Spotlight Research 11 - Incorporating Public Health Perspectives to Enhance Clinician Practice: Lessons Learned from the Colorado Project

Societal symbiosis is contingent on harmonious relations between an individual and their environment; a phenomenon that must also be reflected within psychological research practices. The Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking (LCHT) is a Denver-based nonprofit whose mission is to deconstruct academic silos to produce interdisciplinary research projects to inform social change and eliminate exploitation. At LCHT, we use community-based participatory research (CBPR) methodologies to empower survivors, professionals, and activists with knowledge and resources to advocate for the human rights of survivors of exploitation. In the third iteration of LCHT’s interdisciplinary, longitudinal research study – the Colorado Project 2023 (CP2023) – we combined scientific perspectives (e.g., psychology and public health) to support psychological well-being most effectively amongst survivors. The present proposal outlines how to integrate key public health tenets within CP2023 (i.e., trust, equity, and effectiveness) into clinical practice.
Drawing from public health approaches, CP2023 focused on the nuanced nature of anti-exploitation partnerships, specifically how trust, equity, and effectiveness shape efficiency and coordination of collaborative efforts to best assist survivors of human trafficking. These three constructs illustrate collaboration challenges, as no single partner can address the needs of survivors alone. Psychologists benefit from understanding community resources to best serve their clients beyond siloed, mental health needs. Thus, integrating public health perspectives into clinical practice affords practitioners the opportunity to understand diverse, community context surrounding multifaceted trauma. In our presentation, attendees will gain the 1) knowledge to identify signs of exploitative tactics (e.g., force, fraud, and coercion) and 2) the ability to create policies and/or protocols within their institutions to systematically identify, record, and act on instances of exploitation. It is vital to establish this new standard of care via interdisciplinary research to understand the multi-nested contexts surrounding patients and tailor clinical services to best fit patient needs.