What is a Nontraditional Community

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 community’s 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 definitely be translated to public health practice. Public health practitioners can use CBPR approaches to engage nontraditional communities in decision-making processes and to build partnerships between these communities and state-level decision-makers. By using research as a tool to identify problems and build partnerships, public health practitioners can effectively engage nontraditional communities in state-level decision-making. In fact, public health practitioners often use CBPR to build partnerships. The action steps outlined in the prompt - identifying problems, obtaining funding and experts for research, building partnerships, and piloting research projects - are all critical components of this approach.

In health coalitions, public health practitioners can use these action steps to work collaboratively with community members and other stakeholders to identify and address public health issues. By involving the community in problem identification and research design, health coalitions can develop interventions that are culturally appropriate and have a higher likelihood of success. Cultural relevance is always going to be one of the most important factors here, as the community is nontraditional and therefore will require that partners have a high degree of cultural competence.

In health departments, these action steps can be used to engage nontraditional communities in public health decision-making processes. For example, a health department might use CBPR approaches to work with a specific community to identify barriers to accessing healthcare services. By building partnerships with community members and piloting research projects, the health department can develop effective interventions to address these barriers and their specific needs.

The appropriate approach is one that includes the following action steps:

1. Identify problems: The first step in engaging a state as a community is to identify the problems that need to be addressed. This can involve conducting a needs assessment or reviewing existing data to identify areas of concern. It's important to involve nontraditional communities in this process to ensure that their unique needs and experiences are considered.

2. Obtain funding and experts for research: Once the problems have been identified, it's important to obtain funding and experts for research. This can involve seeking out grants or other funding opportunities to support community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches. It's also important to identify experts in the field who can provide guidance and support for the research project.

3. Build partnerships: Building partnerships is a crucial step in engaging a state as a community. This involves working with nontraditional communities and state-level decision-makers to develop mutually beneficial relationships. It's important to establish trust and transparency in these partnerships to ensure that everyone's needs and perspectives are considered.

4. Pilot research projects: The final step is to pilot research projects to test out potential solutions to the identified problems. This can involve working with nontraditional communities to design and implement research projects that address their unique needs and experiences. By piloting these projects, it's possible to identify potential challenges and make adjustments before scaling up to a larger population.

Overall, these action steps are designed to help engage nontraditional communities in state-level decision-making processes by using community-based participatory research approaches. By involving nontraditional communities in problem identification, obtaining funding and experts for research, building partnerships, and piloting research projects, it's possible to develop effective solutions to complex public health challenges.