By definition, a community-based program is organized locally, achieving its goals through the community’s institutions and communication networks, often assisted by public health and academic agencies extrinsic to the community (Farquhar, J. W. 2015). Community-based programs are designed to reach people outside of traditional health care settings (healthypeople.gov). With the persistent health disparities, proponents of community-based programs underscore the importance of addressing social determinants of health and use of community health workers to reduce medical costs. For example, chronic diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes cause premature death, reduce quality of life, and increase medical costs for millions of Americans (cdc.gov). By engaging community health workers in community trainings and outreach, community-based programs provide a crucial range of services and bridge the gap between availability of services and actual community needs. Community‐based is a philosophical approach in which communities have an active role and participate in highlighting and addressing the issues that matter to them (fasd-evaluation.ca). In planning and implementing its collaborative and interdisciplinary community-based programs, AAD uses this approach to promote community empowerment, address health disparities, train community health workers, and respond to the prevalence of chronic disease and other emerging issues affecting underserved, marginalized, hard to reach minority communities and neighborhoods.
