Browsing by Author "Aspenlieder, Laura"

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    Building capacity in Alberta to prevent domestic violence: Results from a community of practice project
    (2015-02) Wells, Lana; Claussen, Caroline; Aspenlieder, Laura
    In 2011, Shift: The Project to End Domestic Violence entered into a formal partnership with the Government of Alberta to rebuild the recently released (November 2013) family violence prevention framework. Both partners agreed on the importance of ensuring that the research on which the prevention framework was based was accessible for practitioners, service providers, policy makers and system leaders throughout the province. Shift also realized that local communities would need to develop the capacity to implement the primary prevention strategies being proposed in the new provincial prevention strategy. As a result, Shift explored evidenced-informed models on knowledge translation, mobilization, and integration and (through a SSHRC Partnership grant and Canadian Women’s Foundation grant) engaged in a pilot project to test a particular Community of Practice (CoP) model in two regions in Alberta. The CoP model piloted was designed with the understanding that the best way to build community capacity for domestic violence primary prevention would be to work through the current research and support practitioners and system leaders to understand how it applies to their local context and communities. We believed this approach would support changes, not only at the individual practitioner level, but also support shifts in decision-making at the organizational, systems, and policy level.
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    Developing domestic violence primary prevention capacity through a community of practice project: Learnings from Alberta, Canada
    (Cogent Medicine, 2017-05-23) Claussen, Caroline; Wells, Lana; Aspenlieder, Laura; Boutilier, Sophia
    Domestic violence practitioners and community organizations often lack the capacity to engage in primary prevention activities. In part, this limited capacity exacerbates the gap between evidence-based research and practice, necessitating innovative initiatives specifically aimed at user uptake. Using a community of practice (CoP) model within two distinct communities in Alberta, Canada, we sought to translate research knowledge on domestic violence prevention and build primary prevention capacity with practitioners. One hundred twenty professionals from various sectors attended CoP sessions, with 20 attending all six sessions. Data was collected using in-depth semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview findings include that face to-face learning was effective for deeper understanding and building networks across sectors, as well as supporting new aspects of prevention work that had not been previously considered. Findings also indicate that skilled facilitation increased CoP effectiveness, particularly where community context was considered in relation to the topics presented. Impacts include changes to discourse, priorities, and resource allocation to support primary prevention. Areas for improvement include a slower pace of information delivery, and increased focus on policy and system changes. Overall, using a CoP model seemed to support knowledge translation and practitioner capacity building in the area of domestic violence prevention. Considerations for future utilization of this model are explored.