A roadmap for preventing and responding to trauma: Practical guidance for advancing community-engaged research.

Abstract

Objective: Community-engaged research (CEnR) is an approach to inquiry that centers scientist-community partnerships characterized by mutuality and reciprocity, and is well-aligned with trauma-informed principles, such as trustworthiness, transparency, and fostering empowerment. Method: The current paper considers definitions and applications of CEnR, highlighting examples from the trauma literature, from the formulation of research questions to the dissemination of research findings. Conclusion: To realize CEnR's promise to contribute to innovation, scientific understanding, and increased impact in the trauma field will require a shift in training and institutions. Fortunately, a growing interest in advocacy, public psychology, and diversity, equity, and inclusion presents an opportunity for synergy. Practical guidance is offered for supporting CEnR by preparing students, investing in faculty, and building infrastructure. Clinical Impact StatementCommunity-engaged research (CEnR) focuses on equitable scientist-community partnerships in research, and shares principles with trauma-informed work. By prioritizing community collaboration, CEnR has the potential to lead to innovation, scientific understanding, and increased impact in the trauma field. For example, CEnR approaches emphasize dissemination to public audiences, which could help educate the public and policymakers about trauma and its impact.

Leveraging the developmental neuroscience of caregiving to promote resilience among youth exposed to adversity

“…Researchers can contribute to these ongoing discussions and policymaking by conducting rigorous science on childhood adversity, including on the central role of caregivers and families in promoting resilience, by sharing their findings in meaningful ways with broad audiences that go beyond the academic realm. In this work it is essential that our field works to center the voices of youth and families affected by adversity and embraces community-engaged research approaches that directly involve affected youth and their caregivers throughout the research process (Collins et al, 2018; DePrince et al, 2022; Payán et al, 2022). Moreover, scholars in many other fields are conducting critical and complementary work; informing policy that prioritizes youth mental health will require interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships.…”

Addressing the Mental Health Challenges of Refugees—A Regional Network-Based Approach in Middle Hesse Germany

“…Figure 1 provides an overview of the different actors in the network. Particularly in the treatment of trauma sequelae, cross-collaborations between, for example, practitioners, researchers, and advocacy groups have been shown to offer more benefits than the usual translation of science into clinical practice [ 33 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ].…”

Intent and impact: Connecting multicultural and social justice counselor training to community client experiences

“…Given the historically exploitative relationships between research intensive universities and surrounding communities, often inhabited by minoritized and marginalized identity groups, reasonable skepticism about CES clinic services exists among community members (Gbadegesin & Wendler, 2006). While a sliding scale serves as an incentive for potential clients to engage counseling services with student CITs, it does not by itself address historical, social, cultural, and contextual trauma within communities that have reason to distrust motivations and purposes of university‐based initiatives (DePrince et al., 2022). For these reasons, CES clinics need to give thoughtful and informed consideration to both the program needs for counselor preparation and community needs for counseling services (DePrince et al., 2022).…”

“…While a sliding scale serves as an incentive for potential clients to engage counseling services with student CITs, it does not by itself address historical, social, cultural, and contextual trauma within communities that have reason to distrust motivations and purposes of university‐based initiatives (DePrince et al., 2022). For these reasons, CES clinics need to give thoughtful and informed consideration to both the program needs for counselor preparation and community needs for counseling services (DePrince et al., 2022). The multicultural counseling and social justice counseling competencies are particularly relevant and informative for intentionally designing counseling services that honor the lived experiences and cultural backgrounds of historically underserved and systemically oppressed community members (Ratts et al., 2016).…”