Vital Conditions

Seven Vital Conditions for Neighborhood Wellbeing and Six Urgent Services

Community Commons Site

--_Compare vital conditions with a more comprehensive Critical Basic Needs Checklist_

* [ ] Belonging and Civic Muscle

* [ ] Lifelong Learning

* [ ] Meaningful Work and Wealth

* [ ] Basic Needs (for Health and Safety)

* [ ] Humane Housing

* [ ] Thriving Natural World

* [ ] Reliable Transportation

See Arrows diagram

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VitalConditionsHealthandSafetyHumaneHousingStableNaturalEnvironmentReliableTransportationMeaningfulWork andWealthLifelongLearningUrgentServicesAcuteCare forIllness orInjuryHomelsssServicesEnvironmentalClean-UpAddictionand RecoveryServicesCriminalJustice,Violence, andEmergenciesUnemploymentand FoodAssistanceBelongingand CivicMuscle

Below we begin to look for systemic interactions and leverage points. From my point of view the key is vibrant neighborhood development centers (NDC) by and of the neighbors. These could organize community development centers to coordinate (CDC) and cooperate on larger projects and these might organize bioregional development centers (BRDC) for even larger scale projects. These are civic organizations distinct from public (governmental) and private enterprises. The structure and style of governance that evolves in these civic entities will be critical for their long term success.

HealthandSafetyHumaneHousingStableNaturalEnvironmentReliableTransportationMeaningfulWork andWealthLifelongLearningUrgentServicesAcuteCare forIllness orInjuryHomelsssServicesEnvironmentalClean-UpAddictionand RecoveryServicesCriminalJustice,Violence, andEmergenciesUnemploymentand FoodAssistanceBelongingand CivicMuscleNDCPatternsCDCBRDC

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These Urgent Services are necessary when communities fail to provide for the vital conditions. Some urgent services include:

* [ ] Homeless Services * [ ] Unemployment and Food Assistance * [ ] Acute Care for Illness or Injury * [ ] Addiction and Recovery Services * [ ] Criminal Justice, Violence, and Emergencies * [ ] Environmental Clean-Up

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We have learned is that helpers must also be teachers and mentors, otherwise they worsen the situation they are paid to improve.

Support and Training

The implication of this simple causal loop model is that those who provide homeless services must also teach people how to buy, build, or rent their own housing.

Those who provide unemployment benefits must also provide job training and opportunities.

Those who provide acute illness care must also provide health and safety training appropriate for each individual's situation.

Those how provide addiction and recovery services must provide the context for drug free living.

Those who provide policing, judging and jailing services must provide context and opportunity for honest, nonviolent, and safe living.

Those who provide environmental clean-up services must provide for environmental protection capabilities.