PAR Podcast

About the podcast

This educational podcast series features people in mental health recovery reflecting on participatory research, along with their suggestions for strategies to promote inclusion in all stages of research.

What is participatory action research?

Picture of 3 core elements of participatory action research: people closest to the experience are closest to the research, the needs for action resulting from research, and an affirmative process that builds towards solutions

This methodological approach involves researchers working collaboratively with people whose lives are affected by the topic being studied. Together, they choose the research questions, decide how to gather and analyze data, and disseminate the results to a wide variety of audiences.

Access a PAR Toolkit

PAR Podcast Episodes

Picture of podcast speaker Laysha Ostrow and her quote: People are trying to find new ways to work, and workers have more power than they’ve had in a 100 years. I’m excited to be a part of societal change on that scale, and to help make sure that people who are differently-abled aren’t left out of the benefits.

Episode Three
PAR in Action: Reflections on Leadership, Authenticity, and Self-Acceptance in Participatory Research
Featuring Dr. Laysha Ostrow, CEO & founder, Live & Learn, Inc.

Listen to Episode Three

Download the transcript of the 29 minute episode.

Read about Live & Learn’s PAR national web survey.
Learn more about the Reclaiming Employment project highlighted in this episode.
Access resources from Live & Learn (including manuscripts, interviews, reports).

Picture of podcast speakers Paul Williams and Patrick Corrigan & their quotes about PAR being a journey, and the next step in recovery-oriented systems for researchers and people with lived experience to work as partners to design & implement research to identify best practices.

Episode Two
PAR in Action: Peer Navigators for the Health and Wellness of People with Psychiatric Disabilities
Featuring Dr. Patrick Corrigan and Paul Williams of the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Health Disparities Center

Listen to Episode Two

Download the transcript of the 21 minute episode.

Access these PAR resources from the Chicago Health Disparities Center:
A participatory research manual on involving Black/African American adults with mental health conditions in research
A curriculum to prepare Black/African Americans with mental health conditions as research leaders
A research publication on the use of PAR in examining the health care needs of Black/African Americans who are undomiciled and living with mental health conditions

Picture of podcast speaker Matthew Federici and his quote about WRAP and PAR being based on collaboration, mutuality, and a desire to seek out results

Episode One
PAR in Action: Studying Wellness Recovery Action Plan
Featuring Matthew Federici of the Copeland Center for Wellness and Recovery and Jessica Jonikas, Center Associate Director

Listen to Episode One

Download the transcript of the 34 minute episode.
Access the WRAP research discussed in this episode.

Participatory Action Research Podcast

About the podcast

What is participatory action research?

PAR Podcast Episodes