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300918
Resources for reentry: Investigating the biopsychosocial needs of mothers of young children released from jail
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
: 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Marjie Mogul, MBA, PhD
,
Department of Research and Evaluation, Maternity Care Coalition, Philadelphia, PA
Jeane Grisso, MD, MSCE
,
Perelman School of Medicine, School of Nursing, Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine and School of Nursing, Philadelphia, PA
Holly Harner, PhD, MPH, CRNP, WHNP-BC
,
School of Nursing and Health Sciences, LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA
Rosemary Frasso, PhD, MSc, CPH
,
Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA
Background: The vast majority of incarcerated women (80%) are mothers of children (<18 years). Research on community reentry for mothers released from prison has identified significant barriers to health care services (HCS) and unmet social health needs. However, little is known about the reentry barriers experienced by mothers released from jail, characterized by shorter stays and fewer HCS compared to prison. Purpose: 1) Identify the biopsychosocial needs of mothers released from a jail. 2) Generate participant suggestions to inform maternal incarceration health policy. Methods: Mothers of young children who were recently released from jail were recruited from a maternal-child health organization in Philadelphia to participate in in-depth interviews (N=15). Interviews (60-120 minutes) were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis was facilitated using NVivo10. All interviews were triple coded, and inter-coder discrepancies were resolved through consensus. Results: Respondents reported their health and social needs influenced their ability to provide for their children. Thematic analysis identified six primary participant needs: behavioral health services, health insurance, housing, employment, education, and custody reunification support. However, respondents reported that having young children increased access to community resources and HCS. Respondents’ suggestions to improve the reentry experience for mothers fell into four categories: increase access to behavioral health services, changes to job hiring practices, supportive housing for mothers and children, and financial aid eligibility for individual convicted of drug felonies. Conclusion: Mothers released from jail experience numerous barriers to create a stable and healthy life for their children. Participants described concrete policy changes to support maternal-child health.
Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health education
Provision of health care to the public
Learning Objectives:
Identify the healthcare and social health needs of mothers of young children who have recently been released from jail from the perspective of this population.
Discuss policy suggestions that were generated by study participants to support the health of mothers of young children who have recently been released from jail.
Keyword(s): Prisoners Health, Maternal and Child Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Research Associate with the Maternity Care Coalition in Philadelphia, which provides supportive services to mothers of young children released from county jail. This research was conducted as part of a Master in Public Health thesis at the University of Pennsylvania. My professional interests focus on trauma-informed prison reentry programs and substance abuse. I have presented on behavioral health program development and developing community capacity at national conferences.
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.
