Anita Hawkins, PhD, Public Health Program, Morgan State University, 1700 E. Coldspring Lane, Baltimore, MD 21251, 443-885-3567, ahawkin2@jewel.morgan.edu and Ron Simmons, PhD, Us Heling Us, 811 L Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003.

Public health practice has benefited from the many advances in our understanding of health behaviors which in turn have shaped our beliefs about prevention and intervention strategies. Unfortunately, there is significant evidence that the knowledge gained in research is not always disseminated in a manner that fosters adoption in community-based practice and that the knowledge gained by community-based practitioners is not always sufficiently documented and communicated to policymakers. Practice research collaboratives which include community-based service providers, public health government agencies and research institutions provide the opportunity for interaction and exchange among and between community, practitioners, researchers and policymakers. This presentation will describe the collaborative efforts of two community-based organizations, a city public health agency and an independent research firm to design and implement a community-based participatory research study on HIV risk behaviors and attitudes among African American men and to enhance the prevention and intervention strategies in the affected community. The presentation will describe how the collaborative planned and implemented the research and how the findings were used to influence the adoption of public and private policy decisions regarding the allocation of resources for services. The presentation will also highlight how the research findings provided evidence to support the continuing efforts of the two community-based organizations serving the population in need.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to
• Describe the challenges to engaging in a practice research collaborative and identify strategies to overcome the challenges.
• Identify mechanisms for enhancing communication between researchers and practitioners in the dissemination and adoption of research findings.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Relationship(research consultant)