Accompaniment in a Mexican immigrant community: Conceptualization and identification of biopsychosocial outcomes

Taller de Jose (TDJ) offers accompaniment in a Mexican neighborhood in Chicago, helping service participants navigate health, judicial, and social service systems. Using a community-based participatory approach, the current study conceptualizes the accompaniment service and identifies psychosocial outcomes. Focus groups with service participants and staff were conducted, using a grounded theory approach. The data provides support for a conceptual model of accompaniment based on interdisciplinary knowledge in ministry, social work, and public health; and a consideration of social context, values, and outcomes such as increased social support, knowledge of community resources, and improved self-efficacy.