Longitudinal Community-based Participatory Research: The Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking
Annjanette R. Alejano-Steele, PhD & Kara Napolitano, MA | September 20 | 3:15-4:15 pm
Topic: Research | Knowledge Level: Advanced
This session provides a longitudinal overview of the research methodologies and key findings from the Colorado Project to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking (Colorado Project). Since 2010, the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking’s community-based participatory research (CBPR) has aimed to develop sustainable efforts to end human trafficking with the essential input of those in the field. The series of Colorado Project methodologies have helped communities assess their strengths and gaps in combating human trafficking, asking key questions regarding partnership efforts in 2013, 2019 and 2023 (Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking). The session highlights the design of multi-sector project teams to conduct the research, the evolution of research questions, and lessons learned with each iteration. True to CBPR design, survivors, practitioners, and researchers co-designed and co-executed the design, inclusive of marginalized and underserved communities across Colorado (Miller et al., 2022; Miller et al, 2023). The multimethod design includes surveys, focus groups, and interviews tools designed to shed light on the nature of collaboration, answering questions focused upon the complexities of trust, equity, and effectiveness. In each iteration, survivors and community and systems leaders co-analyzed data to develop community-tailored Colorado Action Plans (2013, 2019 and 2023) to support strengths-based community responses to human trafficking that move beyond “4P” approaches to ending human trafficking. This session will review project outputs designed to sustain partnerships and preview pathways to examining four key root causes that create vulnerability to human trafficking across Colorado’s diverse geographies.
Presentation Objectives:
· Describe the community-based participatory research methodologies applied statewide, including design of research project teams
· Discuss the evolution of questions focused on ways that communities comprehensively organize to address human trafficking, particularly how task forces and coalition members collaborate to address human trafficking
· Discuss the design, data collection, and Action Plans resulting from Colorado Projects 2013, 2019 and 2023