Current Research

At CLAFH, we believe research plays a crucial role in identifying the root causes of health and health care inequities, providing evidence-based insights that can inform the kind of effective interventions, policy changes and resource allocation needed to achieve health equity for all.

Our research team designs, tests, refines and disseminates models of care that are nurse-driven, integrate clinical and social care, and effectively eliminate health and health care inequities.

Project Confianza

This CDC-sponsored five-year research project is exploring the factors that shape medical mistrust and trustworthiness (MTT) in the context of HIV prevention and care services for Hispanic/Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (HLMSM). Lessons from the research will inform nurse-driven interventions that address the clinical and social needs of HLMSM as a means of improving their engagement and retention in HIV services. Project Confianza operates in five geographic areas that align with the national Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative’s priority jurisdictions and account for a significant burden of HIV incidence among HLMSM across the US: Los Angeles County, CA; Bronx County, NY; Bexar County, TX; Miami-Dade County, FL; and San Juan Municipio, PR. This multi-level, community engaged project collaborates with HLMSM, community leaders with strong community ties to the Hispanic/Latino (H/L) community and HLMSM, healthcare providers who serve HLMSM, academic partners, media and communication partners and other key stakeholders.

Safe Families: Community Screening & Linkage to Prevent Overdose

This SAMHSA-sponsored research is evaluating the efficacy of a nurse-driven, multi-level, Community Screening and Linkage to Substance Use Services program in Mott Haven, NYC. Mott Haven—one of the hardest hit localities by the overdose epidemic and the poorest congressional district in the continental US—representing a high-need community and the catchment area for the current project. With substance use-related emergency room visits and hospitalizations about three times as high as the New York City-wide average, Mott Haven residents face substantial challenges with the adverse consequences of untreated alcohol and drug misuse in their community. The right to access high-quality and affordable substance use and mental health-specific treatment and prevention services are core components of behavioral health (substance misuse + mental health) equity. This access is too often not a reality for Mott Haven families. The project addresses this gap head on through a community-based screening, brief intervention, and referral to services (SBIRT) model, combined with multi-sectoral collective action among families, health, and social service providers to enhance substance use outcomes and care integration.