Policy, Action and Research Collaborative

The Policy, Action and Research Collaborative (PARC) is comprised of organizations and institutions using collaborative synergies to advance common goals, which focus on:

• collaborating in research and knowledge exchange and mobilization
• addressing the health, social, environmental, political and economic issues affecting communities
• advancing community-driven research and social change
• promoting social justice and partnerships to transform communities and institutions
• strengthening community-based development of human and social capital, to reduce social disparities
• advocating for effective and sustainable initiatives, with respect for cultural context, values, and perspective
• promoting the participation of social service practitioners, educators, and students in facing and addressing the struggles of marginalized and oppressed peoples.

Strategies adopted by PARC and member organizations include:

• preventive and strengths-based approaches to health and mental health
• community based participatory action research
• community-academic partnerships
• empowerment interventions for individuals, organizations and communities
• attending to the diverse needs and interests of all individuals, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and those who have historically been politically marginalized, increasing the capacity of organizations and communities to engage in applied research and organized actions that advance their goals
• supporting the scaling up of successful community-based initiatives
• responding to and initiating connections across coalitions with social movements whose objectives are integral to the achievement of a just and caring society through community-based activism, research, and education.
• using social media and other web-based tools to facilitate: co-sponsorship and dissemination of knowledge, tools, news and educational opportunities to a broader audience; and collaboration between Collaborative participants and communities
• creating and advocating for policies that advance shared goals, and presenting these to relevant policy audiences
• bringing together stakeholders (e.g., funders, researchers, evaluators, policy makers, practitioners, and other community members) to narrow the gap between research (science), policy and practice.

The purposes of this collaborative effort among organizations include:

1. influence public and policy and institutional policy to promote health, human rights and social justice
2. influence our professions’ orientations to clearly include education, research, and practice at the macro/system level
3. promote high quality, cross-disciplinary practice, research and publication/dissemination, including the ability to draw from different strands within our professions
4. promote the use of community level interventions as viable and valuable practice models
5. promote ongoing communication and accountability across disciplines
6. increase efficiency by sharing and exchanging resources among participating organizations
7. increase public awareness of the needs for social change and successful efforts to effect change