Uplifting Contextual and Experiential Evidence: Integrating and Weaving Evidences in Practice

In this webinar, public health practitioners engaged in uplifting Contextual and Experiential Evidence in their work, aiming to inform decision-making for funding, strategies, policies, programs, and long-term planning. The session featured Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra and Fareeha Waheed, who shared their successes, challenges, and strategies for integrating all three forms of evidence as presented in the CDC’s Framework for Thinking about Evidence. Prevention Institute also discussed our ongoing work on the Uplifting Contextual and Experiential Evidence (UCEE) project.

Dr. Kathryn Bocanegra, an Assistant Professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago, brought over 15 years of experience in community mental health, community violence prevention, and criminal justice reform. Her focus includes community violence prevention, complex trauma and bereavement, working with survivors of violent crime, and exploring the intersection of the criminal justice system with urban neighborhoods.

Fareeha Waheed, a lead math teacher and special educator in West Baltimore, joined the session as well. Serving as a Vice President in the Baltimore Teachers Union and a Doctoral Candidate studying Urban Leadership at Johns Hopkins University, Fareeha has facilitated local and national conversations and workshops on trauma-informed care, data-driven decision-making, and education for liberation. She is also the Co-chair of the Developing Citywide Trauma-Informed Care Policies Committee of the Baltimore Trauma-Informed Care Task Force.