Mobilizing family research: Evaluating current research and disseminating practical implications to families, helping professionals, and policy makers

Cornerstone Ballroom Side A

In this interactive presentation attendees will learn about processes used to mobilize research into practical applications. Attendees will learn about the five processes used by the Military REACH team to accomplish this goal, which extends beyond the realms of military research (e.g., social science research). The Military REACH team will discuss how research is identified, evaluated, translated, archived, and distributed to families, helping professionals, and policy makers through various avenues. The goal of this presentation is to demonstrate a systematic approach for making research visible and available to those outside of higher education. Foundational to the process utilized is an emphasis on connecting research to intended audiences (families, helping professionals, and policy makers) in a manner that is inviting, easily understood, and meaningful for their everyday context. This emphasis is demonstrated in our processes through the importance placed on identifying and highlighting implications of the research for specific target audiences.