148 lhe nurse c. tl Alyst-parl ner and the community as client-partn er to en ha nee a collectiv life of competence and empowerment. The i Uustration below show~ a scheinatie diagram of how U1e community, represented by Lhe b~~ cii·clc, _<. :an be organi?,ed int~ w?rk j?,rnups. _ represented by tbe _sn!~I _cii:-dcs, to mob1hzc the mflu~ncc and political \-,JI of the neighborhood to sustam m1liut1vcs and support efforts al 1mpruv 111g health care and scn;ccs in a co Declive life. The boundary of the big circle is represented by hroken lines to emphasize serni­ permeability. allowing for cxchangt-of resources or linkages with other socio-econom ic­ po Htical units or outside i;1ge. 11ts and institutions to en J1ance growth or make available robust options lo address problems or handle change. As work groups e:,.-perience the dimensions of community competence, they feel motivated and confident in pursuing empowermen t domains as areas of inilnenc e that a 1Jow commun ity residents to,11ork together and mobilize tbcmsclves toward increased critical consciousness. level of control and choice over health, health c. :. are/se rvicc/ program decisions and nptions. I~-iverack (2ou5) describes these empowe rment domains as: (1) improved participati CJn; (2) developed local leadership; (3) increased problem assessment c;:ipaci ties; (4) enhanced ability to 'ask why'; (5) im provec. l resource ruobilizalion: (6) strong organizational structa. u·es/s upport groups; (7) strong links with other org,rnizalion s and peuple; (8) egalitaria D/equitable relationship between the community and out. side agent; and, (9) i11crc:ascd control over prngram 1nnnagement. REFERENCES 1. Boyd MA. (2002). Psychiatric Nursing : Contemporary Practice. Philadelphia: Lippincott.. 2. Cottrell LS. ( 1976). The competent community. In Knphln BH & Others (Eds), Further Explora tions in Social Psychiauy. New York: Basic Books, pp 195-209. 