Online Program

329185
Community Voices in the Chicago Area Youth Health Service Corps: Hearing from Youth Participants


Wednesday, November 4, 2015 : 9:10 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Maria Ferrera, PhD, LCSW, MSW Department, DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Miriam Perez, BS, Centro Sin Fronteras, Chicago
The Affordable Care Act  leaves 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S. uninsured, in addition to new immigrants who have not had U.S. residency for at least five years. One of the eight states that houses the bulk of these immigrants is Illinois.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2008 Current Population Survey, there are more than 272,000 undocumented Latino immigrants in Illinois that are uninsured. Only emergency medical services are guaranteed to these patients.  The community-based, non-profit agency, Centro Sin Fronteras (CSF), in partnership with medical students at Rush Medical Center, have developed the Youth Health Service Corps (YHSC) campaign to respond to the health care dilemma of uninsured, new immigrants within Chicago.  Facilitated within three Chicago area high schools, YHSC builds on youth capacity to develop community outreach,  promote health and increase health literacy, as well as enhance individual and community -level empowerment.  Utilizing a mixed methods and a community based participatory research (CBPR) approach that surveys and interviews high school students enrolled  in YHSC; community-academic partners have started to document and disseminate the impact of the YHSC program with regard to its outreach within immigrant communities, as well as its impact on YHSC participant youth.  Youth participants of the YHSC would discuss: what the program means to them, how it has impacted them individually and within their communities, what they have learned about themselves, and what they have learned about health promotion, leadership, advocacy.

Learning Areas:

Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
Discuss: what the program means to them, why it is important to the community, what they have gained and learned about health promotion, leadership and advocacy.

Keyword(s): Youth, Health Promotion and Education

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I received my PhD at the University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration and have been the principle investigator of the Youth Health Service Corps Impact Study, funded by multiple entities within DePaul University which focuses on examining the impact YHSC program within the immigrant community and among youth participants. I have developed knowledge in the areas of ethnic identity and minority development, community practice, and health disparities.
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.