Ask an Advisor Questions

I run a non profit organization that promotes healthy living in San Diego, Ca. The biggest problem I have is getting help with projects. How would you suggest motivating others to work for free and how to find them?

Hi there, I'm looking to cite information from your articles for an academic assignment and I'm looking for specific authors in chapter 13. Can you help direct me to the location where authors are listed? Thank you!

I would like to propose a way to deter the youth of America from using tobacco products; however, I am usure how I would go about doing this.

I am on a committee that would like to use Photovoice concepts to explore one particular zip code in Reno, Nevada. We want to use 'at-risk' youth, all of them have smart phones. We were thinking of having them upload images directly to a shared site or platform. Does anyone have any experience with this versus digital/traditional cameras??

I need to make a logic model for my class and I really need help with it I am very confused. I chose to do it on cost/affordability on medication.

I am working on a project that is trying to connect multiple groups, across professional sectors as well as community members, in an effort to reduce recidivism/enhance community stability for individuals and families after incarceration. One of the things we are trying to do is create a resource guide/reference guide type document for people to reference about what services exist, and basic information on how they are structured. For example, a mental health professional could reference it to get a basic idea of how community corrections works, what services they provide, how the funding works, and a general contact number/site for more information. Or a case manager in a correctional facility could reference it to see how a person quaifies for Medicaid, or how substance abuse treatment is paid for in Iowa and how the waitlists work. I've done a lot of looking around to try and find some guidance or even an example of what I am trying to do- basically a source of information to better connect people to services that already exist to try and reduce duplication, identify gaps, and reduce the "silo" effect. Not a directory, but it would have important contacts in it. Is this something you have any resources you could point me towards? Or language to describe it even? If not no worries, I might be making it more complicated than it actually is.

Your site is amazing, and I am sure I will visit it frequently now that I have discovered it, thanks!

Hello! Do any of you provide (a 90-minute) presentations/discussions to not-for-profits on your toolbox--a summary of the modules, how it works, its efficacy in communities, etc.? I'm with a hospital assn., and our members are all NFPs. We are putting on a conference in March (16-18, in Bozeman), and want to provide some conceptual education (that gets into the how-tos) about building coalitions to improve the health of their communities. Many of them are small, rural/frontier, and this is fairly new for them. I'd like to start at the beginning with them to show how it can be done, no matter their size or location. Thank you.

hello,

I am looking for guidelines or a policy around youth workers (staff), using their personal money to buy personal items for youth. some of our youth are in high need and staff sometimes want to or feel obligated to buy them coats and such. do you have any materials that can address these issues?

Dear Toolbox Advisor,

I am in the final stages of writing a modified version of my current book, Starting and Sustaining Groups that Thrive: Therapist’s Workbook and Planning Guide. This edition, Groups That Thrive: Workbook and Planning Guide, is for a wider audience of non-therapists, such as leaders of self-help and support groups, writer’s groups, work groups, community and networking groups.
 
I am writing to ask your assistance in finding recent statistics.
I have been unable to find statistics about the number of self help or support groups in the US that are more recent than the last 10 years. Your implement/enhancing-support/peer-support-groups/main page cites 500,000 support groups in the US. 
 
Do you know the source and date of that statistic? Re: “Did you know that there are over 500,000 support groups in the United States? Because they are both inexpensive and effective ways to offer assistance to people dealing with a variety of concerns, support groups have become a common method of serving the needs of people who are experiencing problems in their lives.” [From: http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/implement/enhancing-support/peer-support-groups/main ]
 
Thank you in advance for considering these requests,

Ann Steiner, Ph.D., MFT Certified Group Psychotherapist
 
Psychotherapist/ Author /Trainer/ Professional Speaker
Recently Released: How to Create and Sustain Groups that Thrive: Therapist's Workbook and Planning Guide
To be Released: How to Create and Sustain Groups that Thrive: Therapist's Workbook and Planning Guide
Board Member, American Group Psychotherapy Association
Lafayette, CA 
(925) 962-0060
www.DrSteiner.com 

Hello, I am searching for a training around community organizing. Our organization uses your Community Toolbox and we are currently looking at ways to expand our offerings around community organizing.

Hello,
I am trying to decide between a phd and masters in Community Psychology. I am pretty certain I do not want to be an educator or conduct research in an academic setting. Would a masters degree be a better choice for me? Recently I have graduated with an MA in marriage and family therapy but I found I wanted to do more than just therapy and think Community Psychology will help me better integrate my interests ( human rights, policy, advocacy etc). Could you tell me what I can do with a phd that I wouldn't be able to do with just a masters?

I am looking forward to so advice from your Advisors. A team of teachers at my school attended the IEL Family and Community Engagement Conference. I ended up with a little flyer from your organization... I just logged into your website and I am excited about all the tools you have available. I work at a diverse urban school district in CT. One of our focus areas are Family and Community engagement. We are honestly floating... our family engagement coordinator is knowledge and working hard but she is one of many people responsible for the interactions with our families and students. We do have a diverse staff population and as it become more diverse, I believe we as educators become more adept at effectively readjusting to situations based on our feedback from adult communication. However, we need to change our parent teacher conferences. When I think about building powerful PARTNERSHIPS with families, I do not see a teacher on one side of a table and family members on the other. Teachers reading information many parents don't understand, then strengths and concerns shared that may not be the same values as the families. We could get really into this!!! But our principal has given us 30 minutes on Dec. 1st for a group of use to support teachers in changing their conferencing practices, building cultural competence, and planning for their next weeks parent communication. PLEASE if you could offer any materials, resources, information that could support us, it would effective the lives of 523 students and a community of 4 times that. I thank you in advance for any advise, direction and "tools" that you can recommend.
Thank you,
Kara Levenduski
-Also wanted to mention we do have a book club of about 13 teachers reading Beyond the Bake Sale. - We are working on things... we need to continue to take relevant steps to improve our school culture.