Use Google Docs' AI to Build a Community Resource Guide

Tool:Google Docs

AI Feature:Help me write

Time:15-20 minutes

Difficulty:Beginner

Google Docs

What This Does

A well-organized community resource guide listing local housing, food, employment, legal aid, transportation, and SUD services with phone numbers and eligibility notes is one of the most valuable tools a peer specialist can have. Google Docs AI helps you create the structure and template quickly; you fill in the actual local resources you know and discover over time.

Before You Start

A Google account
20 minutes to create the initial structure
A list of any local resources you already know (you'll add these to the AI-generated template)

Steps

1. Create a new Google Doc

Go to docs.google.com → click the + (blank document). Name it "[Your City/County] Peer Support Resource Guide [Year]."

2. Use "Help me write" to generate the structure

Click at the top of the blank document. Look for the pencil/star icon in the left margin and click it, or press Ctrl+Alt+Enter to open the AI input box. Type:

"Create a community resource guide template for a peer support specialist working in [city/state]. Include sections for: Emergency Housing, Transitional/Long-Term Housing, Food Assistance, Employment & Job Training, Legal Aid, Transportation Assistance, Substance Use Treatment (MAT and outpatient), Mental Health Services, Recovery Support Meetings (AA/NA/SMART), and Other Services. For each section, create a table with columns: Organization Name, Phone Number, Address/Hours, Eligibility Notes, Who Referred Me Here."

Click Create.

What you should see: A complete, structured resource guide template with all sections and tables.

3. Fill in your local resources

Start populating the tables with resources you already know. For any section you're not sure about, use ChatGPT or a web search to find local resources and add them in.

4. Add a "Notes from Experience" column

For each resource, add a note about your actual experience: "Usually has 2-week wait," "Very helpful coordinator, ask for Maria," "Will accept clients with open warrants." This institutional knowledge is the most valuable part of the guide.

5. Share with your team

Click Share (top right) → add your colleagues' emails → set permission to Editor so everyone can add resources they discover.

Real Example

Scenario: Your agency has 4 peer specialists, each with their own mental map of local resources. When someone is on vacation, their knowledge isn't accessible to the others.

What you do: Build this shared resource guide and have all 4 specialists contribute their knowledge. Within a week, you have a guide representing 4 people's combined experience.

What you get: A searchable, shareable resource library that grows over time and survives staff turnover. New hires inherit the collective knowledge of the whole team.

Tips

Review and update the guide quarterly. Programs change eligibility, phone numbers change, and programs close and new ones open
When a referral doesn't work out (program is full, wrong eligibility), note it in the guide so colleagues don't make the same call
Export as PDF periodically so you have a version to print for clients who don't have internet access

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