Assessments

Assessments are an essential part of the model created by Buffalo County Community Partners. Our funding requires our programs be evidence-based, meaning they are dependent on measurable results and outcomes to determine their effectiveness.

New Assessments

2021 SHARP Results
SHARP is the umbrella encompassing the ONLY three student health surveys endorsed by the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS). The administrations of the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), the Youth Tobacco Survey (YTS), and the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factor Student Survey (NRPFSS) were combined in 2010 to make up the Student Health and Risk Prevention (SHARP) Surveillance System.

Buffalo County Community Partners has done an oversample for both the YRBS and the NRPFSS since 2000 to better understand issues facing youth in the county. Traditionally, the surveys are conducted in nine middle and high schools in Buffalo County, Nebraska every two years. A Developmental Assets Profile is also conducted on at that time. Developmental Assets have been extensively researched and have shown that the more assets youth possess the less likely they are to engage in high-risk behavior.

2021 Buffalo County Developmental Asset Report 

 

 

2018/2019 Adult Status Questionnaires 
During the Spring of 2018, 996 Buffalo County residents participated in the online Mental Health Adult Status Questionnaire (ASQ), and during the Spring of 2019, 798 Buffalo County residents participated in the online Physical Health ASQ.  Both surveys were administered by Political Science professors at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Both surveys were modeled after the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Buffalo County Community Partners commissions the surveys every two years to provide the community with important data in which to make decisions, secure needed resources, and evaluate community based outcomes of the Buffalo County 2020 Vision.

• 2019 Physical Health Adult Status Questionnaire Results

• 2018 Mental Health Adult Status Questionnaire Results

 

Older Assessments

(These assessments include data from all previous survey years)

• 2018 Youth Risk Behavior Survey Results

• 2018 Nebraska Risk and Protective Factor Student Survey

• 2018 Developmental Assets Profile Results (Youth)

Assessment Process

Our assessment process is a fluid process that is coordinated by the board’s Planning and Measurement Committee. The committee has outlined steps below that are followed to ensure a consistent and living assessment process.

Step 1: From 2008-2010, Community Partners conducted a county-wide assessment to determine which priority health goals were to be attained by 2020. Assessment tools used for the county-wide assessment included behavioral risk factor surveys for adults, minorities and youth in Buffalo County. Each survey is available  below for download. To secure the qualitative data, Community Partners conducted a focus group process called Mini Town Hall Meetings in each Buffalo County community, networking with 300 residents, including youth and minorities. The most recent town hall meeting report is available below.

During this same process, Planning and Measurement overlayed data to determine if the Buffalo County 2010 Goals were attained. A report of the 2010 Goals is available here.

Step 2: The matrix found on page eight of the Town Hall Meeting report lists the health issues prioritized by Buffalo County communities. The qualitative data was prioritized by members of each community to begin developing the Buffalo County 2020 Vision. 

Step 3: Buffalo County Community Partners Planning and Measurement Committee aligned the qualitative priorities with quantitative data to define a list of county-wide priorities. The Committee utilized Healthy People 2020 to set measurable targets for each priority. The list of priorities was developed and presented to the Board. The Board defined goals by aligning to both the “Determinants of Health”  and to resources on the Healthy People 2020 web site.

Step 4: The Board voted on the top ten issues to be addressed in Buffalo County. Planning and Measurement Committee processed the issues into a dashboard of well-being indicators with measurable outcomes. At this time, the board determined to address the well-being indicators  in five strategic directions to be adopted by the community for attainment by 2020.

Step 5: The strategic directions were released to the community through the 2010 Annual Report to the community. A new Buffalo County Healthy Community Advisory Board was launched in July 2012 to adopt the 5 Strategic Directions and model programs in the community. The Advisory Board will meet annually to discuss a business approach to moving the 5 Strategic Directions for Buffalo County.

Step 6: The Collaboration Council will be launched for members of the community to meet quarterly to discuss action plan processes and objectives moving the 5 Strategic Directions toward 2020 to meet well-being indicators targets.

Ongoing processes that weave through all six steps listed above include Planning and Measurement monthly meetings to mark community-wide surveying and focus group processes, reports to the community and marking progress.

The board’s strategic focus is to ELEVATE, ENGAGE, EMPOWER and EVALUATE the Buffalo County 2020 Vision. The 2020 Vision is powered by Buffalo County Community Partners by providing endorsed strategies around PREPARATION, PROMOTION, PROGRAMS, POLICY and PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT.

The resources below are here for your use! Download any of the following surveys or reports to assist you in your health community building efforts. If you have any questions, please contact the Community Partners office.

Below are links to all of the downloads mentioned above:

Report of 2010 Goals
Prioritized 2020 Issue List
“Determinants of Health”
2012 Annual Report
2020 Process
2020 Vision
2009 Town Hall Meetings Report