Dear Trillium Caring Communities Conference Participant [and others]:

You may wish to explore the potential value of the Community Quality of Life
Approach for your agency's work.  The approach was developed by the South
Riverdale and Lawrence Heights Community Health Centres and the University of
Toronto in cooperation with the Canadian Mental Health Association National
Office, Toronto and North York Public Health Departments, and the Metro
Toronto District Health Council.

At the internet site http://www.utoronto.ca/qol there is information about
the approach, the "How to Carry Out a Community Quality of Life Manual", and
FREE copies of the complete set of reports from the Riverdale and Lawrence
Heights projects.  Once at the site, click on "Projects" and then on
"Community Quality of Life".

To date 600 copies of the Manual have been distributed world-wide.  Below is
the original Press Release from the University of Toronto.  Please feel free
to forward this message to colleagues who may be interested in this approach.

Sincerely,

Dennis Raphael
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COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT TAKES A NEW PERSPECTIVE-
UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO MEDIA RELEASE

Researchers have developed a new approach to assess
a community's social determinants of health that emphasizes
the community's perspective.

The Community Quality of Life Approach looks at
issues such as employment, housing and education through the
eyes of the people who live there, says Professor Dennis
Raphael of the department of public health sciences. "This
enables us to identify the community's strengths that should
be protected and the needs that should be addressed.

"For too long experts and policy makers have been
deciding what is important for the everyday person," Raphael
says. "This new approach gives a voice to those members of
society who are normally not heard and forces experts and
policy makers to listen to what they have to say about their
quality of life."

Raphael worked on the study with staff at the South
Riverdale and Lawrence Heights Community Health Centres. The
researchers held group discussions and individual interviews
with residents, service providers and elected
representatives. "We are developing a portrait of the
community to illustrate what people in the community think
makes life good for them and keeps them healthy."

The approach is a product of the Community Quality of
Life Project in which researchers examined the Toronto
communities of Riverdale and Lawrence Heights. The work was
a partnership of the South Riverdale and Lawrence Heights
Community Health Centres, the City of Toronto and North York
Public Health Departments, the Metropolitan Toronto District
Health Council, the national office of the Canadian Mental
Health Association and U of T's department of public health
sciences and Centre for Health Promotion. Funding support
was provided by the Jessie Ball Dupont Fund, a charitable
agency based in Jacksonville, Fla.

Complete sets of results reports are available at:
http://www.utoronto.ca/qol

CONTACT: Professor Dennis Raphael of the department of
public health sciences, (416) 978-7567, e-mail:
[log in to unmask] or Christina Marshall, U of T public
affairs, (416) 978-5949, e-mail: [log in to unmask]

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Visit our Web Site http://www.utoronto.ca/qol for complete sets of our
Community Quality of Life Reports.

  ******************************************************************
 All children belong to society.
 But obviously society will have to be changed
   in order to make it treat its children better.

       -Halldor Laxness  "The Atom Station"
  ******************************************************************

Dennis Raphael, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Associate Director,
Masters of Health Science Program in Health Promotion
Department of Public Health Sciences
Graduate Department of Community Health
University of Toronto
McMurrich Building, Room 101
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA M5S 1A8
voice:  (416) 978-7567
fax:    (416) 978-2087
e-mail: [log in to unmask]