You can use the THRIVE tool on your own to find more information about reducing disparities and/or to select priority factors and actions. You can also use the tool as part of a planning process, such as with a neighborhood group or a community coalition. This page delineates a series of steps that an individual or a group could go through to arrive at some priorities for action, based on the needs of the selected community.

For more information, click on the following questions:

• Why use a community health approach to reduce disparities?
• What are the elements of a community planning process?
• What is the relationship between THRIVE and the elements of community planning process?

THRIVE Process

Step 1: Identify priority health problems or view all factors at once

• Option A -- Identify priority health problems : For some people, it is helpful to start by thinking about the major health problems in a community. Selecting this option will allow you to select specific health problems. When you get to the THRIVE tool, the community factors most closely associated with your selected health problems will be highlighted.
• Option B-- View all factors: This option will allow you to go straight to the THRIVE tool, where you can view all of the community health factors.

Step 2: Review the linkages between health and safety and the community health factors

Review information about each of the community health factors, including how it’s defined, how it relates to health and safety, and the health problems it is most closely associated with.

Step 3: Rate the priority level and status of factors in your community

Using the THRIVE tool, rate how important of a priority each of the factors is for your community and how well the community is doing on each of them. This assessment will help inform which factors you select for action.

Step 4: Select priority factors for your community

All of the community health factors relate to health and safety; however, different communities have different needs and different priorities. In order to move forward, it is critical to prioritize which factors will be addressed because they cannot all be addressed simultaneously. Using the THRIVE tool, you can choose your priorities by clicking on the action box, and this will give you information about what can be done to strengthen that factor. You might choose to go through a prioritization process with other members of your community or organization. For more information about what to prioritize, review: How do we prioritize which factors to work on?

Step 5: Choose your own indicators for each priority factor

Once you have selected priority community health factors for action, it is helpful to clarify what the community wants. Understanding what you are trying to achieve will help clarify which action to take. Therefore, it is helpful to choose indicators for each of your prioritized community health factors. For more information about indicators, click on the links below.

• What are indicators?
• What makes a good indicator?
• What are some sample indicators?

Step 6: Identify what’s already working and what needs improvement

For each factor that you have prioritized, it is valuable to identify what is already going on that can be built upon, as well to identify particular areas for improvement. This will allow you to avoid duplication of efforts, address existing gaps, and ensure that multiple efforts are building on each other. This can be done as part of a more thorough assessment or as an informal brainstorm to get an initial sense of what is going on.

Step 7: Select potential activities for your community

Once the priorities community health factors are clear, you know what you are trying to achieve, and you know what is already going on and what the gaps are, determine what actions to take. Once you have selected specific community health factors for action, the THRIVE tool will provide some ideas about what can be done. Selecting the ones that are right for your community will depend on who’s at the table, resources, and existing community strengths and needs. For more information, click on the links below.

• Are there specific people or needs we should take into account when selecting appropriate activities to strengthen the community?
• Is there a chance we could do damage to the community or its members?
• How can we maximize the impact of our efforts?
• How do we know if we are being effective?