Tell it to Me Straight: The Benefits (and Struggles) of a Consumer‐driven Assessment Process

Abstract

Community‐based Participatory Research (CBPR), where consumers participate in the design and execution of an evaluation, holds promise for increasing the validity and usefulness of evaluations of services. However, there is no literature comparing methods and outcomes of studies conducted by professional evaluators with those conducted through a consumer‐driven evaluation process. We attempt to fill this gap by presenting the methods and results from a qualitative evaluation conducted by professional evaluators along with one conducted by a team of consumer researchers who engaged in a CBPR process. This paper includes: (a) methods, and findings that emerged from these evaluations each tasked with examining similar issues within the same community; (b) description of the process used to train the team of consumer researchers whose economic and educational backgrounds are different than most evaluators; and (c) lessons learned about how to prepare for and work with common barriers to implementing a CBPR evaluation.

Utilizing a CBPR approach to assess the impact of COVID‐19 on individuals who receive publicly funded behavioral health services

“…The purpose of this study was to learn from consumers of publicly funded behavioral health services about their experiences during the pandemic. Utilizing a CBPR approach provided an opportunity to collect data that is viewed as more valid and authentic (Case et al, 2014 ; Kaufman et al, 2020 ). The team conducting this study has been working together for the past 9 years to understand different aspect of the care environment at the mental health center.…”

“Give up your mic”: Building capacity and sustainability within community‐based participatory research initiatives

“…Within truly equitable partnerships, all partners—community and academic—contribute their unique expertise and learn from each other (Israel et al, 2017). Through engaging in collaborative processes, individuals increase their capacity to engage in the CBPR effort and develop skills that can be applied to other projects or aspects of their work (Israel et al, 2017; Kaufman et al, 2020).…”

“…CBPR partnerships strive to uphold these core principles, which act as ideal goals that guide the work (Israel et al, 2017; Kaufman et al, 2020). However, the extent to which a CBPR partnership successfully achieves these aspirational goals depends on the context, purpose, and individuals involved in the partnership (Israel et al, 2017; Kaufman et al, 2020).…”

“…CBPR partnerships strive to uphold these core principles, which act as ideal goals that guide the work (Israel et al, 2017; Kaufman et al, 2020). However, the extent to which a CBPR partnership successfully achieves these aspirational goals depends on the context, purpose, and individuals involved in the partnership (Israel et al, 2017; Kaufman et al, 2020). Many CBPR partnerships experience challenges around how true community participation and ownership of the process are defined (Case & Kaufman, 2021; Salsberg et al, 2017; Seifer & Sisco, 2006; Travers et al, 2013), and many partnerships may struggle to achieve truly sustainable outcomes given limited resources, like time and funding (N. Wallerstein et al, 2019; Weiss et al, 2012).…”

“…Informed by the capacity building and sustainability literature (Hacker et al, 2012; Israel et al, 2006; Labin et al, 2012), the grant evaluator utilized a training process with the intention that, over time, the team would develop the skills necessary to conduct their community initiative autonomously after her grant‐funded contract ended. A description of the training process employed with another group of community researchers was previously published in this journal (Kaufman et al, 2020).…”