Abuse and neglect: orientation project and community assessment

There are 2 parts to this assessment. In this assessment, you gather information for a family assessment and look at the medical history and social influences on a family unit. You will conduct a windshield survey of the community in which your chosen family resides.

Part 1: Family Assessment

Select a family within your community as the basis for the completion of assessments in this course. The family must have at least 1 child under the age of 18 living the home.

Complete and submit a signed Family Release of Confidentiality form to your course instructor prior to your first point of contact with the selected family. 

Review the key points of therapeutic conversation. 

Formulate key questions for obtaining valuable information. 

Ensure your family assessment addresses: 

• Identifying data 
• Developmental stage and history of family 
• Environmental data 
• Family structure 
• Family functions 
• Family stress and coping 
• Family composition
• Parenting styles

Provide a brief overview of the family members. 

Define child abuse and neglect using your state’s terminology. Note any parenting weaknesses that might indicate possible abuse and/or neglect.

Write a minimum 875-word summary of Part 1.

Note: Remove all personally identifying information, such as the family members’ names. Refer to family members by initials only. 

Part 2: Community Assessment 

Review the Windshield Survey Aid. 

Review the Windshield Survey Resources 

Observe your family’s community by driving around the area. 

Consider aspects of the community that could affect residents’ health and any HealthyPeople Leading Health Indicators that may be applicable to the community. 

Conduct a windshield survey that addresses the following components: 

• The age, nature, and condition of the community’s available housing 
• Infrastructure needs—roads, bridges, streetlights, and so on 
• The presence or absence of functioning businesses and industrial facilities 
• The location, condition, and use of public spaces 
• The amount of activity on the streets at various times of the day, week, or year 
• The noise level in various parts of the community 
• The amount and movement of traffic at various times of day 
• The location and condition of public buildings—the city or town hall, courthouse, and so on 
• Walkability of community: walking paths/biking paths/safety and proximity for walkability to community resources
• Public transportation availability, cost, accessibility
• Social service centers, such as public libraries, parks, churches, community centers, recreation centers 
• Health care facilities, including how many, such as clinics and hospitals, and accessibility of health care resources
• Food/nutrition, including details such as food deserts, grocery stores 
• Homeless population and homeless services details 
• Police and fire department presence 
• Schools and their location, including physical condition of schools, and note whether daycare, preschool, elementary, middle school, high school.
• Community resources related to child abuse and neglect, spousal abuse, or elder abuse

Compile your windshield survey data, using the Windshield Survey Template to include: 

• Data overview of all community components as identified in the Community Tool Box Resource (in the Windshield Survey Resources below)
• Strengths of community as evidenced by windshield survey 
• Weaknesses (gaps in service) as evidenced by windshield survey 
• Develop 1 family nursing diagnosis based upon identified gap in community resources as an indicator of potential poor health outcomes
• Develop 1 family diagnosis based upon identified gap in community resources as an indicator of potential poor/weak parenting

Format your assessment as noted: 

• 18- to 20-slide presentation 
• The slides should only contain essential information and as little text as possible. Do not design a slide presentation made up of long bullet points. Your speaker notes convey the details you would give if you were presenting. See the Create Speaker Notes page from Microsoft for more help.

Submit your assignment.

Windshield Survey Resources 

Review these resources for information about completing a windshield survey: