| Purpose:
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To track the well-being of Lower Naugatuck Valley residents on a regular basis, and use this information to mobilize community action to address residents’ needs. ValleyCares was sponsored by the Valley Council for Health and Human Services, a network of non-profit community health and human service organizations. Task force members represented the Naugatuck Valley Health Department, the Valley Council, the Workplace, the Birmingham Group, Griffin Hospital, and the Yale-Griffin PRC. The PRC also performed data gathering and analysis for the project. |
| Further Study Details:
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The task force identified a comprehensive set of quality-of-life indicators based on community health, community safety, behavioral health & social services, education & training, natural environment, and community engagement. To fill in gaps in existing data, the task force engaged the Center for Research & Public Policy to conduct a community assessment survey by phone with 400 residents of Ansonia, Beacon Falls, Derby, Oxford, Seymour and Shelton. Residents were asked to comment on their needs, perceived quality of life, and access and barriers to community services and programs. Findings were shared with Valley health and human service providers, community leaders, and residents. The task force offered Community Dialogues to determine priorities for community action, and helped to develop programs/interventions to address those issues. |