Team ARIA believes research should be shared with, shaped by, and accountable to the communities it serves. Our community-engaged research is grounded in partnership, dialogue, and responsiveness to local priorities. We work alongside community members, service organizations, and public health partners to better understand health challenges, identify community strengths, and develop approaches that are practical, relevant, and locally informed.

A central part of this work is making research findings accessible beyond academic settings. Our signature dissemination activity, Party with Data, brings research into community spaces through an interactive, game-based format designed to spark conversation and invite feedback. Rather than presenting findings as one-way information, this approach creates opportunities for community members to engage directly with research, reflect on what the findings mean in their own lives and neighborhoods, and help guide future outreach and programming. It also creates natural openings for connection to local resources and support services.

In addition to dissemination, Team ARIA leads community-based educational initiatives focused on substance use, mental health, coping, wellness, and community support. These programs are designed to be interactive, welcoming, and responsive to participant needs. Through discussion, myths-versus-facts activities, creative reflection, and resource-sharing, we aim to build knowledge, reduce misinformation, strengthen communication, and support community connection. Our work includes programming for youth, adults, and mixed-age community spaces, with an emphasis on creating supportive environments where participants can learn, ask questions, and engage without judgment.

Across all of these efforts, we see community engagement as an ongoing process rather than a single event. We value community knowledge, lived experience, and sustained partnership as essential parts of meaningful research. By combining research dissemination, public health education, and relationship-centered programming, Team ARIA aims to make research more useful in real time and to support healthier, more informed, and more connected communities.

Some of our Research Projects Include:

Seventh District HWS

COVID-19 Needs Assessment

Gun Violence Needs Assessment

IOPSLL

Explore Related Presentations/Publications:

• Shepheard J, Mundy T, Watts A, Pushkin J, Gordon L, Shelton P, Blondino C, Werner K, Prom-Wormley E and Viray M (2026) A community conversation process to establish resident and service provider perspectives on needs related to use and treatment of opioids and substances. Front. Public Health 13:1678130. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1678130 View Project