Navigators as Community Partners: Elevating CBPR in Refugee Parent-Child Mental Health Research
By Lydia J. Mathis, MA, LPCC
Child Health and Development Lab, University of Denver
Since 2017, our research team has been engaged in a collaborative journey exploring refugee parent-child perimigration outcomes and mental health. At the heart of this work lies a steadfast commitment to Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)—a model that shifts traditional power dynamics in research by placing community voices at the center of every phase of the process (Israel et al., 2013).
One of the most powerful expressions of this approach has been our partnership with community navigators—trusted interpreters and cultural brokers from within the refugee community who helped design and implement our original survey. These navigators were not just instrumental in conducting the research; they became co-creators of the process and stewards of how findings should be shared.
In collaboration with the Centre for Immigration Policy Research (CIPR), and with their generous support, we were able to bring this commitment full circle by returning the results of our study to the community in a format that was both meaningful and accessible.
Dissemination That Reflects the Community’s Voice
The dissemination phase began with a pivotal meeting funded by CIPR. We reunited with the navigators—the same individuals who had built trust and facilitated data collection years prior. In keeping with our CBPR framework, we asked a fundamental question: How should we share the findings back with the community?
Their answer was clear: a multilingual video that could be shared widely and accessed easily across platforms. The navigators emphasized the importance of storytelling, accessibility, and cultural sensitivity. Importantly, this solution recognized the diversity of linguistic and technological access in refugee communities.
Thanks to the funding and the navigators’ leadership, we created a professionally produced video that:
Features non-participant volunteers from the community, ensuring confidentiality for original survey respondents.
Was filmed and edited by a professional videographer, enhancing quality and credibility.
Includes interpretation in six languages, expanding accessibility and inclusivity.
The final product is more than a research summary—it’s a testament to what is possible when research is done with, rather than on, communities.
Reimagining the Role of Navigators
Too often, interpreters and community workers are treated as auxiliary to the research process. Our project challenges that notion. By engaging navigators as full partners in development, delivery, and dissemination, we not only gained richer insights, we also helped ensure that our work had community-driven impact and relevance.
The navigator’s guidance ensured cultural resonance. Their leadership made it possible for the research to return to the community with dignity, respect, and usefulness.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on the past years of this work, one thing is clear: Community partnerships are not just ethically sound—they are methodologically necessary. CBPR is not just a framework—it’s a call to reimagine how knowledge is created and shared.
With the partnership of CIPR we are proud of what we've accomplished alongside our community partners, and we remain committed to continuing this model in future research endeavors. By elevating navigators as co-researchers and decision-makers, we join with others in the field working towards more equitable, inclusive, and impactful research practices.
Israel, B. A., Eng, E., Schulz, A. J., & Parker, E. A. (Eds.). (2013). Methods for community-based participatory research for health (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.