Participatory Action and Applied Research

Collaborating with researchers to actively engage community members in all stages of the research process: selecting research questions, planning the research design, collecting data, analysis, identifying implications for practice and research, and dissemination. Our aims are to produce actionable findings and dissemination strategies toward closing the behavioral health research to practice gap.

Twenty-five years of experience with multiple methods, with greatest expertise in qualitative methods and survey development.

Services have historically developed without the needs and preferences of marginalized populations in mind. Our work can help programs and government how to meet people “where they are” and enhance access to helpful services and supports.

Research agendas should reflect the needs and preferences of community stakeholders if the goal is to translate findings into practice and community settings. For researchers to build trust with community stakeholders, they should collaborate, before conducting research, with stakeholders to conduct community needs assessments and create research agendas.
See Delman, J. et al.. (2019). Barriers and facilitators to community-based participatory mental health care research for racial and ethnic minorities. Health Affairs, 38(3), 391-398; See Delman et al. (in press). Implementing Community-Based Participatory Research to Identify Priorities Among Service Users of Recovery Communities. Health Promotion Practice.