182251 Breaking Barriers to Health Care: Social Work Competencies for Engaging Immigrant Populations

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 4:30 PM

Jennifer Davidow, MSW , Tulsa Alliance for Community Health, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK
Amie Koehn, MSW, BS , Tulsa Alliance for Community Health, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK
Julie Miller-Cribbs, PhD , School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK
John Gaudet, MPH, BS, ADN , Tulsa Alliance for Community Health, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK
Gena Massey, LCSW , School of Social Work, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, OK
  
While a national movement is underway to curb illegal immigration, healthcare access for immigrant families has become more difficult amid an increasingly restrictive legal environment.

The Tulsa Alliance for Community Health (TACH) provides over 15 Primary Care Clinics serving over 18,000 patient visits per year regardless of the patient's ability to pay for services. More than 50% of TACH patients are uninsured, with TACH services being provided at clinics housed within schools and public housing communities. Many of these patients are of immigrant status, and would not have healthcare access were it not for TACH.

Social Work outreach has been key to promoting clinic services. In doing so, TACH has seen patient growth within the Latino community through the strategic use of Public Health Social Workers assigned to each clinic site. The role of the Social Worker is to foster community engagement, identify and resolve barriers to healthcare access, and assess social problems affecting healthcare access.

This oral presentation will provide three specific learning objectives as to the role of the Public Health Social Worker in community outreach:

1. How the Public Health Social Worker engages the immigrant population to encourage the use of TACH as a medical home.

2. How the Public Health Social Worker provides outreach to immigrant population to foster education opportunities for prevention and chronic illness management.

3. How the Public Health Social Worker establishes linkages with community providers for specialized medical care at free or reduced cost.

Learning Objectives:
1. List 3 strategies for engaging immigrant populations into community based health care. 2. Construct culturally compentent educational activities for disease prevention and chronic illness management. 3. Articulate strategies for establishing community linkages for provision of specialized medical care at free or reduced cost.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: EDUCATION: Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky Bachelor of Social Work Concentration: Sociology Member of the Northern Kentucky University Social Work Club Graduated May 1999 University Of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma Master Degree of Social Work Concentration: Administration and Community Practice Member of the Graduate Social Work Association Vice President of the Phi Alpha Honor Society Graduated May 2008 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: The University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma August 2007 – Present OU-Bedlam Clinics, College of Medicine Social Worker • Supervise and evaluate members of the Outreach team and MSW practicum students. • Provide instruction and training for new Outreach Workers and social work practicum students. Developed and incorporated a training manual for new employees and students. • Developed a monthly in-service training program for Outreach staff which increased their professional expertise and theoretical background. • Promote agency programs through networking and presentations to community partners. • Provide crisis intervention, problem solving, and brief therapy with clinic patients. • Coordinate patient treatment plans with providers to ensure patient access to care is accessible, affordable, and obtainable. • Assess community strengths and barriers to develop programs with community partners which meet identified needs. • Member of the Inter-Disciplinary Team serving uninsured, chronically ill patients. University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma June 2007-August 2007 Graduate Assistant • Research assistant for Dr. Julie Miller-Cribbs and Dr. David Moxley for the Bedlam at 5 Evaluation. • Conducted interviews with Bedlam staff to obtain clinic history, operational procedures, and site demographics. • Completed research on clinic, community and school demographics of each area served by the Bedlam Clinics. Day Spring Behavioral Health, Tulsa, Oklahoma August 2005- May 2006 Rehabilitative Specialist at Will Rogers High School • Facilitated anger management, conflict resolution and self- esteem building groups. • Provided individual rehabilitation services to high school students. • Participated in multi-disciplinary team meetings with school administrators, social service agencies and student families. Kids In Distress, Delray Beach, Florida September 2002- August 2004 Supervisor of the Palm Beach County Supported Foster Care Program • Recruited, supervised, and evaluated all staff at the Palm Beach County location. • Monitored contract agreements between KIDS and lead agency. • During this time, we were the only agency to meet and exceed all contract requirements with the lead agency. • Designed effective systems for accomplishing project goals, in the context utilizing a team based approach. Orchestrated the allocation of people, time, and resources, successfully completing projects within contract requirements. • Effectively managed program staff by encouraging pride in performance, supporting individual career development, and training staff in problem solving and teamwork. • Planned special events and coordination for a foster parent recognition program. • Facilitated the “Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting” trainings. • Completed comprehensive home studies on all licensed foster homes. • Facilitated bi-monthly in-service trainings to licensed foster parents. • Conducted monthly orientation meetings to recruit new foster parents. • Created recruitment strategies that were implemented into the foster care program. • Co-authored operational and program policies and procedures. Southeast Focal Point, Hollywood, Florida December 2001-September 2002 Caregiver Support Counselor • Implemented new program that provides direct support to caregivers of dementia and Alzheimer patients, including in-home individual and family counseling. • Created and facilitated two caregiver support groups and two educational classes to members of the senior center. • Created and produced a monthly newsletter distributed to all patients, staff, and community partners. Cabinet for Families and Children, State of Kentucky June 1999-September 2001 Family Services Worker • Provided casework services including assessments and treatment plans to families where abuse, neglect, or dependency had been substantiated while maintaining a caseload of complex, intensive cases. • Provided testimony and written recommendations to the Court while carrying out their orders. • Assessed personal strengths and coping mechanisms of individuals and families. • Conducted abuse/neglect investigations. PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE: OU-Bedlam, Tulsa, Oklahoma May 2007-Present • Member of the Bedlam Longitudinal Navigational Team, an inter-disciplinary approach to providing continuity of care to uninsured individuals with complex chronic medical conditions. • Created a community social service resource directory instructing Outreach staff about local, state, and national services available, how to access them, and procedures for qualifying. • Completed assessments and referrals on patients who needed social service assistance from various community partners. • Conducted a program evaluation on the Bedlam Roy Clark School Based Clinic. • Interpreted patient data obtained from the Misys Database and student data from the No Child Left Behind state report cards. • Presented research findings at the OU Research Forum. Babies Milk Fund, Cincinnati, Ohio August 1998-May 1999 • Provided direct services with families referred by the multidisciplinary team in healthcare clinic through the University of Cincinnati. • Assessed patients for needed services and formulated discharge plans. • Counseled patients who were victims of domestic violence, rape, and family trauma. Burton Elementary School, Cincinnati, Ohio January 1998-May 1998 • Implemented “Teen Institute”, which is an educational anti-drug club. Members participated in weekly meetings and community service programs. • Designed preventive programs that were taught in the classrooms. Droege House, Dayton, Kentucky • Conducted After-Care group for men who completed court mandated substance abuse treatment. ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE: Oral Presentations: Davidow, J. (2008, April). The Road to Student Success Through Health and Education. OU-Tulsa Research Forum, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 3rd Place Award. Poster Presentations: Davidow, J. (2008, April). The Road to Student Success Through Health and Education. OU-Tulsa Research Forum, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Duvall, D., Brooks, B., Davidow, J. (2008, April). It Takes a Village…Inter-Disciplinary Care for Chronically Ill Patients. OU-Tulsa Research Forum, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Davidow, J., Kientz, E., Miller-Cribbs, J., Brooks, B., Ference, J., Saizow, R., Harrison, C., Klenda, E. (2008, March) The Tulsa Alliance for Community Health Longitudinal Clinic: An Inter-Disciplinary Approach to Student Learning and Patient Care. Oklahoma Public Health Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1st Place Award. Davidow, J., Koehn, A., Miller-Cribbs, J., Massey, G., Gaudet, J. (2008, March). The Road to Student Success Through Health and Education. Oklahoma Public Health Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Kientz, E., Ference, J., Harrison, C., Miller-Cribbs, J., Klenda, E., Davidow, J., Brooks, B. (2008, February). Preventing Disease and Complications: Education through Team-Based Practice. American College of Preventative Medicine Conference, Austin, Texas. Submitted for Presentation: Gaudet, J., Miller-Cribbs, J., Kiger, T., Moxley, D., Davidow, J. (2008, October). School Success: The Story of Roy Clark Elementary and the Bedlam Alliance for Community Health. American Public Health Association - 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, California. Miller-Cribbs, J., Gaudet, J., Massey, G., Davidow, J., Koehn, A. (2008, October). Breaking Barriers to Health Care: Social Work Competencies for Engaging Immigrant Populations. American Public Health Association - 136th Annual Meeting & Exposition, San Diego, California. Miller-Cribbs, J., Davidow, J., Massey, G., Kientz, E., Koehn, A. (2008, November). Realism in Health Science Education and Practice: A Model Inter-disciplinary Clinic. Council on Social Education Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Grants Funded: Co-Investigator Kientz, E., Ference, J., Harrison, C., Miller-Cribbs, J., Klenda, E., Davidow, J., Brooks, B., Saizow, R. Submitted June 2007 to the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research. Amount: $10,000 Honors, Awards, and Recognitions: • The National Association of Social Workers Graduate Student of the Year, 2008 • Master of Social Work, Administration & Community Practice Student of the Year, 2008 • Elected Vice President of the OU School of Social Work Phi Alpha Honor Society, 2007-2008 College/School Service: • Association for Prevention Teaching and Research Grant Committee, OU-Tulsa Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic, 2007-2008 • Faculty Search Committee, OU-School of Social Work, 2007-2008 • Patient Education Committee, OU-Tulsa Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic, 2007-2008 • Diabetes Day Planning Committee, OU-Tulsa Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic, 2007-2008 • Panel Management Committee, OU-Tulsa Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic, 2007-2008 • Bedlam Longitudinal Steering Committee, OU-Tulsa Bedlam Longitudinal Clinic, 2007-2008 Professional Service: • Member, American Diabetes Association, Living With Diabetes Planning Committee, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2007-2008 • Member, Tulsa Mayor’s Fitness Challenge Committee, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2008 • Consultant, West Side Community Board, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2007-2008 Professional Societies: • National Association of Social Workers Certifications: • Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting Trainer (State of Florida) • Child Protection Professional (State of Florida)
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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