Crescent Region Collaborative Problem Solving: Building a Coalition to Jointly Address Community-Academic Initiatives for Gulf Coast Environmental and Social JusticeTarase Carter, LPN, Farah A. Arosemena, MPH, & Maureen Y. Lichtveld, MD, MPH

Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Department of Global Environmental Health Sciences, New Orleans, LA

InnovationTo streamline the availability of public health expertise to stakeholders across regions where environmental hazards have created public health risks, the Crescent Region Collaborative (CRC) Coalition formally the Crescent Region Covering Kids & Families Coalition transition into academic. [Figure 1]

Next Steps•Leveraging all resources available through the Problem-Solving Community Action Tool.

•Information Sheets : Environmental Health Frequently Asked Questions & What Should I Know About Research in My Community.

•Strengthened community awareness & community involvement in planning and implementation of public health or environmental programs.

•Develop introductory public health 101 lesson plans grant writing workshops that can contribute to the economic sustainability of the region.

•Attendance of 40-60 community based members representing SELA organization to help with dissemination of research findings.

Introduction•Who we are

− Center for Gulf Coast Environmental Health Research, Leadership, and Strategic Initiatives

− Crescent Region Collaborative (CRC) Coalition

•How we are funded − National Institutes of Health, National Institute for

Environmental Health Sciences (NIH/NIEHS)− Baton Rouge Area Foundation (BRAF)− Gulf Region Health Outreach Program (GRHOP)

•Our Broader Programs− Transdisciplinary Research Consortium for Gulf Resilience

on Women’s Health (NIH/NIEHS)− Risk and Resilience in Environmental Health (BRAF)− Environmental Health Capacity and Literacy Project

(GRHOP)

EvaluationThe evaluation framework evolved from an emphasis on a collaborative learning process aimed at improving monthly stakeholder meetings and community-based activities. While funding limits the scope of our evaluation methodology, we believe that the following key areas of focus allow us to monitor process and impact (Table 1) -

1.Survey-meeting review, feedback and assessment of knowledge gained.

2.Attendance using the monthly sing-sheet.

3.New membership accrual.

4.Tracking linkages to resources and networks:

− Evaluate how well the CRC Coalition is working in terms of identifying the “right” partners, leveraging resources, and strategizing for how to improve the work of the collaborative.

− Demonstrate to partners, stakeholders, and funders how the CRC Coalition is progressing over and why working together is making tangible change.

Design & Methods•Specific Aims

− Understand how to foster collaboration among academic faculty and community-based organizations; creating a space here we speak the same language with residents.

− Utilize community-engagement coalitions to develop new services and outreach programs that address community needs and enrich learning experiences.

− Expand community-based workforce development through introductory public health 101 lesson plans and grant writing workshops that can contribute to the economic sustainability of the region.

•Community Engagement

− A dimension of public participation.

− Process of inclusive participation that supports mutual respect of values, strategies, and actions for authentic partnerships.

− Academic members to become part of the community and community members to become part of the research team, thereby creating a unique working and learning environment before, during, and after the research.

Literature CitedDirector's Council of Public Representatives: http://www.nih.gov/ about/copr/index.htmNorris, K.C., Brusuelas, R., Jones, L., Miranda, J., Duru, O.K., and Mangione, C.M. 2007. Partnering with community-based organizations: An academic institution's evolving perspective. Ethn. Dis. 17(Supplement 1):S27-32.Ruiz, Y., Matas, S., Kapadia, S., et al. 2012. Lessons learned from a Community–Academic initiative: The development of a core Competency–Based training for Community–Academic initiative community health workers. American Journal of Public Health. 102(12):2372-2379.Varda, D. 2013. Program to analyze, record, and track networks to enhance relationships. http://www.partnertool.net/. Updated 2011. Accessed November 12, 2013.Wells, K.B., Tang, J., Lizaola, E., et al. 2013. Applying Community Engagement to Disaster Planning: Developing the Vision and Design for the Los Angeles County Community Disaster Resilience Initiative. American Journal of Public Health. 103(7): 1172-1180.

AcknowledgementsThank you to the CRCC leadership team (Jauna Crear, Catherine Haywood, Cauline Hurst, Gracie Williams, Mary Crooks, and Joe Carr) who have volunteered their time as community leaders to make the Coalition a success. Additionally, we give thanks to the hundreds of members who attend the monthly meetings, helping us build a network of partners to achieve results and get answers to community concerns and questions.

ADAPTATIONLong term strategies

for change

COPINGResources for a direct response to the impact

of a given hazard event (disaster

preparedness) and/or traumatic life event

SUSCEPTIBILITYbuilt environment

psychosocial factors

EXPOSUREHx of individuals

affected by natural and/or technological

disasters

COLLABORATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING APPROACH

Crescent Region Collaborative Coalition

Tarase Carter, LPN

REGIONAL COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION CAPACITY ASSESSMENT

(MAPP & PARTNER)

Laila Fox, MUP, MPH (c)

Sbiohan Tarver, PhD

COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER CORPS

Tulane placed: 7

Internationally placed (Suriname): 14

ACADEMIC-COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE

Meaningfully contributing to community-disaster

preparedness response

COMMUNITY NEED

RESOLUTION W E L L N E S S

FIGURE 1. Leveraging community-academic partnerships to strengthen Gulf Coast environmental health

TABLE 1. Evaluation Framework for community engagement Adhering Principle Indicator Inclusion Opportunity for a diverse range of values and perspectives to be freely expressed

and heard. CRCC coalition members representative of the population. Appropriate and equitable opportunity for all to participate.

Influence People have input in how they participate. Policies and services reflect their involvement, and their impact is apparent. Eligible community members consent to participate in research.

Capacity Building Address barriers.

Build capacity and confidence of people to participate meaningfully. Develop confidence in the process and the value of their participation. Generate a shared sense of ownership and commitment to the process and

outcome. Adequately resource indigenous peoples and the poor and marginalized to

participate meaningfully in the broader community. Ensure that Community Advisory Board, Crescent Region Collaborative

coalition members, and research participants have a stake in the outcome and benefit equitably as a result of being involved.

Research participants are compliant and adhere to the protocol.

Sustainable Decisions

Recognize and communicate the needs, interests and values of all partners. Decision makers find the output useful and are armed with the necessary

community feedback. Collecting and utilizing CRC Coalition member feedback to improve

community engagement effectiveness. Monthly Coalition Knowledge Survey - Assessing the retention of

information on target issues. Program to Analyze, Record, and Track Networks to Enhance

Relationships (PARTNER) (Varda, 2013) More cohesive and informed academic institutions and communities result from

the process.

Pre-contemplation

Contemplation

Preparation

Action

Maintenance/ Sustainability

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