Social Work Commons^™

Financial Well-Being Of Frontline Healthcare Workers: The Importance Of Employer Benefits, Mathieu Despard, Sophia Fox-Dichter, Haotian Zheng, Grace Anderson, Olivia Borland, Kourtney Gilbert

Social Policy Institute Research

Frontline healthcare workers – especially direct care workers (DCWs), such as home health aides, struggle due to low pay, lack of benefits, and difficult working conditions. The need for these workers is growing. Unless frontline healthcare jobs improve, positions may be difficult to fill, and care for vulnerable members of society may be compromised.

In this study, we surveyed 2,321 frontline healthcare workers and conducted in-depth interviews with 30 of these workers concerning pay, benefits, work conditions, and financial well-being. Key survey findings included:

• Only 39% of workers were eligible for at least four out of five major benefits (e.g., …

Usage And Impact Of Benefits Among Frontline Healthcare Workers, Mathieu Despard

Social Policy Institute Research

We completed a study about frontline healthcare workers – the benefits they get through work and how they are doing financially. This brief provides highlights from our survey to 2,321 workers and interviews with 30 workers.

Combatting Rising Healthcare Costs For Healthier Adults, Alejandra Muñoz-Rivera

Social Policy Institute Research

In 2020, healthcare expenditures averaged $12,530 per person, up 9.7% from 2019. In 2018, 19% of U.S. households had medical debt with $2,000 being the median amount owed. Over half of adults between 18 to 64 years of age are estimated to experience some form of medical financial hardship including medical bills or debt, stress about medical bills, and delaying or forgoing treatment specifically due to cost. In a 2022 survey of 140 Medicaid and Marketplace members by researchers from the Social Policy Institute (SPI) and the Centene Center of Health Transformation, one-third of respondents reported having unpaid medical bills. …

Youth Mental Health In The Mountain West, Kristian Thymianos, Olivia K. Cheche, Kelliann Beavers, Katie M. Gilbertson, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet explores youth mental health metrics of Mountain West states from the Hopeful Futures Campaign’s 2022 report, America’s School Mental Health Report Card. This study provides state snapshots on school mental health policies and workforce availability for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The Mountain West states of Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah are considered here.

“We Are Doing The Absolute Most That We Can, And No One Is Listening”: Barriers And Facilitators To Health Literacy Within Transgender And Nonbinary Communities, C. Riley Hostetter, Jarrod Call, Donald R. Gerke, Brendon T. Holloway, N. Eugene Walls, Jennifer C. Greenfield

Graduate School of Social Work: Faculty Scholarship

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) individuals face disparities in nearly every aspect of health. One factor associated with poor health outcomes in other marginalized populations is health literacy, yet no identified studies examine health literacy in TNB samples. Moreover, most health literacy frameworks focus primarily on the capacities of individual patients to understand and use healthcare information, with little attention given to provider literacy and environmental factors. In partnership with a statewide LGBTQ advocacy organization, we recruited 46 transgender and nonbinary individuals to participate in seven focus groups conducted in urban, suburban, and rural locations throughout Colorado. TNB participants consistently engaged …

“There's So Much They Don't Cover:” Limitations Of Healthcare Coverage For Indigenous Women In A Non-Federally Recognized Tribe, Jessica L. Liddell, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Access to healthcare is an essential component in addressing health disparities. However, the limitations of insurance coverage, and other barriers in paying for and accessing healthcare have seldom been researched for Indigenous peoples. In addition, state recognized tribes do not have access to the healthcare services provided by the Indian Health Service, and there is a need for research documenting their unique healthcare needs. Qualitative description was used to conduct 31 semi-structured interviews with women from an Indigenous tribe in the Gulf South to understand their experiences in paying for healthcare services. Participants described: (1) Discrimination Based on Perceived Ability …

Healthcare Experiences Of Uninsured And Under-Insured American Indian Women In The United States, Jessica L. Liddell, Jenn M. Lilly

Social Service Faculty Publications

Background: Extensive health disparities exist for American Indian groups throughout the United States. Although insurance status is linked to important healthcare outcomes, this topic has infrequently been explored for American Indian tribes. For state-recognized tribes, who do not receive healthcare services through the Indian Health Service, this topic has yet to be explored. The purpose of this study is to explore how having limited access to health insurance (being uninsured or under-insured) impact American Indian women’s healthcare experiences?.

Methods: In partnership with a community advisory board, this study used a qualitative description approach to conduct thirty-one semi-structured life-course …

Exploring The Experiences Of Transgender And Gender Diverse Adults In Accessing A Trans Knowledgeable Primary Care Physician, Shanna K. Kattari, Jarrod Call, Brendon Holloway, Leonardo Kattari, Kristie L. Seelman

SW Publications

Transgender and gender diverse individuals face a variety of barriers when attempting to access healthcare, from discrimination to lack of access to lack of knowledgeable providers. Using data from the 2015 United States Trans Survey (N = 27,715), this study looks at the differences within the TGD population regarding having seen a doctor in the past year, having a primary care provider, and having a primary care provider who is knowledgeable about trans health. Logistic regressions indicate that even within an all transgender and gender diverse sample, a variety of identities and experiences are related to increased or decreased likelihood …

Predictors Of Healthcare Mistreatment Among Transgender And Gender Diverse Individuals: Are There Different Patterns By Patient Race And Ethnicity?, Kristie L. Seelman, Andre Vasi, Shanna K. Kattari, Luis R. Alvarez-Hernandez

SW Publications

Using data from the 2015 United States Transgender Survey, this study investigates which patient sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial risks are associated with likelihood of transgender mistreatment in healthcare and how patterns vary for patients of color. Numerous predictors, including alignment of identity documents, were associated with healthcare mistreatment. Among subgroups of transgender patients of color, psychosocial risks were more consistently significant than sociodemographic characteristics in predicting mistreatment. National and international health organizations are called to enact clear policies that affirm transgender patients and patients of color and establish a commitment to effectively serving these populations within their ethical codes.

Strategies Used By Transmasculine And Non-Binary Adults Assigned Female At Birth To Resist Transgender Stigma In Healthcare, Kristie L. Seelman, Tonia C. Poteat

SW Publications

Background: Transgender stigma is rampant within healthcare systems in the United States. Transgender adults assigned female at birth – including those identifying as transmasculine or non-binary – face unique barriers, such as stigma when accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare labeled as being for “women.” However, transgender and non-binary people are not passive victims to this stigma, and the medical community would benefit from understanding the actions this population takes to resist and reduce transgender stigma in healthcare. Yet, little research has attempted to understand such actions.

Aims: This qualitative study aims to explore how transmasculine and non-binary adults are actively …

Experiences Of Transgender Adults Navigating Healthcare Access In Massachusetts, Nic Tompkins-Hughes

Honors Program Theses and Projects

Recent research studies regarding Transgender individuals’ experiences of discrimination in health care settings strongly recommend the value of qualitative data, and the need for research into how transgender patients find, obtain, and access medical care, preventatively and as needed. However, despite calls for qualitative data, limited qualitative studies have focused on medical access and experiences of transgender patients as of 2019. This exploratory qualitative study utilized semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted between May 27^th, 2019 through August 10^th, 2019 to ask about the experiences of transgender individuals as it pertains to accessing health care services in Massachusetts. …

Drug Overdose Prevention: Needs Of Healthcare Professionals And First Responders, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Gaylene Armstrong, Jeanette Harder, Rachel Lubischer, Dawne Frain

Reports

Purpose and Background
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, to complete a statewide needs assessment between October 2018 and April 2019. The purpose of this needs assessment was to gauge the capacity of statewide systems in Nebraska to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high-burden areas and with a focus on opioids. The hope of the results from this needs assessment is to inform DHHS …

Drug Overdose Prevention: Promising Practices, Dawne Frain, Rachel Lubischer, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Jeanette Harder, Gaylene Armstrong

Reports

This report on best practices informs a needs assessment on the capacity of Nebraska systems to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high burden areas and with a focus on opioids.

Transgender Noninclusive Healthcare And Delaying Care Because Of Fear: Connections To General Health And Mental Health Among Transgender Adults, Kristie L. Seelman, Matthew J.P. Colón-Diaz, Rebecca H. Lecroix, Marik Xavier-Brier, Leonardo Kattari

SW Publications

Purpose: There are many barriers to reliable healthcare for transgender people that often contribute to delaying or avoiding needed medical care. Yet, few studies have examined whether noninclusive healthcare and delaying needed medical care because of fear of discrimination are associated with poorer health among transgender adults. This study aims to address these gaps in the knowledge base.

Methods: This study analyzed secondary data from a statewide survey of 417 transgender adults in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States. Independent variables included noninclusive healthcare from a primary care provider (PCP) and delay of needed medical care because of …

The Efficacy Of Psychosocial Services In Comprehensive Cancer Care: A Program Evaluation, Nicola B. Mucci

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

On average, regardless of other factors, persons affected by cancer will experience some level of distress associated with the disease and its sequelae. Left untreated, psychosocial problems can, and often do, adversely affect a person's health and healthcare treatment. As a result, national initiatives have been implemented to recognize and treat psychosocial stressors to optimize a person's functioning and facilitate successful movement through the medical system. A program evaluation was conducted to examine how Providence Regional Cancer Partnership has addressed the psychosocial needs of its patient population. Specifically, the psychosocial services department, Patient Support Services, was evaluated to understand how …

The Plight Of The Lucluc: Examining The Deadly Mystery Of Nodding Syndrome, Ethan K. Mcgann

Senior Honors Theses

Nodding syndrome (NS) is an emerging epidemic neurological disease that is shrouded in mystery. It is currently only found in the post-conflict regions of South Sudan, northern Uganda, and Tanzania. NS occurs in children from the ages of five to fifteen and is characterized by a loss of motor control in the neck muscles. Seizure episodes can range in intensity from atonic to tonic-clonic, and the onset of the first episode generally marks the beginning of a decline in the child’s physical and mental health. NS is a progressive disease that generally results in physical wasting, stunted growth, behavioral difficulties, …

Effectiveness Of Clinical Scenarios In Improving Student Interprofessional Skills And Attitudes, Ashley Peterson, Mike Pelyhes, Laura Cummings, Phillip L. Thornton, Zachary N. Jenkins

Pharmacy and Nursing Student Research and Evidence-Based Medicine Poster Session

Background: “Interprofessional education (IPE) is defined as the process by which individuals from two or more health professions learn with, from, and about each other across the spectrum of their education to improve collaboration, practice, and the quality of health care.” [1] Interprofessional Education has recently gained interest as an important aspect of training in healthcare professions, attracting the attention and support of several key pharmacy organizations. Various models of IPE have been implemented to facilitate collaboration among medical, nursing, pharmacy, and social work students and professionals. One model found to be particularly effective among pharmacy students is a mock …

Applying For Mainecare: Ten Tips For Relative Caregivers, University Of Maine Center On Aging

Maine Center on Aging Service and Consultation

MaineCare provides free or low-cost comprehensive healthcare benefits to children and families living in Maine. Almost all children being cared for by relatives who are residents of Maine are eligible, and legal custody is not required. Even if you or the child have other health insurance, MaineCare may still be available. Requirements during this application process include providing a certified copy of the child’s birth certificate and the social security number of the child. If you are applying only for the child living with you, only the child’s income is considered. If you are applying for yourself and the child, …