By Edna Acosta Pérez, PhD, MSc
Community Engagement Outreach Core, Alliance
The Puerto Rico Collaborative Advancement of Research, Innovations, Best Practices and Equity for Children, Youth and Families (PR-CARIBE) is a Community-Led, Health Equity Structural Intervention (CHESI) under the Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) initiative from the NIH. Led by Marizaida Sánchez Cesáreo at Grupo Nexos, Inc., this multi-sector initiative aims to improve socioeconomic well-being and health by addressing structural factors contributing to health disparities, particularly poverty, in Puerto Rico. The research effort focuses on ending child poverty through structural change, centered in the southern part of Puerto Rico.
Progress and Achievements: Puerto Rico NIH ComPASS Progress so far
- Public Policy: The collaborative conducted an analysis of social policies for children and youth, focusing on their impact on social determinants of health and overall well-being. Macrostructural policies were also examined to propose programs that promote economic mobility for families.
- Strategic Planning & Community Engagement: The fifth Health Equity Research Assembly (HERA) meeting on November 12, 2024, successfully integrated youth voices through the photo-voice project, allowing young people to visually share their perspectives. The next HERA meeting is scheduled for January 28, 2025
- Funds Leveraging: Our fundraising plan is being updated to prioritize resources and strategies needed to achieve the initiative’s goals. The team is also researching grant-making opportunities to ensure the Compass-PR project remains purpose-driven and impactful.
Collaborations
- Kennesaw State University: Actively contributed to data collection, cleaning, and analysis for the community assessment. They co-designed activities to present data to HERA members and facilitated discussions to engage members in interpreting findings. Partner representative: Dr. Israel Sánchez Cardona
- Hispanic Alliance for Clinical & Translational Research (Community Engagement Outreach Core): Focused on effective collaboration and stakeholder engagement to advance HERA. They maintained close collaboration with local stakeholders, facilitated HERA activities, and developed a communication system to keep members informed and engaged. Partner representative: Dr. Edna Acosta Pérez
- Instituto de la Juventud: Participated in weekly meetings to discuss and provide feedback on the Need Assessment. They contributed public policy advisory, document analysis, and strategies to promote structural changes and institutional improvement. They also participated in the November HERA meeting and contributed to a policy and advocacy workshop for ComPASS members. Partner representative: Mr.
Conclusion
- The Puerto Rico CARIBE highlights the collaborative momentum and strategic advancements made by the NIH ComPASS Project during this reporting period, setting a solid foundation for future progress on structural change to tackle social inequalities and mental health
Visit the initiative
- Website: www.compasspr.org
- Visit our most recent social media publications: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/u1ix319ggCNwRvdY/
- Visit our most recent social media publications: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/XUS3aZJR6izYdSyM/
