Limited Internet access and lack of computer skills affect American adults and their ability to access e-government healthcare information. Lower socioeconomic status limits access to health care systems (Schmeida & McNeal, 2007). As the U.S. government has shifted its office-based services to e-government, public libraries have served as the focal point for marginalized communities to apply for government services online. These community members may rely on the library not only for Internet access but also for computer use as they may not own a computer at home (Cathcart, 2008). Public libraries allow for new innovations in social service collaborations. By the end of 2018, there were over 100 identified collaborations between social work and libraries in the U.S. These partnerships are not only seen in urban environments, but also in suburban libraries where many communities have seen an increase of the number of homeless patrons using the library (Zettervall & Nienow, 2019). This presentation would address the public health issues that arise in the library setting, and existing community collaborations between public library staff and social workers. There have been various types of interventions implemented at the library such as hiring a social worker, partnering with a local social service agency for social work services, and also using MSW interns to provide services. There are opportunities for social service agencies to partner with their local libraries to address a range of social justice issues such as access to healthcare, homelessness, poverty, and immigration.

Objective: Describe a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) peer support program for veterans leaving incarceration, and the Coalition Building used to span boundaries between the VA program and state and community services.

Methods: This was a pilot implementation of VA’s Post-Incarceration Engagement (PIE) program, which uses peer support specialists to facilitate community reintegration for veterans leaving incarceration (“reentry veterans”). Implementation experts used coalition building including: 1) Pre-implementation engagement with state Departments of Corrections (DOC) and Veterans Services (DVS) to determine how PIE could complement their activities; 2) Hosting meetings with state, municipal, and community stakeholders for coordination; 3) Participating in regional committees addressing needs of reentry veterans; 4) Meeting with community organizations that provide housing and health care to reentry veterans; 5) Meeting with DOC reentry teams to explain PIE and coordinate reentry efforts; 6) Contributing to DOC reentry programming, such as participation in information fairs for veteran inmates.

Population studied: 43 veterans released from prisons and jails in Massachusetts

Principal findings: Coalition building reduced stakeholder concerns about the level of VA’s commitment to community partnerships and led to coordination across multiple systems of care. Consequently, the PIE program, with community assistance, succeeded in securing housing for the reentry veterans (even for sex offenders with few options), and linking them to services. This included linking 58% to primary care, 86% to substance abuse treatment, and 93% to mental health services.

Conclusions: Coalition building may be particularly useful for implementation of programs that span boundaries between health systems and community organizations.

Background: It is well-documented that racial/ethnic minority, low-income, and limited educational attainment populations have poorer health outcomes and greater health needs. Building a diverse and culturally competent healthcare workforce is key to addressing these disparities. The Allied Health Academy (AHA) at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) was created to support disadvantaged students who want to pursue allied health careers. Summer Research Experience (SRE) is a unique AHA program in that it focuses on developing research, professional, and leadership skills that promote educational enhancement and healthcare workforce readiness.

Methods: SRE was a six-week, 180-hour program funded by HRSA that included a faculty-mentored research experience as well as team-building and professional activities. Students were administered surveys at the start and end of SRE. Paired sample t-tests were used to measure change in self-perception regarding skills, knowledge, and leadership potential. Focus groups were also conducted at the program’s end.

Results: The inaugural SRE cohort (Summer, 2019) included 5 community college and 13 CSUF undergraduate students. All qualified as disadvantaged and most were students of color (67% Hispanic, 17% Asian, 11% multiracial). Statistically significant improvements were observed concerning students’ confidence in all areas that were assessed, including: writing, conducting research, forming professional relationships, and becoming future allied health leaders (all p<0.05).

Conclusions: Creating diverse, culturally competent healthcare workers who have the necessary professional and leadership skills starts with the students who aspire to join that workforce. SRE is a promising strategy to provide disadvantaged students with the knowledge, guidance, and confidence to succeed.

Although crimes committed by youth in Houston, Texas have decreased in the last decade, the County juvenile detention center has seen a sharp, almost two-fold increase in juvenile detention. Emanating from the Houston My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, the Youth Justice Council (YJC), a multi-sector coalition of 50 member organizations, was conceived by the Houston Health Department in 2016.

The goals of the YJC (comprising of Prevention, Policy and Data workgroups) was to review current research, policies and systems and recommend policy changes and strategies to a) prevent youth violence b) reduce youth involvement in the criminal justice system c) provide reentry youth second chances. Using a data driven, collective impact approach, the Prevention workgroup created a comprehensive implementation plan to address youth violence in Houston and implemented the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program for middle school youth. The Policy group successfully steered and advocated the passage of HB-2184 (Student Transition from an Alternative Program to a Regular Classroom) and implemented SB-30 (Community Safety Education Act) in Houston area high schools; Other initiatives implemented by members are a) programs for children with incarcerated parents, b) workforce development for young adult felony offenders let out on bond, and c) implicit bias trainings for those serving youth. The characteristics of the coalition will also be presented.

Mobilizing a group of committed agency leaders that believe that true change happens through policy and systems changes and committed staff to lead and sustain the effort are keys to the success of this Council.