Engaging With New Mexico’s County and Tribal Health Councils: Practical Implications From a Co-created Online Resource to Enhance Academic and Community Collaboration Toward Health Initiatives

Abstract

The Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) model fosters equitable partnerships between communities and academic institutions to promote health equity. This model emphasizes shared control over all phases of the research process and recognizes the limited power and inequalities experienced by marginalized communities. At our institution, Community Engagement Liaison Specialists (CELS) build relationships with New Mexico communities, guided by CBPR principles. The CELS collaborate with county and Tribal Health Councils, addressing community mistrust toward health research and academic institutions and promoting projects of interest to both academic researchers and the community. To support these efforts, we developed a website called “Ways to Engage with New Mexico’s County & Tribal Health Councils,” through a rigorous collaborative process involving university researchers, CELS, and the New Mexico Alliance of Health Councils. This resource provides historical context, lessons learned, and guidance for researchers who plan to engage with Health Councils. We offer implications for practice summarizing the lessons learned from the CELS work including collaboration on this website.