Community Engagement and CBPR for Nontraditional Populations

Introduction

Community engagement "is about relationships between and among communities, researchers, and research institutions" (Chapter 1, n.d., p. 18). One of the keys to establishing a successful relationship is for all parties and 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 the ones who have the best sense of the community's values and viewpoints. These perspectives will need to be understood and appreciated if engagement is going to succeed.

This paper examines the problem of how to engage nontraditional communities in state-level decision-making processes, as discussed in Chapter 5. The approach suggested is to utilize community-based participatory research (CBPR) to build partnerships between state-level decision-makers and nontraditional communities. The paper details action steps that can be taken to identify problems, obtain funding and expert support 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. Too often, 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, resulting in poor health outcomes and other negative consequences.

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

Translating Research-Centric Action Steps to Public Health Practice

The action steps outlined for engaging a state as a community can be translated directly 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, practitioners can effectively bring nontraditional communities into state-level decision-making. The action steps of identifying problems, obtaining funding and expert support, 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 more likely to succeed. Cultural relevance is always one of the most important factors in this context, as nontraditional communities require partners with a high degree of cultural competence.

In health departments, these action steps can be used to engage nontraditional communities in public health decision-making. 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 those barriers and meet the community's specific needs.