Community Outreach - Parkinson's Nebraska

Community Outreach Program

Purpose of the Program
The purpose of the program is to increase access to Parkinson’s services by empowering community members with the resources they need to make change in their local community. The community capacity-building program equips key community members with the knowledge and tools to identify & overcome local disparities to Parkinson’s wellness.

Community Action Committee
Local service providers, healthcare professionals, care partners, and people with Parkinson’s are experts on their local community. They offer a variety of cross-sector experiences, perspectives, and resources that help identify, understand, and overcome local barriers to Parkinson’s services and education.

Through the Community Outreach Program, we collaborate with these key community members to establish a local Community Action Committee (CAC). CACs are a group of motivated professionals and community members who take on a leadership role in their community, modeled off the Davis Phinney Foundation Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ initiative.

CACs are provided with community-building and program-building resources. Resources such as assessment tools, Parkinson’s trainings, access to grant funding, and more give the power of change to local community members. An empowered CAC is able to independently identify local needs and knows how to develop Parkinson’s programs to meet those needs.

Community Grant
Communities that participate in the Community Outreach Program will receive a community grant up to $1,000. The purpose of the grant is to provide funding for the programs and initiatives developed by the CAC to meet the needs and barriers they have identified. It supports items such as professional fees, exercise equipment, professional trainings, affiliate fees, program supplies, technology equipment, etc.

Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™
Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ is a new initiative led by our partners at the Davis Phinney Foundation to help support community leaders, volunteers, and advocates in the pursuit of making the places where we live, work, and play more inclusive and supportive for those living with Parkinson’s. They provide trainings and professional development tools, support from the Davis Phinney Foundation, and the opportunity to network with other Parkinson’s communities.

The CACs established through the Community Outreach Program will be connected to the Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ network. They will gain access to the HPC Tool Kit and other resources from the Davis Phinney Foundation.

Community Benefits
Through the program, the community will receive:

Resource Folders to hand-out in the local community
$1,000 community grant to support CAC initiative.
A Community Questionnaire assessment tool
Access to the Davis Phinney Foundation Healthy Parkinson’s Communities™ Network and HPC Tool Kit resources
Knowledge of how to access Parkinson’s trainings, programs, resources, and funding to create independent change.
Local programs and services listed on the Parkinson’s Nebraska website
Ongoing support from Parkinson’s Nebraska

Past Communities
In 2020, the pilot Community Outreach Program was rolled out in Norfolk, NE. Key healthcare professionals, service providers, and group leaders met via Zoom to learn about the Community Advocacy Model, review the results of a community questionnaire, and discuss solutions to local needs. As a result of the program, an evening support group and Dance for Parkinson’s programs have been established! Learn more about the Norfolk pilot program here.

Click below to explore:
PN Exercise Classes
PN Support Groups
PN Educational Programs
RCO Program