3-112 - Forming Interdisciplinary Partnerships to Engage Communities in the Promotion of Child Well-Being

Session Type: Professional Development Session

Integrative Statement

Researchers and practitioners increasingly realize that interdisciplinary partnerships are necessary to address child well-being issues, such as maltreatment and mental health (Syme, 2004; Power, 2003). Interdisciplinary partnerships engage communities by integrating perspectives and approaches from practice, policy, and academic stakeholders and have the potential to increase the adoption of evidence-based practice in real-world settings (Wallersten & Duran, 2010). However, stakeholders continue to encounter challenges developing and sustaining these partnerships (Ross et al., 2010). This professional development workshop will bring together four dynamic researchers with diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to interdisciplinary partnerships. Specifically, Drs. Ericka M. Lewis and Judith C. Scott’s experience engaging child welfare agencies and community-based organizations and Drs. Kelly Jedd McKenzie and Francesca Longo experience engaging local and federal policymakers will demonstrate the process of bridging the gap between research, practice, and policy to promote child well-being. This interactive workshop will use case studies to introduce the core components of building community-engaged research partnerships, which include bi-directional learning, sense of mutual partnership, open communication, and acknowledging the impact of cultural context on perceptions of research in communities (Rubin et al., 2012). Participants will work in groups to form interdisciplinary partnerships, with guidance from leaders and presenters, at each step, by providing feedback to group approaches. The presenters will also discuss the benefits of interdisciplinary partnerships, as well as challenges and strategies to developing these relationships. Audience members will be encouraged to ask questions of the panel, as well as share their experiences forming and maintaining effective partnerships.

Sub Unit

• Professional Development Track

Presenters

• Judith Scott, Boston University

• Francesca Longo, SRCD Executive Branch Fellow, Office of Child Care (OCC), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• Kelly Jedd McKenzie, SRCD Executive Branch Fellow, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

Leader

• Ericka M Lewis, University of Maryland, Baltimore