We’re seeking creative and innovative community members in Southeast Michigan with a background in public health, healthcare, health policy, community engagement, and care coordination, among other expertises, to participate in a collaborative single day research event. 

Background: The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU) is working on community-engaged research to empower Muslims in Southeast Michigan with the knowledge and tools to advocate for accessible, equitable, unbiased, and quality health care in their communities. For this project, we have partnered with organizations that serve some of the most vulnerable and minoritized Muslim communities living in Southeast Michigan. Researchers are using the community-based system dynamics approach to achieve the following study objectives:

• Conduct a group model building workshop with diverse stakeholders including patients (Muslim), clinicians, payors, policy makers, and hospital and health systems.
• Develop accessible communication tools for use by workshop stakeholders to educate and disseminate study findings within their organizations and communities.
• Organize forums to disseminate workshop findings to the broader Southeast Michigan community.

Goal: With the aim of achieving objectives 2 and 3, we’re looking for participants interested in joining a Challenge Lab. In a Challenge Lab, one or more challenges—for example, healthcare system factors that decrease access to healthcare among Muslims in SE Michigan— are presented to participants based on key findings from the community-engaged research that ISPU has already completed. 

Based on the selected challenge, participants (who are residents of SE Michigan) will develop innovative strategies and communication tools to address potential policy solutions that are feasible to implement in the Southeast Michigan community. We are hoping that this will kickstart community-led advocacy and other efforts to put our findings into action.

Who should participate? This Challenge Lab is for the changemakers, dreamers, leaders, innovators, and creatives residing in SE Michigan who seek to transform the health and well-being of their communities.This event is of particular interest to those studying or with a background in public health, healthcare, social work, behavioral health, health policy, communication, policy, community engagement, and care coordination. Participants should reside in the following counties: Oakland, Macomb, Wayne, or Washtenaw.

Details: This event will require a 2-3 hour commitment on a Saturday or Sunday in a location central to participants. Refreshments will be provided. If you are interested in participating, please complete this brief form and we will get in touch with you as details for this event are developed.