The ARCHES Lab pursues several lines of community-engaged and community-based participatory research to promote health and address upstream determinants of adverse health among people experiencing homelessness and housing instability. Current and prior projects include:
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Access
With colleagues in SDSU School of Public Affairs (Drs. Megan Welsh Carroll and Madison Swayne), Drs. Calzo and Felner co-lead the Project for Sanitation Justice (PSJ). In collaboration with regional, statewide, and national partners, PSJ conducts research to drive action towards just and equitable decision-making around public restrooms and other aspects of WaSH access for underserved populations (e.g., clean water, waste disposal, menstrual hygiene). Please see the PSJ website for a list of our ongoing and completed projects.
In the Action 4 Health Study, Drs. Calzo and Felner, youth co-researchers, and ARCHES Lab research assistants utilized photovoice methodology to examine homelessness, resource access, and stigma among transitional-aged youth during the 2016-2018 San Diego County hepatitis A emergency. See our Community Report here and an open-access academic article here.
Health Literacy and Infectious Disease Prevention
The ARCHES Lab worked with San Diego Youth Services (SDYS) to examine health literacy and uptake of COVID-19, flu, and other infectious disease prevention behaviors among youth experiencing homelessness and housing instability. SDYS expressive arts therapists collaborated with ARCHES to design an expressive arts-based approach to gathering insights from youth (“Arts-Based Engagement Sessions”).
Strengths-Based Approaches to Health Promotion
In collaboration with SDYS, the ARCHES Lab conducted a participatory evaluation of a new expressive arts-based human trafficking prevention program for housing insecure youth.
ARCHES and SDYS are currently co-leading a project to demonstrate that using expressive arts and health service navigation have the potential to break down social and structural barriers to accessing, using, and sustaining engagement in mental health treatment among housing insecure youth. Together, ARCHES and SDYS are one of 20 groups supported by DHHS’ Community Level Innovations for Improving Health Outcomes Initiative focused on making progress toward Healthy People 2030 Leading Health Indicator targets.
Current and Past Funding:
- DHHS Office of Minority Health (PI: Felner, Co-I: Calzo), 2024-2028
- California Department of Public Health–Office of Health Equity (PI: Welsh Carroll; Co-PIs: Calzo, Felner, Swayne, Mladenov, Verbyla), 2023-2024
- CA Alliance of Academics and Communities for PH Equity (MPI: Felner, Calzo, Jellá), 2023-2024
- SDSU Seed Grant Program (PI: Felner, Co-I: Calzo), 2022-2023
- NCATS ACTRI Community-Academic Pilot (PI: Felner, Co-I: Calzo), 2022-2024
- SDSU University Grants Program (MPI: Calzo, Felner), 2017-2019