Developing Community Partnerships Through Research to Define Community Well-Being With Three (Diné) Navajo Communities

The university is working with Navajo communities to conduct an intervention study integrating community based participatory research using an Indigenous research paradigm. The innovative proposed project uses two approaches to build a research partnership to create capacity in the community for community-engaged multilevel behavioral and mental health research. Members from the three Navajo communities have never previously been involved in health research focused on wellbeing. Integrating CBPR with DCSR methodology becomes a powerful innovative intervention as the: 1) the community is driving the research to identify culture-based solutions for health related disparities; 2) the community is provided opportunities through research to center their perspectives and understandings about behavioral and mental health interventions; and 3) the community draws upon their collective community Indigenous knowledge.