CEAL is a national initiative led by the National Institute of Health (NIH), whereas Massachusetts Community Engagement Alliance (MA-CEAL) serving as one of many centers around the country. MA-CEAL conducts urgent community-engaged outreach and research around COVID-19. We promote an evidence-based response to the disease by improving awareness and education that address widespread misinformation and distrust regarding COVID-19. MA-CEAL is led by epidemiologist, medical doctors, public health leaders, clinical and research investigators, as well as Community Engagement Specialist (CES). 

Mission: Our mission is to provide trustworthy information on COVID-19 throughout active community engagement and outreach. Ensuring that the people hardest-hit by the pandemic are served with reliable, effective, and accessible resources and public health education (MA-CEAL, 2023)

MA-CEAL Values & Goal: We value and believe in engaged partnerships, educating the communities we serve, and improving diversity and inclusion in our research responses to COVID (MA0CEAL, 2023). 

Our goal is to build long-lasting partnerships and to improve diversity and inclusion of our research response to COVID-19 and beyond (MA-CEAL, 2023) 

Community Engagement Specialist: We believe that our Community Engagement Specialist (CES), are the heartbeats of our Massachusetts community, and public health efforts from a national CEAL perspective. Our specialist engage in programs, education, and projects that connect highly COVID-impacted populations and communities to educational resources and services related to the treatment and management of this infectious disease, as well as many other emerging infectious diseases such as Mpox. 

To improve public health as a CES through active engagement with populations and partners connected to MA-CEAL, it is critical to our efforts as a collective, that access and equity to COVID-19 vaccines are made possible. In doing this, our Community Engagement Specialist work to continue dismantling medical mistrust by: 

• Working as a connector to services, education, and information
• Helping to navigate individuals, communities, and community-based organizations with health, and healthcare systems
• Bridging the gaps between underserved communities and populations and equitable access to public health resources, healthcare management, and sustainable health services

Social and Behavioral Constructs: Massachusetts Community Engagement Alliance is a phenomenon of program evaluation: analyzing knowledge, attitude, and behavior changes as it relates to infectious diseases across populations and demographics. To measure misinformation and mistrust, we conduct pre and post knowledge evaluations of program and project efficiency around COVID-19, in order to accurately address possible root causes to medical hesitancy of any kind in real-time. 

Health Belief Model: We believe that people need accurate and reliable information in order to make informed decisions on health-related factors. Perceived susceptibility from a MA-CEAL perspective, means that the communities and community-based programs we serve and work in collaboration with, are well equipped with knowledge and education and empowered with self-efficacy to promote the importance of public health. 

We understand that perceived barriers in the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are far too often the catalyst for medical mistrust and low patient-provider relationships. We envision communities with higher rates of positive health outcomes, because we make every effort to providing resources and education that empowers self-efficacy in the decision-making processes regarding individual and public health matters.