Prevention Research Centers (PRC) are a network of academic research facilities in the United States that study how people and their communities can avoid or counter the risks for chronic illnesses. Through rigorous research, each center conducts at least one main project with an underserved population that has high rates of disease and disability. An initiative of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PRCs are leaders at the scientific forefront of translating and implementing evidence-based programs.

The Georgia State University (GSU) PRC, headquartered on the Clarkston Campus at Perimeter College, works with community organizations, state and local government, residents, and other partners in Clarkston, Ga. to develop, implement, and evaluate culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions to address the disparities and determinants of health for migrants and refugees and to disseminate this work at the local, state, national, and international levels.

Clarkston SafeCare, a core research project of the GSU PRC, works in collaboration with the community to address the health and well-being of migrant children by adapting a national, evidence-based parenting program called SafeCare. Researchers in the School of Public Health used SafeCare to conduct the first systematic effort in the nation to develop culturally and linguistically relevant care and interventions for migrant and refugee children to improve the parent-child relationship, alleviate parenting stress and boost children’s social and emotional health.

In addition to the core research projects, the GSU PRC aims to further address the wide range of issues impacting the health and well-being of refugees in Clarkston by addressing the emergent needs of the community. Through community needs assessments and input from partners and the Community Advisory Board, PRC team members have developed a wide range of Community Initiatives and Mental Health programs to support the community’s overall health and well-being. These programs and initiatives are built upon the principles of community-based participatory research, in which the community advises the GSU PRC, both formally and informally, about the health concerns that are most important to them and collaboratively develop programs and plans of action.

This work was supported by Grant or Cooperative Agreement numbers U48DP006393 and U48DP006803, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.