The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #42470

Michael Reece, PhD, MPH, Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, HPER Building 116, 1025 E. Seventh Street, Bloomington, IN 47405-7109, 703-402-9580, mireece@indiana.edu and Paul Plate, MA, Positive Impact Inc., 159 Ralph McGill Blvd., Atlanta, GA 30308.

Community-based mental health services are an integral component of the continuum of care in many communities. To that end, research focused on the delivery of mental health care and its potential to improve health status is important to our nation’s efforts to respond to public health issues. Over the past five years, academic researchers and the staff and clients of an inner city, community-based mental health clinic have worked to develop and sustain a community-academic partnership focused on improving HIV-related mental health care. The partnership has resulted in creative research initiatives, the development of innovative mental health programs, and the engagement of a diverse range of community members into the research and service improvement process. While a community-based participatory approach has been beneficial to the partners, the clinical nature of mental health care presented unique challenges to a participatory approach. Challenges presented themselves in three primary areas: 1) research design and data collection, 2) maintaining a focus on community-focused dissemination of results, and perhaps most unique to this partnership, 3) striking balance between the traditions public health and mental health. An overview of the challenges unique to a mental health environment and strategies for responding to these challenges will be discussed. The general principles of community-based participatory research, and the methods used for conducting such research, are still being developed and articulated by public health professionals. As this process occurs, ensuring that the principles and methods are applicable to a variety of environments and public health issues will be important.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will gain an understanding of, and strategies employed to address, issues encountered at different stages in the evolution of a mental health services research partnership.
• Participants will be able to identify unique challenges to a participatory reseaerch approach in a community-based mental health clinic.
• Participants will be able to describe strategies for overcoming challenges that are specific to a mental health environment.

Keywords: Community Research, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
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.