This paper presents the findings of two participatory community assessments conducted in Punta Raton and El Venado, two small coastal towns in Southern Honduras. The community assessments were designed and implemented to establish a baseline of community awareness and action, an important step in community development and environmental sustainability. The aim was to: build community partnerships, identify key stakeholders, facilitate dialogues about concerns, identify local and external resources required for progress, and construct actions plans targeting key communal concerns. The assessments were found to be successful in engaging community members and identifying local needs and resources. However, challenges in intervention development and implementation were also encountered. A number of cultural factors were also found to be important in shaping community organization and wellness. This paper details the findings of the two assessments, recommendations for future community development efforts are identified, and implications for Marriage and Family Therapists doing community based work in international contexts are explored.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper presents the findings of two participatory community assessments conducted in Punta Raton and El Venado, two small coastal towns in Southern Honduras. The community assessments were designed and implemented to establish a baseline of community awareness and action, an important step in community development and environmental sustainability. The aim was to: build community partnerships, identify key stakeholders, facilitate dialogues about concerns, identify local and external resources required for progress, and construct actions plans targeting key communal concerns. The assessments were found to be successful in engaging community members and identifying local needs and resources. However, challenges in intervention development and implementation were also encountered. A number of cultural factors were also found to be important in shaping community organization and wellness. This paper details the findings of the two assessments, recommendations for future community development efforts are identified, and implications for Marriage and Family Therapists doing community based work in international contexts are explored.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Chapman, Carizma Amila"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Marital and Family Therapy (DMFT)","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Counseling and Family Sciences","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Wilson, Colwick M.","Distelberg, Brian","Dunbar, Stephen G.","Huenergardt, Douglas"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2015,"date_issued":"2015-09-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2015-09-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:52:38Z","subjects":["Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Social Problems - Honduras - Citizen Participation; Community psychology - Honduras; Community Development - Honduras - Citizen participation; Community-Based Participatory Research; Public Health - Honduras","Community assessments; Punta Raton","Honduras; El Venado","Honduras; Community organization and wellness"],"languages":["English"],"rights":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. The author retains all other copyrights."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarsrepository.llu.edu/etd/345","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Wilson, Colwick M.","Distelberg, Brian","Dunbar, Stephen G.","Huenergardt, Douglas"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Chapman, Carizma Amila"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Counseling and Family Sciences"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Marital and Family Therapy (DMFT)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling","Social and Behavioral Sciences","Social Problems - Honduras - Citizen Participation; Community psychology - Honduras; Community Development - Honduras - Citizen participation; Community-Based Participatory Research; Public Health - Honduras","Community assessments; Punta Raton","Honduras; El Venado","Honduras; Community organization and wellness"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["English"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["This title appears here courtesy of the author, who has granted Loma Linda University a limited, non-exclusive right to make this publication available to the public. 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The assessments were found to be successful in engaging community members and identifying local needs and resources. However, challenges in intervention development and implementation were also encountered. A number of cultural factors were also found to be important in shaping community organization and wellness. This paper details the findings of the two assessments, recommendations for future community development efforts are identified, and implications for Marriage and Family Therapists doing community based work in international contexts are explored.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Communities in Action: Participatory Assessments as an Initial Stage in Critical Consciousness Raising and Community Capacity Building"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Wilson, Colwick M.","Distelberg, Brian","Dunbar, Stephen G.","Huenergardt, Douglas"],"dc:creator":["Chapman, Carizma Amila"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper presents the findings of two participatory community assessments conducted in Punta Raton and El Venado, two small coastal towns in Southern Honduras. The community assessments were designed and implemented to establish a baseline of community awareness and action, an important step in community development and environmental sustainability. The aim was to: build community partnerships, identify key stakeholders, facilitate dialogues about concerns, identify local and external resources required for progress, and construct actions plans targeting key communal concerns. The assessments were found to be successful in engaging community members and identifying local needs and resources. However, challenges in intervention development and implementation were also encountered. A number of cultural factors were also found to be important in shaping community organization and wellness. This paper details the findings of the two assessments, recommendations for future community development efforts are identified, and implications for Marriage and Family Therapists doing community based work in international contexts are explored.
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