Community Agencies Research Articles

Parental engagement in child sexual abuse prevention education in Hong Kong

Objective: This study examined three dimensions of parental engagement in Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) prevention education (knowledge, attitudes and practices) to determine whether increased knowledge and attitudes favouring CSA education led to increases in parental behaviours while controlling for multiple factors. Design: A random, digitally selected sample of 508 Hong Kong parents with at least one child in primary school answered a 47-question telephone survey designed by social workers and educators at a local community agency. Method: Parental knowledge and attitudes were measured by scales, scored from 5 to 25 each. Three variables measured parental practices: sex-related topics discussed with the referenced child, CSA-prevention learning methods and a weighted score of CSA-prevention discussions. Univariate tests and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) were used to analyse the data. Results: A two-way MANCOVA indicated that attitudes were significantly associated with all the parental practices measured, while knowledge was correlated only with the covered sex-related topics. Parental gender and child gender revealed statistically significant differences in the results. Conclusion: To encourage parental engagement in CSA prevention, educators can empower parents to take on the roles of supporters, planners, implementers and collaborators to deliver sexual health education. Praxis-oriented topics such as ‘how to talk to children’ in a standardised CSA curriculum may improve parental participation and increase their motivation to become peer trainers.

Broadening the Lens of Procedural Justice Beyond the Courtroom: A Case Study of Legal Financial Obligations in the Juvenile Court

Procedural justice research has shown how people’s experiences with courtroom actors, such as judges, defense attorneys, and prosecutors, shape their views of the justice system and its legitimacy. However, less is known about how people’s experiences outside the courtroom that relate to their cases shape their views of this system. Based on forty-one interviews with twenty-one youths and twenty parents in Dane County, Wisconsin about their legal financial obligations (also known as monetary sanctions), this study broadens the focus of procedural justice to include another key aspect to people’s experiences with the law beyond the courtroom: their experiences navigating bureaucratic aspects to their youths’ cases and their interactions with non-court staff (e.g., clerks, Human Services, and community agencies), otherwise known as “auxiliary personnel” (Feeley 1979) or “street-level bureaucrats” (Lipsky 2010/1980). We focus on legal financial obligations as a case study to show this multi-agency view of procedural justice as it reveals the families’ often disjointed experiences with justice staff both inside and outside of the courtroom.

Perceived adversity and psychological distress in refugee married couples resettling in the United States.

Syrian and Iraqi refugees are a growing segment of the U.S. population, and although exposure to war and violence has been linked to psychological distress in individual refugees, few studies have examined the distress in married couples. Using a cross-sectional design, a convenience sample of 101 Syrian and Iraqi refugee couples was recruited from a community agency. The purpose of this study was to (1) examine the relationships between perceived adversity and psychological distress (PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms) among individual study participants; and (2) determine whether these relationships were correlated to their spouses' perceived adversity and psychological distress. The bivariate correlation analysis showed strong positive correlations between PTSD and depression/anxiety for wives (r = .79; p < .001) and for husbands (r = .74; p < .001). There were also low- to mid-range positive cross-associations between husbands' and wives' PTSD (r = .34; p = .001) and depression/anxiety (r = .43; p < .001). Finally, we found a significant positive association between husbands' and wives' perception of adversity (r = .44; p < .001). Interestingly, the husbands' perception of adversity was positively associated with their PTSD (r = .30; p = .02) and depression/ anxiety scores (r = .26; p = .04) as well as with their wives' depression/ anxiety scores (r = .23; p = .08). In contrast, the wives' perception of adversity was not associated with either their own or their spouses' psychological distress. Our findings suggest that war, trauma, and stress of migration impact the couple as a unit, possibly due to shared experiences, and the impact of one partner's stress on the other. Addressing these perceptions and personal interpretations of the adverse experiences via cognitive therapy approaches could help reduce not only stress in the individual but also that of their partner.

Moving beyond methods training: Key directions for decolonizing evaluation education in the global south

AbstractWhile effective in imparting skills and competencies required for donor‐centric evaluations, the present system of evaluation education in the Global South adds little to the development of Indigenous evaluation theory and practice. As education is the primary tool for building evaluators’ capacity to construct knowledge situated in local epistemologies and culture, deconstructing the colonial character of education is the first step toward the decolonization of evaluation practice. The chapter first discusses the importance of disrupting the colonial episteme as a core feature of the decolonization process. Next, it explores the coloniality of the present education system in Global South evaluation and its implication for the evaluation field. The chapter then proposes five key strategic directions for decolonizing evaluation education and reinstating the voice and agency of Global South communities in the evaluation process: (1) transforming evaluation education to prioritize the learning needs of field‐based organizations, (2) strengthening access to evaluation education for grassroots communities, (3) acknowledging the primacy of local languages in building transformative knowledge, (4) reimagining evaluation educators, and (5) recognizing internal colonialism and social justice in the evaluation curriculum.

“Coming together after tragedy reaffirms the strong sense of community and pride we have:” LGBTQ people find strength in community and cultural values during the COVID-19 pandemic.

For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people, community and cultural values have served as protective factors during large scale events such as the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the 2016 Orlando Pulse Nightclub massacre. Little is known about how LGBTQ people are drawing on such values during the current coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. The current study sought to explore this gap in the literature. Using thematic analysis, a sample of 130 LGBTQ participants shared how community and cultural values informed their experiences and reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, including: (a) activism;(b) authenticity, pride, and visibility;(c) collective intergenerational resilience;(d) centering mental health;and (e) intersectionality and centering those most marginalized. Discussion focuses on implications for practice and activism for LGBTQ people such as addressing ways in which sense of community increases psychological well-being among LGBTQ people and partnering with community agencies to provide comprehensive services to LGBTQ people who are most marginalized. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Impact Statement Community and cultural values have served as a protective factors during large scale events for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people. LGBTQ participants in this study shared how community and cultural values have informed their experiences and reactions to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic including engaging in activism, being authentic, visible, and displaying pride, relying on collective intergenerational resilience, centering their mental health and that of others, and tending to intersectionality and centering the voices of those most marginalized. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)

Authority, Subject and Object of the Dispute At the State Administrative Court (PTUN)

The State Administrative Court is established to anticipate the abuse of authority by the ruler and face conflicts of interest, disputes or disputes that may occur at any time between the community and state administrative agencies or officials. Therefore, this research is conducted to describe the authority, subject and object of dispute in the State Administrative Court using a library research or literature approach. Meanwhile, the approach method used is the normative juridical approach method or doctrinal legal research, which is a legal research whose data source comes from secondary data in the form of laws and regulations, books, and journals related to the focus of the problem. After discussing the existing problems, it can be concluded that the competence of the State Administrative Court includes absolute competence, namely the authority to adjudicate based on the object, material or subject matter of the dispute and the relative competence, namely the authority to adjudicate based on the region or jurisdiction. The object of disputes in the TUN Court is the TUN Decision except for TUN disputes within the TNI and other TUN disputes which according to the TUN Judicial Law are not the authority of the TUN Court where the exceptions are divided into 3 kinds of restrictions. i.e. direct, indirect and direct restrictions are temporary. Meanwhile, the ubjek of disputes in the TUN Court is a person or civil legal entity and a body or official of TUN.

Cruzain Inhibitors: State-of-Art of Novel Synthetic Strategies

Abstract: Concerned about a million people are infected worldwide, and other millions are living at risk zones of infection. Chagas disease causes 10 000 deaths annually, and the discovery of safe and effective drugs on a nanomolar scale has been headlined as a crucial goal by the worldwide research community and international health agencies. Nifurtimox and Benznidazole are the only marketed drugs for Chagas disease therapy, with the mode of action depending on the formation of free radicals. Thus, diverse studies have revealed cysteine proteases from T. cruzi as well-established targets for drug discovery. Validation of cruzain as a promising target has been based on several findings on the molecular biology of T. cruzi. Hence, several inhibitor classes have been elucidated, consisting of peptidic and nonpeptidic, and covalent and noncovalent. Thus, we present a perspective for the synthesis of novel cruzain inhibitors from scaffolds both recently approached and well established with an IC50 range of micromolar to nanomolar and supported by computational techniques.

Advancing Health Equity in Community-Based Climate Action: From Concept to Practice.

Despite broad agreement that prioritizing health equity is critical to minimizing the health impacts of climate change, there is a lack of clarity about what advancing health equity means in practice. More than reducing health disparities; it also implies engaging and empowering marginalized communities. We propose a typology of health equity processes, focused on building community agency and power, and then apply it to a nonrepresentative, purposive sample of 48 community-based climate actions (CBCAs) selected from lists of projects funded by foundations and state climate programs and from other sources. All CBCAs were in the United States, community-based, active since 2015 or more recently, engaged in climate mitigation or adaptation, and stated health equity aims. Two team members reviewed project reports to assess the engagement of vulnerable and marginalized populations, agency-building, and transformation of community power relationships. Although 33 CBCAs reported efforts to build community agency, only 19 reported efforts to increase community power. City-led CBCAs showed less emphasis on agency-building and power transformation. This typology can support efforts to advance health equity by providing concrete indicators to diagnose gaps and track progress. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(2):185-193. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307143).

A scoping review of the conceptualizations of food justice.

The emerging concept of 'food justice' has been described as a movement and a set of principles that align with the goals of social justice, which demands recognition of human rights, equal opportunity, fair treatment, and is participatory and community specific. Considering its widespread use and variable definitions, this study establishes the scope of research by exploring diverse conceptualizations of food justice. A scoping review of peer-reviewed literature was conducted using the term "food justice". This study used a five-step scoping review protocol. The databases included Scopus, Web of Science and Medline (OVID). Data were extracted on country of origin, research discipline, study type and conceptualizations of food justice. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify the themes. The search identified 546 abstracts of which 90 were peer-reviewed studies. Thematic analysis revealed five themes of food justice across 90 studies: 1) social equity, 2) food security 3) food systems transformation, 4) community participation and agency, and 5) environmental sustainability. Current conceptualizations of food justice are evolving. Together these themes embrace a more holistic and structural view of the food system. They emphasize healthy, sustainable, and equitable food as a human right and acknowledge the need to address structural barriers to that right. Despite its 20-year history the parameters of food justice are still not well defined, making it difficult for communities to mobilize for transformative change. Community participation and agency in food justice decision-making are critical to create a healthy, sustainable, and more just food system.

These Ragged Edges: Histories of Violence along the U.S.-Mexico Border. Edited by Andrew J. Torget and Gerardo Gurza-Lavalle

As rhetorics of “security” and “law and order” continue to fuel mainstream political debates about the U.S.-Mexico border, These Ragged Edges challenges the prevailing narratives that characterize this borderland as an inherently chaotic and violent place. The essays in this volume consider the “situational logic” of both individual episodes and regional trends in violence, which was rooted in factors like politics, identity, citizenship, economics, state-building, and discourse (p. 7). At the heart of many of these stories lies inter-community cooperation and networks that transcended barriers of class, ethnicity, and nationality. These are the spaces from which these essays disrupt generalizations and categorical assumptions that tend to flatten the agency of borderlands individuals and communities. The authors showcase a variety of methods by which historians might critically analyze instances and trends in violence along the U.S.-Mexico border, which makes room for a diversity of perspectives. Depending on the case study, the increased presence of the state over time could either pacify or escalate local tensions. Collaborators in violence could overlook factors like race, class, and nationality in the face of a common goal, or allow those same factors to forestall coalition-building. Nonstate violence on either side of the border could fundamentally threaten the legitimacy of each government, but it also made way for local and federal authorities to establish monopolies on force. By creating room for paradoxes such as these, These Ragged Edges shows that there is no essential character to the U.S.-Mexico border that makes it inherently volatile. Such a deterministic narrative emerges from a layered patchwork of violent episodes or trends rooted in circumstances particular to a place and time. From these perspectives, the border is at once a geopolitical abstraction, a symbol of law and order (or lack thereof), a site of meaning-making, and a lived, material reality.

Learn, Earn, Return

Recently, I attended the 25th anniversary celebration for the Power of Nursing Leadership event hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago’s College of Nursing (CON). Twenty-five years ago, Dr. Joan Shaver, dean of the CON, observed that across the greater metro Chicago-land area, there were many integrated health care delivery systems, community and public health agencies, and large academic teaching hospitals with affiliated colleges of nursing (in addition to other nursing colleges and schools); however, there was little formal acknowledgment in the area about the contributions nurse scientists, leaders, faculty, and staff were making.

The role of patient navigation in supporting low-income older adults in their housing needs during hospital to home transitions: A qualitative descriptive study from Ontario, Canada

Introduction Housing is an important determinant of health. Little research has explored hospital and community agency staff perspectives on how to support the housing needs of low-income older adults. Therefore, this paper examines the challenges associated with supporting low-income seniors as they transition from hospital to home and explores what role, if any, patient navigation models of care could have in addressing housing needs. Methods A thematic secondary analysis that triangulated data from two qualitative studies was used. In total, interviews and/or focus groups with 109 hospital and community care workers were re-analyzed, applying a new interpretive lens to the data to reveal new insights. Data were collected in Ontario, Canada. Results Participants described how low-income older adults have increasing complex care needs that influence their housing, but housing supports are limited and difficult to navigate. Participants believed further support was needed and suggested that a housing-specific patient navigation model of care may be beneficial, but difficult to implement due to the limitations of existing services. Discussion Our findings provide a unique perspective on the challenges hospital and community staff face in caring for older adults with housing needs. Patient navigation with a focus on housing may support these older adults. Further work needs to be undertaken to better understand how to best implement sustainable housing patient navigation models of care.

Planned relocation due to landslide-triggered tsunami risk in recently deglaciated areas

Climate change is contributing to the magnitude, frequency and location of natural hazards, including landslides and landslide-triggered tsunamis. As the costs of protecting against a given risk increase, relocation may become the only feasible option despite the socio-economic, human security and cultural consequences. The relocation of people represents one of the most complex governance challenges generated by climate change. This article contributes to the literature by presenting insights and lessons from two case studies of unprecedented landslide-triggered tsunami risk in recently deglaciated areas that have not previously been described in the relocation literature: the unstable Svínafellsheiði slopes in south-east Iceland, and Karrat and Uummannaq Fjords in north-west Greenland. Our results draw attention to the need for planned relocation to be conducted in-line with international best practices, including those relating to the active involvement of affected people in decision-making, ensuring adequate compensation, and clarifying relocation planning schedules. This has occurred against a backdrop of colonial power dynamics, urbanisation trends, and the rise of tourism in these locations. Based on the findings, we recommend that the role of government pivot from determining risk management and relocation options, to providing a structure to underpin and support community agency.

Facilitators and barriers to collaboration between drug courts and community-based medication for opioid use disorder providers

IntroductionAccess to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is limited for individuals in drug courts – programs that leverage sanctions for mandatory substance use treatment. Drug courts rely on community agencies to provide MOUD. However, relationships with MOUD agencies, which impact access to treatment, are understudied. We examined barriers and facilitators from drug court staffs' perspectives to understand how to enhance collaborations with MOUD providers. MethodsDrug court staff (n = 21) from seven courts participated in semi-structured interviews about their experience in collaborating with MOUD providers. Interviews were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Inductive (theory-based) and deductive (ground-up) approaches were used for analyses. ResultsFacilitator and barrier themes centered around the needs and resources of drug court participants, external policies such MOUD access in jails, networking with external agencies, and beliefs about MOUD providers. Drug court staff preferred working with agencies that offered MOUD alongside comprehensive services. Drug courts benefited when jails offered MOUD in-house and facilitated community referrals. Existing relationships with providers and responsive communication eased referrals and served to educate the courts about MOUD. Barriers included logistical limitations (limited hours, few methadone providers) and inadequate communication patterns between providers and drug court staff. A lack of confidence in providers' prescribing practices and concerns around perceived overmedication of participants impacted referrals, interagency collaboration, and further burdened the participants. ConclusionsCollaboration between drug courts and MOUD providers was driven by patient needs, external policies, communication patterns, and perceptions. Interventions to increase access MOUD for drug court participants will need to incorporate collaboration strategies while considering the unique features of drug courts.

Assessing place‐based identities in the early Middle Ages: a proposal for post‐Roman Iberia

Sociological models of place‐based identity can be used to better understand the social dynamics of local communities and how they interact with their surroundings. This paper explores how these theoretical models of belonging to a place, in tandem with communal cognitive maps, can be applied to post‐Roman contexts, taking the Iberian Peninsula in the Visigothic period (sixth–eighth centuries) as a preliminary case study. We argue that this approach can give us not only a more complex understanding of community agencies but also allows us to reconsider the social context for past social interactions. Furthermore, it will open a new archaeological perspective for future work on the relations between groups and individuals with their built, social, and natural environments.

Developing a Trauma-Informed Culturally-Based Intervention (TICBI) Approach for Refugee Resettlement Practices

Trauma-informed interventions have recently received more attention in the field of refugee resettlement and mental health. Although these interventions can be helpful to all trauma survivors, our model offers enhanced and cultural-based practice benefiting war-related trauma survivors, especially those from Post-Colonial nations. This model is based on needs identified by participants and collaboratively developed with the research team and the community. Our community-based participatory research (CBPR) began with three objectives. The first was to explore the current use of culturally-based, trauma-informed interventions and to assess service users’ (SUs) and service providers (SPs) experiences. This was accopmlished by collaborating with a local community agency. The second objective was to identify service needs and gaps. The third objective involved working with the project’s steering community members to develop a more effective model of interventions that can be used by resettlement and mental health agencies supporting refugees. During analysis, we examined the unique challenges identified by SUs and SPs to create a trauma-informed culturally-based intervention model (TICBI).We used a mixed-method study involving focus groups, individual interviews, and surveys with 23 service users (SUs) and 20 service providers (SPs). The barriers identified by the SUs included lack of access to needs-based assistance, cultural and linguistic misunderstandings, and marginalization. The barriers identified by the SPs included lack of structural/organizational support, lack of funding, large caseloads, and burnout risk.

Exploring the Cognitive-Communication Challenges of Adults With Histories of Traumatic Brain Injury and Criminal Justice System Involvement: A Pilot Study.

The prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the criminal justice system (CJS) is well known. Furthermore, the impact of TBI on communication has been well documented; however, no study has explored the communication challenges of those with TBI in the CJS or considered their implications within CJS contexts. Moreover, no study has examined the possible differences in communication between those with TBI and CJS history and those with TBI but no CJS history. This cross-sectional pilot study provides a preliminary exploration of the cognitive-communication challenges in a sample of adults with histories of TBI and CJS involvement compared with a sample of adults with histories of TBI but no CJS involvement. Eight individuals with histories of TBI and CJS involvement were recruited through community agencies. The La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ) was administered to collect self-reported data on perceived cognitive-communication abilities, including social communication behaviors. Findings were examined and then compared with a previously studied sample of 160 individuals with TBI. Logistic regressions were calculated to determine whether response scores on the LCQ would be predictive of group membership (i.e., TBI + CJS or TBI only). A range of cognitive-communication challenges were reported by both groups. A logistic regression analysis demonstrated a reasonable inference that LCQ responses may predict group membership and support the potential for statistically significant and meaningful results to justify future studies. These challenges have the potential to negatively impact the success of communication interactions within the CJS and illustrate a need for speech-language pathology services for individuals with TBI in the CJS. The nature and magnitude of between-group differences merits further investigation with larger samples to explore whether any specific cognitive-communication challenge is unique to, or predictive of, CJS involvement for purposes of targeted assessment and intervention.

From researching to making futures: a design mindset for transdisciplinary collaboration

ABSTRACT Addressing complex future challenges requires transdisciplinary practices. However, existing approaches for transdisciplinary collaboration tend to be limited to science-expert directions. Successful collaboration across disciplines and diverse contexts requires community agency, blurring disciplinary boundaries, and combining sciences and arts. We argue that traditional and emergent design practices provide a powerful mindset to support productive transdisciplinary collaborations for addressing complex societal problems such as climate change and social justice. Designers, historically, have struggled to translate the practices of arts and sciences into professional practice; and design can be understood as a third way of knowing that is unique from arts and sciences. Designers may use evidence, but they also generate proposals that are about preferred possibilities. We propose components of a design mindset (synthesis, modelling, speculation, facilitation, and implementation) for transdisciplinary teams to enhance future-oriented collaboration outcomes. These guidelines expand research-oriented approaches and can be used for co-designing futures in collaborative work.

Promoting Culturally Accessible, Community-Centered, Midwifery Care in the Rural Anabaptist Population of Southwestern Ontario, Canada

The experience of providing midwifery care in a rural Southwestern Ontario community is discussed, highlighting specific approaches to providing culturally accessible and community-centered care among the Old Order Anabaptists. Midwives in Ontario are primary care providers for perinatal care and the clinic described in this paper works primarily with families from Anabaptist communities. Success in providing culturally accessible care has come from community engagement and responsiveness to ways to improve access to healthcare in this region. Highlighted in this article are the scope of midwifery care in Ontario, home and hospital births, collaboration with other community agencies, and community-based genetic screening. [Abstract by author.]

Comparative Evaluation of 2 Work Experience Approaches for Predominantly Black Youth in a Rural Community: Implications for Public Health Workforce Development.

In order to create a more diverse workforce, there is a need to involve historically excluded youth in public health-related work. Youth involvement in asset-based work experience approaches is especially relevant for rural areas with workforce shortages. To explore the public health workforce development implications of community-based career exploration and asset mapping work experience from the perspective of Black youth. We used qualitative in-depth interviews with youth, aged 14 to 22 years, who participated in a work experience program anchored in several rural counties in southeastern United States. A phenomenological lens was applied for qualitative analyses with iterative, team-based data coding. Participants were also surveyed pre- and postprogram to supplement findings. A rural community-based organization's work experience program consisted of 2 tracks: (1) Youth Connect-a career exploration track that included work placement within community agencies; and (2) MAPSCorps-a track that employs youth to conduct asset mapping for their community. We interviewed 28 of 31 total participants in the 2 tracks. We uncovered 4 emergent profiles in how youth described shifts in their perceptions of community: (1) Skill Developers; (2) Community Questioners; (3) Community Observers; and (4) Community Enthusiasts. In comparing between tracks, youth who participated in work experience that involved asset mapping uniquely described increased observation and expanded view of community resources and had greater increases in research self-efficacy than youth who participated only in career exploration. Asset mapping work experience that is directly placed in rural communities can expose Black youth to and engage them in essential public health services (assessing and mobilizing community assets) that impact their community. This type of program, directly integrated into rural communities rather than placed near academic centers, could play a role in creating a more diverse public health workforce.