Abstract: A Comparative Case Study of the Street Outreach Analytics Response (SOAR) Project (Society for Social Work and Research 28th Annual Conference - Recentering & Democratizing Knowledge: The Next 30 Years of Social Work Science)

Schedule:

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Independence BR C, ML 4 (Marriott Marquis Washington DC)

* noted as presenting author

Chelsie Coren, MUPP, Research Project Manager, Northwestern University, IL

Jess Robinson, Data Analyst, Northwestern University, IL

Angelica D'Souza, MPP, Associate Director of Research Programs, Northwestern University, IL

Georgia Tankard, Research Project Coordinator, Northwestern University, IL

Marisa Ross, Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University, IL

Terrance Henderson, Outreach Manager, Chicago CRED, IL

Samuel Castro, Director of Community Violence Intervention, Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, IL

Cedric Hawkins, Strategic Initiatives Manager, Chicago CRED, IL

Background: Network science provides insights into the concentration and spread of violence in social networks. Building on more than a decade of network science research and decades of street outreach work in Chicago, the Street Outreach Analytics Response (SOAR) Project integrates network science into the practice of community-based gun violence intervention.

Methods: This case study draws on field notes from over 75 hours of participant observation and 33 semi-structured interviews to describe the development and key features of the SOAR Project from the perspectives of frontline staff at four community gun violence prevention organizations, the research team at Corners, and leadership at all five sites.

Results: Results demonstrate that the project, which embodies core community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, invested deeply in relationship building and a collaborative and engaging research design, which helped the teams navigate challenges related to sustainability and ethics and model an equitable approach to research and community partnership.

Conclusion & Implications: The case study concludes with key lessons learned that are relevant for researchers, community organizations, funders, and policymakers seeking to develop innovative and equitable data-informed policies and practices.