Community Research Team
The Community Research Team (CRT) includes residents who work with academics from the University of Denver, with Making Connections staff and interested community members to review and conduct research. The goal is to evaluate the impact Making Connections-Denver strategies are having in improving the lives of individuals, their families and communities. The team also assists community groups with their research efforts.
Current members of the Community Research team are:
- Hassan Haile
- Rosella Palacios
- Steve Stewart
- Shelly Travis
Starting in late Fall 2006, CRT members and others from the community began gathering data directly, establishing personal relationships with the 100 families participating in the Participant Family Data Collection multi-year study. Team members will be involved at every step: entering the survey data into a performance tracking database, analyzing the information using qualitative and quantitative software, as well as assisting in the interpretation and dissemination of the results.
Members have also entered data and will be analyzing results for some community-based data projects, including a survey by Metro Organizations for People (MOP) to determine the degree to which community members have access to health care.
By involving community members directly in all the phases of evaluation--including design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data--evaluation becomes a tool to engage, not just evaluate. CRT members who conduct in-person and telephone interviews have an opportunity to recruit the residents to become involved in MC-D activities.