This guide describes a systematic way of identifying the resources and needs of community residents by gathering data, soliciting the perspectives of residents and leaders, and surveying service providers and other community resources. Part 1 of the guide differentiates community assessment from traditional needs assessments and details the 5-step community assessment process: (1) establishing a community planning team; (2) defining community boundaries; (3) developing a statistical profile, including determining what information to collect, gathering the data, and analyzing the data; (4) assessing needs from residents' perspectives; and (5) assessing community resources through provider surveys, association surveys, consumer surveys, and community mapping. Part 2 deals with sorting through the large body of information to set community priorities, focusing on the use of a community assessment matrix to provide a framework for analysis. Two appendices provide (1) guidelines for developing a resident survey and (2) copies of the surveys and other tools described in the guide. (KB)