Background
Institute overview
Methods
Participants and data collection
Scholars
Community mentors
Academic mentors
Data analysis
Results
Research-related impacts
▪ Research networks and collaborations formed ▪ Translational researchers recruited and trained |
I also formed a lot of relationships through the team that I worked with for my Institute project. So, that influenced a lot of where I ended up going, it impacted the topic of my master’s thesis project. Really, it led to the current job I’m doing now. So, in providing technical assistance, a lot of my area that I contribute to on our larger team has to do with implementation and evidence-based practice. So I pull a lot from that in my current work (Cohort #1 Scholar)
I had never considered going into research when I started my Master’s program but as a result of being involved in the Institute and being involved in that process, that’s the trajectory of my career now. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
I was pleasantly surprised that these [Community Mentors], although they are practice people, they were very much interested in research and they were very much interested in collaboration. I was pleasantly surprised at the level of the knowledge and their willingness to collaborate. (Academic Mentor)
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▪ New collaborative, translational research projects completed ▪ Researchers involved in problem solving and creating novel ways of addressing barriers |
The opportunity of the Institute was actually to focus and narrow down my research interest to find my true passion towards adolescent health in general and a reason in particular which has been included in my dissertation proposal. I think the Institute was a milestone in order to get there, to narrow down that ideal, learning everything in the big picture. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
We had two service learning projects that actually all our staff—I supervise social workers—identified. So I took the projects to the scholars or to the Institute. My position was to kind of explain what was involved. So I provided the leadership for that and then I would say after that the scholars embraced it, added to it, worked on it, both came out with products that we are able to utilize. (Community Mentor)
It’s, I believe, in a lot of ways expanded my scope of research. …One of the things I did learn in the Institute that helped is doing more interdisciplinary research where a proven fact that’s in another field might be of use to something that I’m doing in my field. So that’s certainly, I’m hoping, adds up to a new way of looking at things and problems. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
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▪ Grants and manuscripts submitted or underway |
I’m still very close with the community partner that I did the research with and we are still working on the manuscript … They’ve been quite an asset for me, I hope that I’ve been able to help them a little bit as well. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
I wrote my special projects about my experience in the Institute and I have a publication pending for that. I did a poster presentation at the Society for Prevention Research based off our findings from my Institute involvement. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
The enhancement part came in for writing. I’ve actually learned how to put together a manuscript for this particular population. I know how to write, but knowing how to write about a project that I did in a team specifically for community research, that was pretty cool. (Cohort #2 Scholar)
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▪ Translational research is disseminated to the local and national researchers and community organizations |
[The Institute] gave me a lot of resources in assessing whether or not a program is strong for the community in working with mental health. That is a big tool for me to see if the agency that I’m working with is impacting the community around it in a positive way. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
I feel like I have so many more resources and places to look for things that really matter for our end of implementation in the field. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
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Sometimes we get really wrapped up in formal research, in publishing and getting our names on things. That kind of left a bitter taste about that, not specifically from the Institute just like in general through my master’s program. I think maybe that’s why I’ve been not as involved or like eager to go to conferences or eager to be in the American Public Health Association or anything, just because I feel like we end up getting kind of really lost in that. I’m much more of like a one-on-one kind of person, like hands-on on the ground type work. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
Translational impacts
▪ Scholars trained in translational research methods are engaged in collaborative partnership with various community health organizations ▪ People with the skills to conduct translational research and implementation are involved with local organizational programming |
The impact on the staff I think was that I think it highlighted for them a little bit more of where the emphasis should be and, again, outside of just what’s covered by the evidence-based models because right now there is the more evidence-based prevention model that really deals with prescription meds as a specific issue. So I think it clarified a bit more what things we can do in the short term to help to actually manage that. (Cohort #1 Scholar/Community Mentor)
Just like the ability to conduct research, kind of like the technical aspects of it as well. That’s not easy and not everyone knows how to do it or knows who to contact or knows the pieces of how research is implemented. So, the Institute really helped me in understanding that. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
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▪ Emphasis on real-world application of evidence is fostered |
I just think that it’s a way of living, it’s a way of being, it’s a way of doing things, whether it’s in your place of employment or it’s interacting with people. My eyes are much more open to many of these social issues, not just in criminology and crime, but many of the social issues that are plaguing our society now. I have just like a much better understanding of that information and where to go and get good quality research on that. Definitely, it’s shaped the way that I think of the world. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
It’s made me think about working with the community more. I’m a community girl. I come from the community and it’s made me realize like, “Hey, you know what, if it’s going to be relevant at all to life, it needs to come from the community.” I don’t want my research projects to come from my brain and from the ivory tower anymore. I want them to be a communication with people who actually could benefit. (Cohort #2 Scholar)
Anywhere we can find meaningful data to understand how our programs are used and how we can help share what we think are best practices. I just think it continues to be a good benefit for both us and for the university. (Community Mentor)
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Societal impacts
▪ Community-based participatory programs are developed and implemented ▪ Findings are shared with local policy-makers and organizations |
We presented the results of the project that we worked on to their leadership council. Then, we did some recommendations on how to improve their implementation of evidence-based programs. We also presented back to again the substance abuse coalition in [the] County that we worked with a little bit through this project. We presented our findings to them as well. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
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▪ A network of researchers and community members was created ▪ Practice-focused researchers were trained to use evidence-based strategies in their organizations |
[The Institute] gave me a lot of resources in assessing whether or not a program is strong for the community in working with mental health. That is a big tool for me to see if the agency that I’m working is impacting the community around it in a positive way. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
The community-based participatory research or just the way that you engaged with experts and who they are … I think that has broadened not only my knowledge base, but just my approach to life and to research and to hopefully what I can do in the future. (Cohort #1 Scholar)
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▪ Community organizations awareness of the need for evidence-based practices and for improved evaluation increased |
I think, more than anything, it’s just given us insight that there is an ongoing need to change, that being stagnant and relying on what we’ve always done is not healthy and certainly doesn’t work for us or the people that we’re trying to serve. So there is an intention to continue to be part of any effort to look at how the research and the application of the knowledge gained through the research gets done, much more than I think we ever have had in the past. (Cohort #1 Scholar/Community Mentor)
After the project we are now reassessing additional training that may need to be included to ensure implementers have the proper guidance and support. (Community Mentor)
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