Arukah Institute of Healing has conducted a Local Community Needs Assessment (CNA) for Bureau, Marshall, LaSalle, and Putnam Counties to comply with federal grant requirements and to ensure we remain attuned to gaps in the area. The insights and expertise gleaned through the focus groups are key elements of a project that will gather and analyze data and opinions from many sources to assist reasonable planning and public reporting.

Two onsite community meetings were held in April 2026: one in Princeton and one in Ottawa. 21 community members, including the county health department, school leaders, social services providers, community leaders, and the faith community, were represented. The SOAR tool was used to assist participants in identifying the community’s strengths and opportunities. Additional questions were presented to the group to elicit feedback.

The Health Needs Assessment is a systematic process that involves the community in identifying and analyzing community health needs, as well as community assets and resources, to plan and act on those needs. This assessment process produces a CHNA report that helps the organization plan, implement, and evaluate strategies and activities. The Health Needs Assessment was developed and conducted, in partnership with community representatives, by a consultant provided through the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN). ICAHN is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation established in 2003 to share resources and education, promote operational efficiencies, and improve healthcare services for member critical access and rural hospitals and their communities. As a part of their service offerings, ICAHN provides guidance to organizations in conducting Health Needs Assessments for this communities. This Health Needs Assessment will serve as a guide for planning and implementing initiatives to help the organization and its partners best serve the emerging mental health needs of their service market areas. The Director of Operations coordinated the CHNA process for Arukah Institute of Healing. Three focus groups met to discuss the state of overall health and wellness in the Arukah IOH service area surrounding Princeton and Ottawa, Illinois. The goal was to identify mental health concerns and needs in the delivery of healthcare and health services to improve wellness and reduce chronic illness for all residents. The focus groups included representatives from healthcare providers, community leaders, community service providers, schools, faith-based organizations, local elected officials, public health, and others. Several members of these groups provided services to underserved and unserved persons as part of their roles. The findings of the focus groups, along with secondary data analyzed by the consultant, were presented to a focused group of entity-selected leaders to identify and prioritize the community’s significant health needs.