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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Blanca M. Ramos, CSW, PhD¹, Bonita Sanchez, MSW², Karen Nash, MSW³, Dwight Williams, MSW⁴, Gregory Gross, MSW⁵, Cristina Mogro-Wilson, MSW², and Jacqueline Melecio, MSW⁶. (1) Center for the Elimination of Minority health Disparities (NIH-NCMHD # 5RDMD001120), School of Social Welfare, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Avenue, Richardson 110, Albany, NY 12222, 518-442-5365, ramos@albany.edu, (2) University at Albany, State University of New York, School of Social Welfare, 1400 Washington Avenue, Richardson 110, Albany, NY 12222, (3) Hudson Valley Community College, Department of Human Services, 80 Vandenburgh Avenue, Troy, NY 12180, (4) School of Public Health, University at Albany, One University Place, Rennselaer, NY 12144, (5) College of Saint Rose, Department of Social Work, 432 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203, (6) New York State Chapter, National Association of Social Workers, 188 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210

The right to health is vital. Yet, not everyone enjoys this basic human right. Considerable health disparities exist across racial and ethnic minority groups. Public health social workers, concerned with the importance of sociocultural factors, are in a unique position to help eliminate these disparities. One strategy is taking active roles in community-academic partnerships, increasingly recognized as vital conduits to effectively address health disparities. Social workers possess skills and training to provide leadership and facilitate the development, effectiveness, and sustainability of these partnerships. Their suitability stems from professional values promoting social justice and respect for differences; knowledge of group process, community organizing, networking and interdisciplinary teamwork; and basic social work practice skills and techniques. This presentation discusses (1) social work principles and skills for establishing and leading interdisciplinary community-academic partnerships to address healthcare disparities, (2) resources and expertise social work practitioners, students, and academics can each contribute to these partnerships, and (3) community based participatory research tenets essential to partnership development and maintenance. It draws on a project designed to build community capacity and strengthen healthcare workforce's cultural competence as part of a center for the elimination of minority health disparities funded by NIH. Literature sources are provided. Implications for the development of public health social work practice and research are also discussed. Public social workers have an ethical responsibility to help eliminate health disparities. Community-academic partnerships afford them unique opportunities to join current efforts to attain the goal of ensuring the human rights to health and healthcare for all.

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