Let’s Do This Together! The importance of practitioner-researcher partnerships

Research
Written By Courtney Furlong

Insight from, “Sex Trafficking Vulnerabilities in Context: An analysis of 1,264 case files of adult survivors of commercial sexual exploitation”

In honor of the publishing of my article in PLOS ONE on November 20, 2024, I wanted to discuss a key takeaway from my study that isn’t discussed in the manuscript: The importance of practitioner-researcher partnerships.

It is crucial for direct-service practitioners to partner with researchers to analyze client data for several reasons:

  1. Improved Client Outcomes: Collaborations can lead to the development and implementation of evidence-based practices, which are shown to enhance the quality of care and client outcomes.

  2. Data-driven Decision Making: Researchers bring expertise in data analysis, helping providers make informed decisions based on robust evidence rather than intuition or anecdotal evidence.

  3. Enhanced Service Delivery: By understanding patterns and trends in client data, providers can tailor services to better meet the needs of their clients, leading to more effective and efficient service delivery.

  4. Innovation and Best Practices: Partnerships can foster innovation by integrating the latest research findings into practice, ensuring that providers are using the most current and effective methods.

  5. Professional Development: Engaging in research activities can enhance the skills and knowledge of direct-service providers, contributing to their professional growth and the overall improvement of the service environment.

  6. Policy and Funding: Demonstrating the effectiveness of services through research can support advocacy efforts for policy changes and secure funding from stakeholders who prioritize evidence-based practices.

“1. Collect both quantitative and qualitative data.”

Collaboration ultimately creates a feedback loop where research informs practice, and practice informs research, leading to continuous improvement in service delivery and client care. For these reasons, I was privileged to partner with the Out of Darkness safe home program, which is part of Frontline Response's Anti-sex Trafficking Department. The analyses revealed critical insights into the predictors and outcomes of commercial sexual exploitation, including the impact of early childhood trauma and the importance of stable, long-term recovery programs.

“2. Quantify as much as possible.”

Being a direct service practitioner myself, the experience produced several insights that may be helpful to other practitioners and their data management processes:

  • Collect both quantitative and qualitative data. The importance of the survivor voice cannot be understated. By collecting qualitative data, we are documenting their stories, which is necessary for us to understand their experiences and needs.

  • Quantify as much as possible. In the same breath as I say the first insight, I share this second one. If the information can be interpreted into a numeric number, do it while you are logging it. For example, Yes/No can be logged as 1/0. Out of Darkness had one data field that said, “Is she a mother? If so, how many children does she have?” Then, the case managers wrote paragraphs. In order to include this information in the analyses, I had to create two new variables: 1) Is she a mother? Yes/No (or 1/0). 2) How many children does she have? This takes a lot of time when you’re having to clean and recode 1,600 cases. Quantifying on the frontend saves time and allows practitioners to run their own preliminary analyses that can be used to inform services and apply for funding.

“3. Use diagnostic measures.”

  • Use diagnostic measures. This study relied on self-report data. There are several limitations to this, including misreporting, misdiagnosis, and the reliance on the survivor to have accessed mental health support in the past. Even without a license, practitioners can use validated diagnostic measures rather than self-reports for mental health diagnoses, like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. I generally recommend Beck’s Depression and Anxiety scales, along with the PCL-5 for PTSD. Using these measures will give us a better idea of the prevalence of mental health disorders within the population and identify survivors who may benefit from on-going mental health support.

  • Partner with a researcher your trust. Researchers should respect you, the data, and survivors. Make sure you understand their theoretical background and their commitment to avoid sensationalism and re-exploitation. Don’t get lost in the academic jargon, if you don’t understand something the researcher is saying, that is their problem — not yours. Ask them to clarify. They are there to serve and support you. Pull the plug if you feel like the researcher has deviated from the plan and is pursuing another agenda.

“4. Partner with a research you trust.”

Practitioners should be leading research. But you are so busy — I get it! But your data are too valuable for it to sit in google docs. By working together, we can have the undergirding of data the we need to make critical progress in this field, like evidence-based service delivery and policymaking.

REFERENCE

Courtney Furlong

Courtney Furlong, MS, MEd, LPC, CRC, is a native of Atlanta, GA and a graduate of Auburn University with a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science and a Master of Education in Rehabilitation Counseling. Furlong has spent over 20 years working with victims of commercial sexual exploitation from ten countries covering Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America. She is currently pursuing a doctorate in Human Development and Family Science at Auburn University. Courtney focuses her research on sex trafficking, sexual assault, and gender violence.

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