Module 2: Locating and Organizing Data to Profile Youth & Community Populations
Purpose: In this module, you will identify and collect community data. In identifying the factors that contribute to the negative outcomes you wish to change we have tools and resources that will guide you on what data you should collect. This includes information on reforms for systems involved youth and families coupled with the Risk and Protective Factor theory and the Social Determinants of Health (which are correlated with criminal involvement). This comprehensive approach can help identify areas where you can help prevent system involvement or negative outcomes in the first place, as well as mitigate the negative consequences once youth and families are involved in the system.
Getting Started: You can pick and choose which areas you need below, look through all tools, or start with the “Meeting Agendas” Tool, which will guide you through this Module. The full toolkit contains the guide and all of the tools.
Guiding Principles/Best Practices:
- Take your resources (time, personnel, budget) into account when determining what and how much data to collect.
- There may be a need to prioritize pockets of the system and community. This could be based on limited resources or on funding opportunities that might require you to target a certain aspect.
- Include qualitative and quantitative data when possible.
- Draw on the strengths of your EBPP team and utilize team members with experience and skills in working with data. Collect and organize the data the team is gathering so it can be presented back to the team in a comprehensive and clear manner
- Use your Indicator Data Tool as a tracking sheet to keep on track with data collection tasks and the timeline and spread the responsibility for collecting data across the team.