Say your mental health organization wants to implement or improve a program or service in your community. How can you ensure it meets your community’s actual needs, and is embraced by the people you serve? This short video introduces two critical, interconnected steps to help lay the groundwork before implementing any mental health program: engaging your community and assessing their mental health needs. You can also learn more about community engagement and needs assessment by visiting its core topic page.
Core Topic Video 1: Engaging the Community & Assessing Their Mental Health Needs
Author(s): Center for Mental Health Implementation Support
Contributed by: CMHIS
Publication year: 2026
Type: Explainer Video
Target audience: Systems Leaders and Administrators, People Responsible for Leading Implementation Efforts, Individual Clinicians and Staff
Experience: Beginner
Language: English