Utilizing a national performance standards local public health assessment instrument in a community assessment process: the Clarendon County Turning Point Initiative.

The Clarendon County Turning Point Initiative was launched with the goals of conducting a community-wide health assessment and developing a community health improvement plan. For the community assessment, the National Association of County and City Health Officials' (NACCHO's) Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnerships (MAPP) model was used. One of the assessments conducted through the MAPP model was the National Public Health Performance Standards Local Public Health Systems Assessment. The process for conducting the assessment using the local performance instrument is described. Clarendon County Turning Point Initiative conducted a one-and-a-half-day retreat to complete the local performance instrument. The committee planning the process identified and recruited stakeholders, collected data/information from stakeholders, and hired a consultant to facilitate the one-and-a-half-day retreat. The data analyzed with the local performance instrument identified opportunities and gaps in public health services in Clarendon County.