Community Readiness Model

A framework to empower communities to improve their quality of life, and to become self-motivated, educated, and active in reducing their risk for disease and trauma.

Learn More
Get Manual

Community Readiness Model

A framework to empower communities to improve their quality of life, and to become self-motivated, educated, and active in reducing their risk for disease and trauma.

Learn More
Get Manual

Who We Are

We are the National Center for Community & Organizational Readiness. We developed the community readiness model to strengthen the ability of indigenous and ethnic communities to engage those living in the community to better manage their personal and community health. We dedicate ourselves to providing these communities with culturally appropriate best practices to improve their quality of life, and to become self-motivated, educated and active in reducing their risk for disease and trauma.

We are the National Center for Community & Organizational Readiness. We developed the community readiness model to strengthen the ability of indigenous and ethnic communities to engage those living in the community to better manage their personal and community health. We dedicate ourselves to providing these communities with culturally appropriate best practices to improve their quality of life, and to become self-motivated, educated and active in reducing their risk for disease and trauma.

What is the Community Readiness Model?

The Community Readiness Model was developed in 1994 at Colorado State University with the aim of building the capacity of communities/tribal nations so that they might recognize and build on the strengths from within to begin a healing process of healthy change.

Get Manual

What is the Community Readiness Model?

The Community Readiness Model was developed in 1994 at Colorado State University with the aim of building the capacity of communities/tribal nations so that they might recognize and build on the strengths from within to begin a healing process of healthy change.

Get Manual

Process of Community Readiness 

The Issue

Identify and define the issue that is affecting your community. The community readiness model will bring healthy change to this issue.

Define Community

Define your target community. This may be a geographical area, a group of people, an organization, or any other identifiable group. 

Key Respondent Interviews

Identify and interview key members of your community to assess your community’s readiness and attitudes on the issue.

Determine Readiness Level

Determine what stage of readiness your community is currently at by assessing key factors that influence preparedness.

Develop Strategies

Develop Strategies to bring change on the issue in your community that match your community’s current awareness and readiness level

Community Change

Implement your strategies and evaluate their effectiveness. Increase your community’s readiness and experience community change!

Success Stories

Drug Use

Over 150 rural and ethnic communities have utilized this model to develop prevention strategies addressing substance use appropriate to their cultures and community values and norms.

Child Abuse

The National Children’s Alliance used the model for development of cultural competency within the organization. They recommended utilization of the model to their regional child advocacy centers.

HIV/AIDS

The Tri Ethnic Center has utilized the Community Readiness Model to examine attitudes about HIV/ADIS prevention in forty communities and across four ethnicities.