The importance of a needs-based assessment and how to conduct it effectively

Janine Ewen – a specialist in trauma, public health, policing and harm reduction – has produced a template and brief guidance for the Global Law Enforcement and Public Health Association (GLEPHA) on how to negotiate a health needs assessment (HNA) involving the police force, while preventing it from becoming an enforcement-led endeavour. She outlines a careful approach to conducting an HNA project/research, and advice on how to collaborate on project work that properly represents the needs and safety required for underserved populations at community level.