In the work of our lab group, we center the value of respect for each other and for the individuals who participate in and are impacted by our research. We embody respect both directly and also indirectly through these core values:
1. Strengths-based approaches.
· In our research, we emphasize protective factors and positive adaptation, and we strive to highlight clinical and practical applications of our work.
· In our interactions with participants and community partners, we seek to empower their voices to communicate their own strengths, and we value the expertise of their lived experiences, their time, and their knowledge.
· In our interactions with one another, we apply our individual strengths to support our lab member goals and also to enhance our collective strengths as a group.
2. Appreciation for context.
· In our research, we acknowledge the role of culture, the influences of systematic inequality, and the impact of parents’ experiences in shaping family and child development. We examine the direct and interactive contributions of parents, schools, and the broader community in seeking to understand children’s development.
· In our interactions with participants and community partners, we recognize that there is no one “best practice” in working with or caring for children, and we seek to understand what works for families in the context of their own unique experiences.
· In our interactions with one another, we value the diversity of our backgrounds, experiences, and insights.
3. Relationship-focused practice.
· In our research, we think across generations and emphasize the power of relationships as sources of strength and healing.
· In our interactions with participants, and community partners we seek to approach with humility and a non-judgmental stance. We value the relationships that children have with caregivers and that caregivers have with their support systems. Through our work, we strive to build supportive relationships with families and community partners and to show gratitude to our families for opening their homes and hearts.
· In our interactions with one another, we recognize the importance of our relationships with one another to the work that we do and the community we build.
4. Self-awareness.
· In our research, we emphasize being aware of the power of the questions we ask, the knowledge we seek to generate, and the biases that we bring to the interpretation of our findings based on our cultural experiences and backgrounds.
· In our interaction with participants and community partners, we prioritize the comfort and well-being of our participants over research outputs, and we value the knowledge derived from paying close attention to our own reactions and the reactions of others in our engagements. We bring awareness of how the barriers between Tulane and the Greater New Orleans community may impact our interactions with families and partners.
· In our interactions with one another, we strive to listen closely and openly. We recognize that our work can be both rewarding and challenging, so we strive to be mindful and empathic toward one another. We seek to cultivate an awareness of ourselves as cultural beings and of our feelings as sources of valuable information. To strengthen our self-awareness, we acknowledge areas of improvement and engage in conscious thinking and learning with one another.
5. Commitment to education, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing.
· In our research, we seek to generate knowledge in formats that can be communicated clearly to the people it may impact. We utilize methods that allow us to elevate the individual experiences of people as well as recognize patterns that may exist across families or groups of people.
· In our interactions with participants and community partners, we seek to form connections that allow us to apply and share the knowledge we create through these partnerships.
· In our interactions with one another, we seek to mentor the newer members of our team and to bolster and support the learning of all lab members. We seek to provide experiences that instill a commitment to applying these values in practice and research to support the mental health of current and future generations.