What is Virginia’s Community Profile Database?
Conception
The Community Profile Database is Virginia’s one-stop, web-based tool to put data in the hands of its citizens! Virginia’s state agencies are collaborating to provide information that impacts the development of Virginia’s children and the well-being of Virginia’s communities. Indicators included in the database come from a variety of areas including:
Click the image above to go to the database.
- Civic participation
- Crime & violence
- Demography
- Economy
- Education
- Families & children
- Gangs
- Health
- Housing
- Juvenile delinquency
- Substance abuse
- More data are on the way!
The critical need for this project was identified by the GOSAP Collaborative. Its members have shaped the design, capabilities, and contents of the database. They have facilitated defining and obtaining data and other resources. Together, GOSAP Collaborative members are building tools to support the practice of evidence-based prevention in Virginia.
Built with collaboration and flexibility in mind, the Community Profile Database can meet needs well beyond the prevention community, however.
- Virginians can set benchmarks and monitor progress toward achieving outcomes.
- Citizens can see what is happening in their communities and become involved.
- School, college and graduate students can find and analyze real data for projects and papers.
- Professional researchers can obtain data they need for statistical analysis.
- Public and private organizations can access uniform data to develop grant applications.
- State agencies and private foundations can compare data to target resources to high need areas.
- Local program providers can find consistent data to assess needs and plan appropriate interventions to address them.
- Planners can link to evidence-based programs and best-practice strategies for services.
Current capabilities
The Community Profile Database is comprised of five tabs: Support for Families, Data, Programs, Reports, and Resources.
The Support for Families Tab is designed for people who simply need assistance with the daily challenges of raising children and living in a family. By entering a locality and/or an adolescent problem behavior, and/or an age, users can learn of programs that might be available to their child. Links to other state and local information and referral sources also are included. (Use of this resource is confidential. No identifying information is collected.)
On the Data Tab, it provides a variety of data, organized by topical area or by risk and protective factor, to assist in using objective data to assess community needs and monitoring progress in addressing those needs. Users can select:
- geographical areas for which they wish to obtain data;
- groups they wish to include (age, race/ethnicity, gender, where available);
- whether to present the data as numbers, rates or percentages;
- whether to view data as maps, graphs or tables; and
- how to download data (as pictures, .pdf files, spreadsheets; or delimited files).
On the Program Tab, it allows users to search, using a variety of criteria, for information on evidence-based programs operating in Virginia. It includes useful contact information, funding sources, and descriptions of the programs. Users may choose from a variety of parameters to include in their reports, as well as the order in which to display them. Reports may be downloaded as word processing files, .pdf files, or spreadsheets.
The Reports Tab soon will provide users with the ability to view a variety of indicators in one report. Users will be able to generate preformatted reports, based on their selection of:
- geographical areas for which they wish to obtain data; and
- groups they wish to include (age, race/ethnicity, gender, where available).
On the Resources Tab, users can find detailed descriptions of the data, their sources, any limitations associated with the data, and sources for additional information and comparison data. More importantly, it links users to best practice information including:
- sources for finding evidence-based programs that research has proven are effective in preventing or intervening in adolescent problem behaviors
- downloadable research articles and prevention materials;
- resource web sites and clearinghouses;
- program performance measures required by federal agencies;
- information on formulating and monitoring program outcome measures; and
- resources for evaluating programs for improvement.
The greatest impediment to practicing sound prevention in Virginia is the lack of a consistent survey of alcohol, drug and violence-related behaviors and perceptions of youth in each City and County in Virginia. This vital information currently is captured only at the state (or Health Planning Region) level. While local-level results may vary greatly from those statewide, it is helpful to monitor and be aware of these broader trends. Consequently, links are included to the: Virginia Youth Tobacco Survey, Virginia Community Youth Survey, and State Estimates of Substance Use.
Continuing progress
The Community Profile Database is a work in progress. We continue to add and update data and resources continually. We also are enhancing the system’s capabilities as funding allows. Ultimately, the Community Profile Database can:
- provide objective data for the allocation and disbursement of Virginia’s limited prevention resources;
- improve the quality of and ease with which localities assess needs and plan programs and strategies to address them; and
- demonstrate that, using strong collaboration and innovative tools, evidence-based prevention improves the well-being of Virginia’s youth and families.
For more information on social indicators, please contact Susan Gholston at: Susan.Gholston@governor.virginia.gov