Lessons learned from community-based participatory research: establishing a partnership to support lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ageing in place.
Due to a history of oppression and lack of culturally competent services, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) seniors experience barriers to accessing social services. Tailoring an evidence-based ageing in place intervention to address the unique needs of LGBT seniors may decrease the isolation often faced by this population.



To describe practices used in the formation of a community-based participatory research (CBPR), partnership involving social workers, health services providers, researchers and community members who engaged to establish a LGBT ageing in place model called Seniors Using Supports To Age In Neighborhoods (SUSTAIN).



A case study approach was employed to describe the partnership development process by reflecting on past meeting minutes, progress reports and interviews with SUSTAIN's partners.



Key partnering practices utilized by SUSTAIN included (i) development of a shared commitment and vision; (ii) identifying partners with intersecting spheres of influence in multiple communities of identity (ageing services, LGBT, health research); (iii) attending to power dynamics (e.g. equitable sharing of funds); and (iv) building community capacity through reciprocal learning. Although the partnership dissolved after 4 years, it served as a successful catalyst to establish community programming to support ageing in place for LGBT seniors.



Multi-sector stakeholder involvement with capacity to connect communities and use frameworks that formalize equity was key to establishing a high-trust CBPR partnership. However, lack of focus on external forces impacting each partner (e.g. individual organizational strategic planning, community funding agency perspectives) ultimately led to dissolution of the SUSTAIN partnership even though implementation of community programming was realized.
Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Leslie A
LA
Wright
Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.|Center for Behavioral Health Research and Services, University of Alaska Anchorage, Anchorage, AK, USA.
Diane K
DK
King
Metropolitan State University, Denver, CO, USA.|Graduate School of Social Work, Denver University, Denver, CO, USA.|School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Jessica H
JH
Retrum
American Association of Retired Persons of Alaska, Anchorage, AK, USA.|The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA and.
Kenneth
K
Helander
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA and.
Shari
S
Wilkins
Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Jennifer M
JM
Boggs
Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.|Graduate School of Social Work, Denver University, Denver, CO, USA.
Jennifer Dickman
JD
Portz
The Evaluation Center, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Kathryn
K
Nearing
Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO, USA.
Wendolyn S
WS
Gozansky
D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006282:Health Personnel; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology*
Ageing; CBPR; at-risk groups; bisexual; gay; geriatrics; health disparities.; lesbian; transgender (GLBT) issues