141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

291228
Adapting a two-generation service model to address immigrant and refugee health: The HOST demonstration

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 1:30 PM - 1:45 PM

Molly Scott, MPP , Center for Metropolitan Housing and Communities, The Urban Institute, Washington, DC
Now in its second year of implementation, the multisite HOST demonstration tests innovative, two-generation service models to improve the life chances of vulnerable low-income families living in public and mixed-income housing communities. HOST builds on lessons learned from an earlier pilot in Chicago public housing, which yielded substantial gains in mental and physical health for parents, but had little or no effect on the well-being of children, by adding youth supports to a core of intensive case management with parents. Three of the 4 HOST demonstration sites serve primarily African American public housing residents, but the Portland site serves a diverse low income population which includes African refugees, recent Latino immigrants, other immigrants from Europe and Asia, as well as native born Caucasians and African Americans. Using data from the baseline survey, this presentation will describe the underlying similarities and differences in mental and physical health among diverse parents and youth enrolled in the Portland HOST demonstration. In-depth interviews with program and clinical staff will also be integrated to interpret this description and explain how the Portland HOST model has evolved to offer culturally competent supportive services.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning

Learning Objectives:
Describe differences in mental and physical health among African refugee, Latino immigrant, and native born participants in the HOST demonstration. Explain how practitioners on the ground have adapted their two-generation service model to meet the unique needs of refugee and immigrant HOST families.

Keywords: Mental Health, Practice-Based Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been the process study director as well as the Portland site lead for the HOST demonstration for the last 2 years. In addition, I have presented specifically on immigrant mental health issues before at APHA, specifically the challenges that detained undocumented immigrants face and the responses that communities put in place. I also serve as the PI for the Department of Education funded Promise Neighborhood needs assessment for an immigrant community in Maryland.
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.