in southeast Dallas. “Pleasant Grow Now!” is a by-product of
this Initiative with the aim to drive economic development in the neighborhood. It has three
focus areas, namely, to add more retail, renovate older apartments and create more office space,
to finish recreational projects, train a workforce and attract major employers to the area.
FOOD INSECURITY IN SOUTHEAST DALLAS
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According to a local community leader, this initiative has brought some employment to the area
and had gained some traction in its early years by bringing together different stakeholders and
securing the attention of the then local City Council representative. While the momentum seems
to have waned somewhat, the newly elected local City Council representative has shown
renewed interest (M. Doleshal, Personal Communication, April 22, 2020).
A third community strength is the existence of supportive community organizations working
to meet the health needs of residents and highlight the health concerns of the community. For
instance,…
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