Understanding the structure and dynamics of a community can be complex—but a community genogram makes it easier to visualize those connections. Whether you’re a social worker, educator, healthcare provider, or community leader, these diagrams offer a powerful way to map relationships, identify key roles, and highlight support networks within any social environment.
In this guide, we’ve curated five practical community genogram examples—from schools and neighborhoods to healthcare and social services—complete with editable templates to help you get started quickly.
What Is a Community Genogram?
A community genogram is a visual tool that maps out the social, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal relationships within a specific community. Unlike a traditional family genogram, a community genogram highlights the broader network of people, groups, organizations, and institutions that influence the lives of community members.
Used frequently in social work, counseling, education, and community development, community genograms help uncover patterns of support, influence, collaboration, or tension in a shared environment. They’re especially useful for identifying community assets, social support structures, and areas of need within a population.
Common Elements Found in a Community Genogram
- Individuals and Families: Community genograms still include family units as in traditional genograms, but they also incorporate individuals who may not be part of a specific family but play significant roles within the community.
- Organizations and Institutions: This includes schools, religious institutions, healthcare facilities, businesses, non-profit organizations, social service agencies, and other community-based groups.
- Interconnections: The lines and symbols used in the genogram represent the relationships between different individuals, families, and organizations. These connections can show social ties, partnerships, collaborations, conflicts, and other interactions.
- Roles and Positions: People’s roles and positions within organizations or institutions are often indicated, helping to identify leaders, staff, volunteers, or participants.
- Community Characteristics: Additional information may be included, such as demographic data, cultural factors, economic indicators, and community assets.
Now let’s explore ten community genograms, each highlighting the relationships and networks within a specific community with easily editable templates.
How to Create a Community Genogram
Creating a community genogram is easy with the right structure and tools. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Define the Community Scope
Decide the geographical or social boundary of the community you’re mapping—e.g., a school district, religious group, healthcare network, or neighborhood.
Step 2. Identify Key Individuals and Groups
List significant community members, families, organizations (e.g., schools, clinics, NGOs), and social networks that shape the community.
Step 3. Use Genogram Symbols and Connectors
Use standard genogram symbols (and custom ones where needed) to represent people, groups, and institutions. Draw connections to reflect relationships, collaborations, hierarchies, and emotional dynamics.
Step 4. Highlight Roles and Relationships
Clearly mark the role each person or group plays—leader, volunteer, patient, teacher, etc.—and indicate relationships using lines, arrows, or descriptive notes.
Step 5. Analyze and Share Insights
Once your community genogram is mapped, analyze it to uncover patterns, gaps, or strengths. Use it to drive discussions or interventions for community planning, counseling, or outreach.
Tip: Use an online genogram maker for drag-and-drop editing, collaboration, and customizable templates.
1. School Community Genogram
A school community genogram is a visual representation of the relationships and roles within an educational environment. It maps the interconnected network of students, teachers, administrators, support staff, parents, and even external partners such as local education boards or community programs.
This type of community genogram helps highlight key dynamics in the school system, such as collaboration, communication flows, or leadership roles, making it a valuable tool for educators, counselors, and school administrators. It can also be used to address issues like student support, staff engagement, or school-community partnerships.
2. Religious Community Genogram
A religious community genogram offers a detailed look at the relationships, roles, and support networks within a faith-based group. It visually maps the congregation, including leaders, members, spiritual practices, and community outreach efforts. By identifying the connections between individuals and institutions within the religious setting, this genogram helps uncover the underlying social structures that shape the spiritual life of the community.
This type of community genogram is particularly valuable for faith leaders, social workers, and community organizers, as it provides insights into the emotional and social ties that strengthen unity and support the congregation’s shared beliefs and values.
3. Healthcare Community Genogram
A healthcare community genogram visually maps the relationships between medical professionals, patients, healthcare institutions, and support organizations within a specific region or system. This type of community genogram highlights how hospitals, clinics, public health agencies, mental health services, and non-profits interact to deliver care and promote community well-being.
It’s a powerful tool for public health professionals, medical social workers, and healthcare administrators to identify gaps in care, referral patterns, or collaboration opportunities across the healthcare ecosystem.
4. Neighborhood Community Genogram
A neighborhood community genogram illustrates the network of relationships within a specific locality or residential area, showcasing how residents, local businesses, schools, community centers, and other neighborhood institutions interact. This type of community genogram helps uncover patterns of collaboration, support systems, and social dynamics that influence the neighborhood’s overall health and cohesion.
It’s particularly useful for urban planners, social workers, and community leaders looking to foster engagement, address local challenges, or enhance neighborhood resilience through informed decision-making.
5. Social Services Community Genogram
A social services community genogram maps the relationships and roles within a network of individuals, support organizations, and government or non-profit agencies that work together to assist vulnerable populations. This type of community genogram highlights how social workers, counselors, shelters, outreach programs, and public services interact to provide care, advocacy, and essential resources to those in need.
It’s an invaluable tool for case managers, community organizers, and policymakers aiming to identify service gaps, strengthen collaboration, and better understand how social support systems function within a community.
Helpful Resources
Discover everything you need to know about genograms, from what they are, how to create a genogram, to how to understand what they mean.
Explore our collection of genogram templates.
Learn how different types of genograms can help visualize important aspects of life.
Explore the essential symbols used in genograms to represent everything from basic family structures to complex emotional and medical relationships.
Ready to Visualize Your Community?
Community genograms are a valuable tool for mapping and analyzing the intricate web of relationships that exist within various social, cultural, and institutional settings. In this guide, we explored what a community genogram is, how to create one, and shared five practical examples—including school, religious, healthcare, neighborhood, and social services genograms.
Each example showed how community genograms can be tailored to uncover connection points, identify support systems, and improve communication across diverse community networks. Whether you’re a social worker, educator, counselor, or community leader, these templates offer a clear and customizable starting point for visualizing community dynamics.
Get started with Creately’s user-friendly genogram templates and unleash the power of community analysis. Collaborate, share, and gain valuable insights together. Create your community genogram now!
FAQs About Community Genograms
What is the purpose of a community genogram?
How is a community genogram different from a family genogram?
Can community genograms help with community development projects?
Resources:
Butler, J.F. (2008). The Family Diagram and Genogram: Comparisons and Contrasts. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 36(3), pp.169–180. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01926180701291055.
Rempel, G.R., Neufeld, A. and Kushner, K.E. (2007). Interactive Use of Genograms and Ecomaps in Family Caregiving Research. Journal of Family Nursing, 13(4), pp.403–419. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/1074840707307917.
