Community Engagement

Introduction

Chapter 1 states that community engagement is about relationships between and among communities, researchers, and research institutions (p. 18). One of the keys to establishing a successful relationship is for all parties or stakeholders to strive to understand the point of view of insiders, whether they are members of a neighborhood, religious institution, health practice, community organization, or public health agency (Chapter 1, n.d., p. 11). This is an important point to remember, particularly when it comes to nontraditional communities. In nontraditional communities, insiders are going to be the ones who have the best sense of the communitys values and viewpoints. These will need to be understood and appreciated if engagement is going to succeed. This paper examines the problem addressed in Chapter 5 of how to engage nontraditional communities in state-level decision-making processes. The approach suggested is to utilize community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to build partnerships between state-level decision-makers and nontraditional communities. This paper details action steps that can be taken to identify problems, obtain funding and experts for research, build partnerships, and pilot research projects.

Problem and Approach

A nontraditional community is a group of individuals who may not be represented or included in the mainstream community. This could include marginalized populations such as immigrants, refugees, people experiencing homelessness, or individuals with disabilities. Nontraditional communities may face unique challenges related to accessing healthcare, education, or other social services.

The problem that needs to be addressed is the lack of representation and inclusion of nontraditional communities in state-level decision-making processes. Oftentimes, these communities are not adequately represented or their voices are not heard in the policy-making process. This can lead to policies and interventions that do not meet the unique needs of these communities, which can result in poor health outcomes and other negative consequences.

The approach to engaging a state as a community involves using CBPR approaches to involve nontraditional communities in the decision-making process. This involves identifying the problems faced by these communities and working with them to develop solutions that are tailored to their unique needs and experiences.

Discuss Whether Research-Centric "Action Steps" Can Be Translated To Public Health Practice

The action steps outlined in "How do you engage a state as a community?" can...…do not personally have any experiences with the challenges in the prompt, it is worth noting that engaging nontraditional communities in decision-making processes can be challenging. These communities may have unique needs and experiences that are not always considered in state-level decision-making. Utilizing CBPR approaches and building partnerships can help to address these challenges and ensure that nontraditional communities are included in decision-making processes. The biggest challenge, for me, I would say would be trying to engage insiders in a way that helps with building relationships. What I have experienced in the past is that insiders can be very guarded about who they take to and what they talk about. They can feel that they have to protect those around them. Therefore, gaining their trust can be vital and very difficult. However, what I have found is that the best way to gain trust is to be open, honest, and real: people can tell when someone is out for their own benefit, but when they can see that you are trying to do something good that will help the community they are more likely…