“You Have to Take Care of
Your Own Mental Status”:
Incarcerated Women Seeking Care Within and Beyond Mental Health Treatment
| This study, led by University of Chicago researchers including Gina L. Fedock (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), Sheila Shankar (Crown family School for Social Work, Policy, and Practice), Celina Doria (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), and Marion Malcome (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), delves into the experiences of incarcerated women in the context of mental health treatment within prison facilities. Incarcerated women face unique challenges in accessing adequate mental health care. The study's main focus is to explore how these women experience mental health treatment within the prison system. It examines the mechanisms that restrict their access to care and the strategies they employ to overcome these challenges. The research team conducted in-depth interviews with incarcerated women, covering various aspects, including communication with mental health staff, the impact of psychotropic medication, perceptions of care, and self-care strategies. The findings reveal a complex picture, with incarcerated women often facing controlled communication that silences their voices and affects their decision-making about their health. Psychiatric medication, intended for treatment, can lead to disconnection from self and additional health issues. Many incarcerated women perceive a lack of genuine care from mental health staff, exacerbating their negative experiences. Despite these challenges, they employ self-care strategies such as art, journaling, and support from fellow inmates. This study underscores the need for a more compassionate and patient-centered approach to mental health treatment in prisons, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing women's definitions and applications of care. The findings call for social work within the prison context to move towards non-reformist reforms and an abolitionist praxis, centered on the needs and desires of incarcerated women. For detailed research methods and statistical analyses, readers can refer to the full research article and related publications. |
Health Care Use and Spending for Medicaid Patients Diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder Receiving Primary Care in Federally Qualified Health Centers and Other Primary Care Settings
| In a research study funded by HRSA, a national interdisciplinary research team, including University of Chicago researchers Lauren Peterson (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), Jeanne Marsh (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), Harold Pollack (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), Neda Laiteerapong, (Department of Medicine) and Manoradhan Murugesan (Department of Public Health Sciences), examined a critical early phase of the opioid epidemic and analyzed key benefits associated with the integrated care environment of FQHCs, as well as areas that appeared to require continued process improvement. This pioneering study is one of the first to examine health care use and spending among Medicaid patients diagnosed with OUD who receive most of their primary care at FQHCs, which typically adopt an integrated care model, as compared to other primary care settings, including hospital outpatient clinics and physician offices. We studied both general health care and OUD treatment utilization outcomes. Medicaid patients diagnosed with OUD who received the majority of their primary care at FQHCs displayed higher primary care utilization and fee-for-service spending, yet similar or lower utilization and fee-for-service spending for other health service categories. Further, Medicaid patients diagnosed with OUD who received most primary care at FQHCs, were less likely to have potentially inappropriate prescriptions filled, and were more likely to receive behavioral health therapies as compared to patients who received most primary care in other settings. To read more on the methods and statistical analyses conducted during the study, please view the article. | |
REGISTER through the CHAS website for Autumn 2023 Davis Lectures to either attend in person (lunch provided) or to view on Zoom. | |
October 10, 2023 @ 12:30pm CDT
“The Political Development of American Debt Relief ”
Chloe Thurston, PhD
Associate Professor of Political Science; Fellow, Institute for Policy Research
Northwestern University
October 17, 2023 @ 12:30pm CDT
“Capitalizing a Cure: How Finance Controls the Price and Value of Medicines“
Victor Roy, MD, PhD
VA Scholar
School of Medicine
Yale University
October 24, 2023 @ 12:30pm CDT
“Private Equity and the Corporatization of Health Care”
Erin Fuse Brown, JD, MPH
Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law; Director Center for Law, Health & Society
Georgia State University
October 31, 2023 @ 12:30pm CDT
“The Financialization of Health Politics”
Colleen M. Grogan, PhD
Deborah R. and Edgar D. Jannotta Professor
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice
The University of Chicago
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At the start of the new academic and fiscal year, CHAS invited several new faculty researchers to serve as Fellow(s) of the Center for Health Administration Studies, based on their scholarly projects focusing on health policy and services research.
Joseph Dov Bruch, PhD (Department of Public Health Sciences)
Gina Fedock, PhD (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice)
Aimee Hilado, PhD, LCSW (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice)
Zhiying Ma, PhD (Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy and Practice)
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2023 CHAS Seed Grants Awarded | |
Every year, CHAS opens an opportunity for any academically appointed faculty researcher to apply for funding to explore the feasibility of a concept related to the mission of the Center and to generate sufficient data to pursue it through other funding mechanisms. CHAS extends congratulations and best wishes for the success of these new research projects and we look forward to hearing about their progress in the future.
Joseph Bruch, PhD: The Effects of Credit Access from Traditional Lenders on Hospital Visits for Medicaid Beneficiaries and the Impacts on Black and Hispanic/Latinx Americans
Aimee Hilado, PhD: Reimagining Mental Health Supports for Migrants in Illinois
Sharmilee M. Nyenhuis, MD: Documentation of Negative Descriptors in a Pediatric Electronic Medical Record
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11th Annual Chronic Disease Research and Policy Symposium | |
On Monday, October 30, 2023, the Chronic Diseases Research and Policy (CDRP) is hosting their 11th annual symposium to bring together policymakers, researchers, and clinicians. This year's theme, Strengthening Adolescent Mental Health and Health Policy, features a keynote lecture by IDPH director Sameer Vohra, as well as talks by Karam Radwan, the director of the Child and Adolescent Fellowship program at the University of Chicago, Chuka Emezue, Assistant Professor of nursing at Rush University, and Melissa Kull, a senior researcher at Chapin Hall. In addition to igniting critical conversations on contemporary research, the purpose of the symposium is to build partnerships across institutions so that our research and advocacy can improve the health of our community. | |
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Contact Info
chas.uchicago.edu
(773) 834-3058
chas@crownschool.uchicago.edu
969 E. 60th St.
Chicago, IL. 60637
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