Shannon Frattaroli was a Community Health Scholar at the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health ('99 - '00). The potential of policy to influence the public's health has long been recognized by our profession. However, policy interventions are a rarity among community-based public health initiatives. More common are educational interventions which aim to change individual behavior, and health service interventions which provide specific services to community members.
In order to better understand the role of policy in community-based initiatives, the author partnered with two policy-oriented community organizations in Baltimore. One organization, the Neighborhood Congress, is a city-wide coalition of neighbors and neighborhood associations working to bring a community voice to local government policies that affect community health. The second organization is comprised of victims of gun violence working to reduce gun death and injury through grassroots organizing and policy advocacy. Through these partnerships, several lessons related to community participation in the policy process were identified. Key findings include: strategies for building and sustaining momentum in support of policy goals; roles for partners in community-based policy advocacy efforts; and techniques for accessing decision-makers.
The year-long partnerships revealed lessons specific to the community-based participatory research process as well. The author's experience with initiating community partnerships; balancing the interests and demands of community organizations and universities; and establishing comfortable, productive working relationships with community partners will be shared. The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the challenges and rewards associated with community-based participatory research as a Kellogg Community Health Scholar.
Learning Objectives: 1. Describe examples of community-based participatory research. 2. Discuss the role of policy in community-based initiatives 3. Identify lessons learned in post-doctoral program about the process of conducting community-based participatory research. 4. Discuss the impact of the Community Health Scholars Program experience in current work/research
Keywords: Community Research, Policy/Policy Development
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.