Community Practice

Abstract

AbstractCommunity practice is dependent upon our vision of what community means. If we place it at the center of these efforts, then institutions, such as hospitals and others, are there to serve communities, rather than the other way around. Community practice is labor intensive. The slogan “bottom-up” ascends in importance in community practice, translating into a goal of bringing together diverse resident groups in pursuit of a common goal. Community practice is predicated upon an ecological foundation, with relationships forming the glue allowing what appear as disparate elements to pursue a common agenda. We have marching orders that respect different gun injury foci and roles because there is no single path. It is a journey with detours and temporary setbacks, but one worth taking nevertheless. For some of us it means taking a stance at an agency or community level. Others approach this journey from a research, policy, or scholarly standpoint. Further, these roles are not mutually exclusive. Regardless of the role we take, we need others to join us in this march on ending gun violence and corresponding injuries to individuals, families, communities, and the nation.