Subject: Social Sciences, History, Business, Health, Law, Politics.Analysis of current social issues from different points of view. Often includes overviews of the history and controversies around a topic.
Welcome to the Library guide for this course
Find here resources for exploring a community problem
Provides statistics and reports on federal, state and local responses to homelessness. Includes some information on emerging patterns and trends and strategies and tactics which are proving successful.
This annual report from the Colorado Office of Homeless Youth Services provides statistics on youth homelessness in the state, analysis of the problem, and the efforts to address the needs of homeless youth. The annual report also details current priorities and new initiatives.
From the Advisory Council for Homeless Youth & the Office of Homeless Youth Services - Point in Time Counts (PIT) are “unduplicated one-night estimates of both sheltered and unsheltered homeless populations."
From the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization. Includes information on child poverty, health, education, housing, and overall well being, with comparisons between Mesa County and other areas in the state.
Reports on the extent of the opiod crisis in Colorado and efforts to address the problem. Also includes news stories from different perspectives around the problem.
Provides information to promote statewide understanding of elder/at-risk adult abuse and the rights and protections available to elder and at-risk adults.
Designed for consumer information, this resource details essential health insurance benefits and types of health insurance and reports on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in Colorado. It also provides health cost data by geographic region.
From the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization. Includes information on child poverty, health, education, housing, and overall well being, with comparisons between Mesa County and other areas in the state.
From the Colorado Secretary of State - Includes an analysis of economic trends statewide. For up-to-date information, look for the most recent quarterly report.
Statistics on teen preganancy in Colorado, with some demographic info. From the Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Provides statistics for all Colorado counties on multiple aspects of child social services - Go to a statistical report like "Referrals of Child Abuse or Neglect" and then select the "County Comparison" tab to find the statistics for Mesa and other counties.
A description of the activities of the Colorado Child Fatality Prevention System (CFPS) and CFPS State Review Team that occurred in Fiscal Year 2018, as well as recommendations to policymakers.
From the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization. Includes information on child poverty, health, education, housing, and overall well being, with comparisons between Mesa County and other areas in the state.
Report from the Colorado Department of Human Services - Examines cases of child fatalities, near fatalities and incidents of abuse and neglect. Provides statistics and noteworthy trends, such as family stressors (drug abuse, unreported domestic abuse, mental illness) and prior history with children’s protective services. Also provides an analysis of the strengths and deficiencies in the child and family protection system in Colorado and offers recommendations for addressing the identified concerns.
The mission of DVP is to partner with communities in the prevention of domestic violence while promoting the safety and well-being of survivors through good stewardship of funding resources. The vision of DVP is to promote and sustain a culture free of domestic violence for all Coloradans.
From the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization. Includes information on child poverty, health, education, housing, and overall well being, with comparisons between Mesa County and other areas in the state.
From the National Center for Children in Poverty, a non-partisan research center established at Columbia University that promotes the interests of children in low-income families.
From the Colorado Children’s Campaign, a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization. Includes information on child poverty, health, education, housing, and overall well being, with comparisons between Mesa County and other areas in the state.
Reports on the efforts of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to address race-based discrimination in politics, criminal justice, education, economic opportunity and health care.
Includes reports and regulations concerning air and water quality, sustainability, recycling management, energy development, and reclamation efforts in Colorado.
Environmental assessments for particular areas can be found through the library catalog. Type in a specific place (or just "Colorado") and the words "environmental assessment."
Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness in the Grand Valley - This plan includes some data and analysis of the conditions around homelessness in the Grand Valley, identifying gaps in service areas. Also included are proposals for addressing teen homelessness particularly.
The House homepage provides information on homeless teens in Mesa County and the history and services of The House shelter for homeless teens in Grand Junction.
A 2016 Daily Sentinel Article about increasing numbers of homeless children in the school district, with comments from school officials and community organizations helping homeless youth.
Provides information on population demographics, social and economic indicators, insurance and access to health care, chronic disease, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, preventable injuries and deaths (including suicide and alcohol-induced deaths), homelessness, and obesity. Includes analysis of health care services and barriers to care.
A handout of current statistics concerning opioid abuse in Mesa County with prevention initiative information, from the Mesa County Department of Health and the Mesa County Opiod Response Group.
This profile summarizes controlled substance prescriptions that Mesa County residents received from 2014-
2016, prescribing practices and patient behaviors, population-level healthcare encounters and deaths
related to opioid overdose among Mesa County residents. This information is from several sources: The
Colorado Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), emergency department visit and hospital discharge
databases and death certificates.
Provides information on population demographics, social and economic indicators, insurance and access to health care, chronic disease, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, preventable injuries and deaths (including suicide and alcohol-induced deaths), homelessness, and obesity. Includes analysis of health care services and barriers to care.
From the Mesa County Methamphetamine Task Force - Includes in-depth analysis of the problem in Mesa County and proposed measures to address it. Also includes the findings from a series of interviews with inmates of the Mesa County jail concerning substance abuse, as well as insights from focus groups interviews with (1) former users, (2) recovering users in the child welfare system, (3) families of users, (4) nonusers who are at high risk for using, and (5) law enforcement in Mesa County.
Includes a section on access to health care, including difficulty in getting timely appointments with a doctor and statistics on the prevalence of physical and mental health conditions in Mesa County.
Provides information on population demographics, social and economic indicators, insurance and access to health care, chronic disease, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, preventable injuries and deaths (including suicide and alcohol-induced deaths), homelessness, and obesity. Includes analysis of health care services and barriers to care.
This 2015 article from the New York Times takes a close look at health care spending IN GRAND JUNCTION, both Medicare costs and spending for the privately insured.
This 2013 article from The Atlantic analyzes the health care structure in Grand Junction, with particular attention to care coordination and payment incentives that can decrease costs for some patients.
Provides information on population demographics, social and economic indicators, insurance and access to health care, chronic disease, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, preventable injuries and deaths (including suicide and alcohol-induced deaths), homelessness, and obesity. Includes analysis of health care services and barriers to care.
The security report provides information about crime prevention and safety programs on campus, information for victims of crimes, fire safety and steps to be taken in case of an emergency. The security report also tracks reported crimes on and around campus over the last three years.
Provides information on population demographics, social and economic indicators, insurance and access to health care, chronic disease, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, preventable injuries and deaths (including suicide and alcohol-induced deaths), homelessness, and obesity. Includes analysis of health care services and barriers to care.
Provides statistics for all Colorado counties on multiple aspects of child social services - Go to a statistical report like "Referrals of Child Abuse or Neglect" and then select the "County Comparison" tab to find the statistics for Mesa and other counties.
Provides information on population demographics, social and economic indicators, insurance and access to health care, chronic disease, communicable diseases, maternal and child health, preventable injuries and deaths (including suicide and alcohol-induced deaths), homelessness, and obesity. Includes analysis of health care services and barriers to care.
The Regional Transportation Planning Office conducts studies of transportation needs in Mesa County and conducts planning for future development. Click on the "2040 Regional Transportation Plan" link to see results of recent transportation studies and considerations for future planning.
To better characterize this critical issue in our community, Mesa County Public Health (MCPH) received a grant from
the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) to pilot an active surveillance system in local emergency
departments to track suicide attempts for six months (April - September 2017). Data was collected by St. Mary's
Medical Center, Community Hospital, Colorado Canyons Hospital, Grand Junction VA Medical Center, and West
Springs Hospital. The project validated the importance of data collection and sharing as a prevention tool. Data were
then collected for the rest of 2017 and accumulated in this report.
A special report from the Mesa County Coroner's Office providing statistics on suicide in Mesa County, including seasonal trends, possibe stressors, and demographics. Also includes a list of prevention and support resources.
This Daily Sentinel series of articles on Suicide in Grand Junction (published in 2012). Includes statistics & individual stories concerning the problem locally as well as resources for prevention, counseling, and recovery.
Environmental assessments for particular areas can be found through the library catalog. Type in a specific place (or just "Colorado") and the words "environmental assessment."
The Pew Research Center provides information and reports on "on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world." A great source of current statistics and analysis.
Gateway to U. S. government statistics covering business & economics, the environment, family, home & community, health & nutrition, jobs & education, public safety, science & technology, travel & recreation. Also includes data in map form.
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities. From the U. S. Central Intelligence Agency.
Social Issues in America
