OHTN: A Consultation to Better Understand and Reach At-risk Audiences 

Our Approach

Engaging Communities Directly

At its core, this work required reaching higher-risk groups to talk about a sensitive and often uncomfortable topic. Before any direct engagement, we grounded our work in existing research and identified gaps in understanding how best to conduct research with higher-risk populations.

Recognizing that many individuals in these groups may be hesitant to participate due to stigma, research fatigue or distrust of institutions, we built engagement plans centered on trust, clarity and accessibility.

We spoke with community leaders and service providers who work directly with these populations to ground our approach in lived reality. These conversations not only informed our recruitment strategies and how we framed discussions and crafted questions for community members but also provided an “on-the-ground yet macro” understanding of the broader systemic challenges these communities face; context that was essential for interpreting what we heard through the consultations.

Using an Anti-Oppressive Framework

Intersectional and anti-oppressive research practices were essential to ensure that every part of the consultation – from recruitment and facilitation through to analysis – was as equitable and respectful as possible.

This approach allowed us to capture more accurate and representative insights from underserved communities, acknowledging the layered and intersectional impacts of racism, homophobia, transphobia, colonialism, stigma and other structural barriers.