Collaborative Development of the Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP): A Hybrid Intervention Research Approach

Background and Purpose:

Social workers are well-versed in intervention research, a rigorous scientific approach that holds promise for positive outcomes and policy impact. However, conventional intervention research methods may overlook the nuances of local context and community expertise, leading to outcomes of limited practical relevance. This paper presents a case example of collaborative research on an unconditional cash program, the Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP), employing hybrid methods that blend evaluation, social science research, and intervention research. This feasibility paper and presentation, co-authored and presented by community collaborators, addresses the challenges and successful approaches to the collaborative process of building a program and designing intervention research.

Methods:

The Denver Basic Income Project (DBIP) emerged through collaboration between its founder, an entrepreneur and business person, community program partners, including the author of this abstract who has worked for over twenty-five years with people experiencing homelessness and affordable housing, and researchers from the Center for Housing and Homelessness Research (CHHR) at the University of Denver. The DBIP program and research was designed collaboratively over the course of two years, and included three pilot tests. The decision to adopt a mixed-methods randomized controlled trial (RCT) design involved input from 19 community based partner organizations serving people experiencing homelessness. This collaborative, community embedded approach to intervention research, highlights the importance of flexibility and local adaptation in research design. Collaboration with community experts was integral to the success of the project.

Results:

DBIP was first delivered to ten purposely selected individuals to test the feasibility of the guaranteed income idea. Then, the DBIP program was designed and delivered to a random sample of twenty people experiencing homelessness from two homelessness service providing collaborative partner organizations. Findings from the first pilot showed the importance of values matching between community partner organizations and DBIP program staff. Findings from the first pilot also demonstrated the importance of clear, transparent communication between community partners, participants and DBIP staff. Then, starting in November 2022 and continuing for 12 months,, DBIP was successfully delivered to a random sample of 804 people experiencing homelessness in collaboration with 19 community partner organizations. Qualitative and quantitative reports highlight the program's effectiveness, supported by diverse funding partnerships and tangible program outcomes.

Conclusions and Implications:

This feasibility study of a hybrid intervention research approach built collaboratively with community practice partner organizations, underscores the value of collaborative research in social work, emphasizing the need for methodological flexibility and recognition of local context. By embracing hybrid research approaches, social workers can generate findings with practical relevance while honoring the expertise of community collaborators. This shift holds implications for both practice and policy, advocating for a more inclusive and adaptable approach to social intervention research.