Social Service Providers Research Articles

"They helped me stand on my own two feet": Canadian parents with intellectual disabilities in child protection.

Research on the lived experience of Canadian parents with intellectual disabilities involved in child protection is limited, particularly inclusive research with parents with intellectual disabilities involved in Canada's changing child protection system. This inclusive study was done in collaboration with a co-researcher with intellectual disabilities who had lived experience as a parent. 13 parents from three Canadian regions participated in semistructured interviews about their involvement in child protection. Four major themes emerged in the findings: 1) key supports that contributed to positive outcomes; 2) parents' attitudes toward child protection agencies and perceived attitudes about themselves; 3) systemic barriers impacting accessibility and the child protection experience; and 4) parents' advice to other parents and professionals in child protection. This study provides a promising picture of child protection agencies as a key support despite existing barriers. Implications for social service providers are offered and areas for further exploration are discussed.

Глобальні виклики для систем соціальної підтримки: сутність, компонентні ознаки та особливості

The article is devoted to issues of global challenges for social support systems. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing role of global challenges in the socio-economic life of states. The purpose of the article is to analyze the specifics of global challenges characterizing modern social support systems, including the social support system of Ukraine. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the identification of global challenges for social support systems. The basic methods of scientific research used in the article are analysis and synthesis (to identify the specifics of global challenges for social support systems), graphic method (to demonstrate the connection between the global basis of the emergence of global challenges and challenges for the social support system). It has been established that the main global challenges for social support systems are the following: the functional failure of the social support system; growing needs of recipients of social services, benefits, and payments; the transformation of a socially oriented state; the reduction in abilities of states to maintain social support systems. The functional failure of the social support system means its state in which the formal presence of agencies and institutions designed to guarantee the provision of social services, benefits and payments to the population is not accompanied by their effective work, that is, the system of social support does not solve the current social problems of society and becomes a burden for state budget. The most acute challenge for the social support system for Ukraine under war conditions is the growth in the needs of recipients of social services, benefits, and payments, which can occur in two ways: 1) an increase in the needs of existing recipients of social benefits, services, and payments on account of changes in the socio-economic, political, ecological, security situation in the region or objective physiological changes in certain groups of recipients (aging, deterioration of well-being); 2) an increase in the number (or share) of people applying for social support due to changes in the socio-economic, political, environmental, security situation in the region or subjective life circumstances. Closely related to this challenge is another challenge, namely the reduction in states’ ability to maintain social support systems. Particular attention is paid to the causes and potential consequences of the transformation of the concept of a socially oriented state. In addition, the author researched the global basis of challenges for social support systems, which combines the key factors of their occurrence.

“The little I receive is not enough’’: A qualitative study of food insecurity in the South Bronx

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of food insecurity amongst Bronx residents. Applying a community-based participatory research approach, we conducted a qualitative study, entailing 38 interviews with food pantry recipients, 4 key informant interviews with social service administrators, and two focus groups with 12 food pantry staff and social service providers in New York City (NYC). Applying a precarity framework, we identified three themes: (1) unaffordability of living expenses in NYC; (2) financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (3) institutional and technological barriers to food access. We identified the following subthemes under theme one: rising food costs and high cost of living. Under theme two, we identified four subthemes: (a) large household size driving poverty for Bronx families; (b) vulnerabilities to food insecurity among older adults; (c) budgeting for reduced incomes during the COVID-19 pandemic; and (d) managing unstable employment. Under the third theme, we identified three subthemes: (a) lack of access to healthy, culturally appropriate foods; (b) need for wider service availability; (c) and not having smartphones for telehealth. Study findings demonstrate how precarity impacts the lived experiences of food insecurity and financial hardship for residents of the South Bronx during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Crypto/Space: Computational parasitism, virtual land grabs, and the production of Web3 Exit zones

This paper explores how so-called ‘Web3’ blockchain projects are materially and socially constituted. A blockchain is an append-only distributed database. The technology is being hyped as applicable for a whole range of industries, social service provisions, and as a fix for economic disparities in communities left behind by mainstream financial systems. Drawing on case studies from our ongoing research we explain how, despite being virtual, Web3 projects are dependent on clearly defined spaces of production from which they derive their speculative value. We conceptualise this relationship as Crypto/Space, where space and blockchain software are mutually constituted. We consider how Crypto/Spaces are produced in three ways: 1) how project developers are adopting a parasitic relationship with host locations to appropriate energy, infrastructure, and local resources; 2) how projects enable ‘virtual land grabs’ where developers are engaging in land acquisitions, and associated displacement of local people, with no real intention to use the land for the declared purpose; and 3) how blockchain technology and speculative finance imaginaries are inspiring new anarcho-capitalist crypto-utopian ‘Exit zones’, often in the Global South. Far from being a zero-sum virtual game world, we argue that cryptocurrency projects are parasitic, often requiring predation on poor and otherwise marginalised communities to appropriate resources, onboard new users and enable favourable regulation.

The Urban Health Themes and Urban Factors Associated with Health: A Brief Review

The current situation is of a population shift from rural to urban areas and is the acceleration of urban growth. In this perspective, comprehending how urbanization has affected human health is critical. Hence, the aim of a synthesized review is the current understanding of urban health themes and urban factors associated with health. The most common topics of concern that emerge from the urban health literature can be summarized in three principal themes: social environment, physical environment, and provision of health and social services. Additionally, the results from our review aim to serve as a springboard for a thorough investigation of urban factors associated with health and their causes to improve predictions of the global health burden, influence health system planning and policy, and direct urban design.

The relationship between community workers' occupational stress, social support and psychological health: an empirical study in Liaoning Province, China.

With increasing urbanization in China, the community has assumed the important task of social governance and service provision, which has resulted in an increase in community workers' occupational stress. To date, researchers have studied ways to improve community workers' working ability, but have paid less attention to their health, especially their psychological health. This study examined the relationship between occupational stress, social support and community workers' psychological health. A total of 545 community workers from 14 cities in Liaoning Province completed a questionnaire including the Occupational Adaptability Scale for Employees (OASE), the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the SCL-90-R scale (a measure of psychological health). Correlational and regression analyses were conducted. Community workers' occupational stress mainly derives from their workload, career development opportunities and performance appraisals. Participant's psychological health scores were significantly negatively correlated with occupational stress and significantly positively correlated with social support. Social support plays a moderating effect in the relationship between community workers' occupational stress and their psychological health. It is necessary to establish an effective community support system, reduce the burden on the community, optimize existing work processes and performance appraisal system, create a positive working environment and organizational culture, and promote employee's psychological health.

Service-Learning and Project-Based Learning Methodologies in Higher Music Education: a review of the literature

INTRODUCTION. Recent research highlights the potential of multidimensional and holistic learning in educational transforation, the provision of social services from the university and development of professional identity. This article aims to analyse the relationship between the Service-Learning and Project-Based Learning methodologies in higher music education and the acquisition of transversal competences. METHOD. A review of 29 articles on both methodologies in higher music education, published between 2012 and 2022, was conducted. The articles were selected from WoS, Scopus, and ERIC databases. Four categories were explored: (1) Social interaction, (2) personal growth, (3) academic learning, and (4) challenges related to the implementation and contextualization of the methodologies. RESULTS. Results show that, in the context of higher music education, both methodologies have a potentially positive impact on the development of transversal competencies in students. The review shows benefits in social aspects such as the development of civic responsibility and communication skills among peers and teachers; academic aspects such as adaptation to complex learning environments, mutually beneficial goals and shared authority; and personal development aspects such as flexibility, solidarity and respect. The review also shows that reflective practice contributes to developing students’ openness to constructive criticism, which is perceived as a positive contribution to learning. CONCLUSIONS. The methodologies studied can foster students’ personal growth, the mitigation of their biases in the classroom and the reflective and conscious appreciation of their own learning. To be taken into account are the challenges related to the complexity of adjusting the projects to the academic curriculum and community needs, as well as the large amount of time and effort required for the process. Finally, further research using different search terms and criteria is encouraged to achieve a broader understanding of how music initiatives can be designed and implemented through these methodologies, the projection they can have, and how research is conducted in this field.

Ribų valdymas asmeninių socialinių paslaugų erdvėje: samprata, iššūkiai ir galimybės

In the face of external threats, Lithuania's personal social services system must adapt to ensure the continued delivery of services. It must respond to the need to change the content of services, expand the scope of services to include new clients, attract or admit new social service providers, and manage the boundaries between formally provided social services and other individuals and organizations offering assistance. The aim of this article is to define the concepts of 'boundaries' and 'boundary work' in the context of personal social services' resilience to external threats and to investigate how actors from different social spaces—formal (institutionalized) social service providers and non-formal (non-institutionalized) social assistance providers—characterize their interactions with each other and perform 'boundary work'. Research methods include interviews and focus groups. Research participants comprise: 1) formal social service providers (8 focus groups), and 2) informal actors operating in municipalities of different sizes (10 interviews). The study revealed that crises lead to shifts in the boundaries between the activities of different social service providers, increased interactions between actors from different social spaces, the creation of new cooperation networks, emerging opportunities for action, and limitations in their activities. In this phase of challenges and the search for solutions, new social service providers emerge and the contours of new forms of assistance take shape. Reflecting on the experience of crises allows for the construction of future projections for possible recurrent threats.

Abstract B048: Qualitative analysis of fieldnote and interview data for planning a food bank- based breast cancer screening intervention

Abstract Among individuals and communities with low-income, the experience of food insecurity is associated with greater delays in recommended mammography screening and late-stage breast cancer at diagnosis. Community-based interventions that address barriers to breast cancer screening in diverse communities of women with food insecurity can increase screening uptake, ultimately improving cancer health equity. In partnership with Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services (SFBFS), the largest non-profit provider of social services in Sacramento County, this study identified barriers and facilitators to implementing a breast cancer screening intervention in a food distribution setting, assessing the preliminary acceptability and logistical feasibility of the proposed intervention. Qualitative data about food bank distribution events and the clients served was collected over 24 weeks using participant observation with semi-structured fieldnotes and interviews, then analyzed via directed content analysis guided by the well-defined domains and determinants in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and coded using Dedoose software. Fieldnotes were completed for 12 community food distribution events, and 20 stakeholder interviews were conducted with purposefully sampled food bank staff (N=10) and female clients (N=10) who regularly attend events. The results of this qualitative analysis identified barriers and facilitators to implementation in all CFIR domains, describing current workflows for food distribution events and existing health education efforts, capacity, client engagement logistics and modes of delivery, and resources available or needed to support implementation. Prominent CFIR determinants included characteristics of individuals, specifically the innovation recipients’ capability and motivation to receive a breast cancer screening intervention in this context. Participants often pointed out their awareness of important preventative behaviors such as nutrition while also acknowledging barriers such as time constraints, accessibility of breast cancer screening services, and culturally-specific health beliefs and practices. Determinants in the outer setting, inner setting, innovation characteristics, and process that relate to the overall theme of sustainability were identified as potential barriers including financing, the availability of resources, internal and external pressure to change, and the process of engaging with clients while they are at the food distribution event. Facilitators included buy-in from SFBFS leadership and staff, and the benefit of collaborating with reputable local partners. Intervention format should include tailored messaging that is culturally appropriate and empowers individuals to obtain recommended screening. Content of the intervention should provide interactive assistance that facilitates local support for screening eligibility and services. Overall, there was consensus that promoting breast cancer screening in the food distribution setting was beneficial and welcomed by all stakeholders. Citation Format: Charlotte L. Kerber, Julie HT Dang, Daniel J. Pasillas-Pablo, Jocelyn T. Canty, Laura Fejerman. Qualitative analysis of fieldnote and interview data for planning a food bank- based breast cancer screening intervention [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B048.

Co-producing and co-assessing a new service solution for enhancing health and social care integration: a participatory research protocol

BackgroundThis paper describes a study protocol for co-producing and co-assessing a new sustainable and scalable service solution that enhances health and social integration by involving providers and volunteers delivering services for elderly people in the province of Cremona (Italy), where the elderly population will reach 27% in 2023.MethodsThis upcoming study involves mixed-method participatory research and is structured in three study phases and related objectives. First, it will co-produce a new, accessible and sustainable service solution using an iterative design and management method, Plan-Do-Check-Act by involving professionals and volunteers of a heterogeneous group of health, social and third sector organizations located in the city of Cremona (Italy). Second, the study protocol will co-assess the outcomes of the new service solution using a mixed-method approach for measuring the outcomes on: professionals and volunteers (micro level) and their health, social and third sector organizations (meso level). Third, this study will co-investigate the scalability of the new solution promoting health and social integration in other similar urban areas of the Province of Cremona via the Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool (macro level). The data will be collected through the analysis of official documents, websites, policies and participatory workshops.DiscussionThis protocol proposes an innovative intervention, a novel participatory approach, and an unexplored scalability assessment tool in the context of health and social care integration. This study aims to support professionals from health and social care service providers and volunteers from third-sector organizations to collaborate and integrate each other’s resources. In doing so, the participatory approach will facilitate the co-creation of an effective response to the need of health and social integration, and the development of trustful relationships between health and social care service providers. Moreover, the adoption of Plan-Do-Check-Act and Intervention Scalability Assessment Tool will ensure the quality, scalability and sustainability of the new service solution in other settings.

Segregated by whom? Examining triple neighbourhood disadvantages and activity spaces in Seoul, South Korea

This study explores the potential mechanisms by which neighbourhood isolation is created and reinforced in non-home activity locations. The existing discussion on neighbourhood isolation, its consequences, and the subsequent reproduction of interactions between individuals and their environment has focused on their residential locations. However, the vitality of a neighbourhood depends not only on its own socioeconomic conditions but also on the conditions of the other neighbourhoods its residents visit and are visited by. Residential locations are only one of the many spaces in which individuals engage in their activities; therefore, to fully comprehend people’s everyday experiences of integration and isolation, it is imperative to look at interactions within both home and non-home activity spaces. Building on this extended perspective, we examine: (1) whether residential neighbourhood isolation is intensified by socioeconomic conditions individuals’ encounter in consumption and commuting activity spaces; and (2) which socioeconomic group drives the association between residential neighbourhood isolation and activity spaces—whether both disadvantaged and privileged groups contribute to isolation through the differential use of urban space or either group predominantly leads this association. We use Seoul as a case study, characterised as a city that is highly populated, contains multiple economic centres, functions with a highly affordable and efficient public transportation system, and suffers from increasing socioeconomic segregation. The results suggest that mobility patterns in activity spaces tend to reinforce neighbourhood isolation through potential forces driven by neighbourhood homophily. Isolation in the use of urban spaces appears to be driven mainly by the self-seclusion of the most advantaged neighbourhood group, while neighbourhoods in the lower socioeconomic status groups indicate broader cross-interactions across status groups, probably because of Seoul’s transit-friendly environment. Our study contributes to enhancing the understanding of spatial-societal inequalities in Korea and beyond and could assist in formulating policies for a more balanced provision of diverse urban social services and infrastructure.

Индивидуализация защиты от социальных рисков как проявление человекоцентризма в сфере социального обеспечения

The article examines the individualization of protection against social risks in the social security system through the prism of human-centrism in law. Human-centrism, based on constitutional provisions about a person, his rights and freedoms as the highest value, sets appropriate value-target guidelines for the entire legal system. The instrumental component of human-centrism can be represented through individual legal regulation, which is characterized by specifics of branch of law. Social security law regulates social relations that mediate public legal models of protecting citizens from social risk based on the constitutional principle of social solidarity. Such protection always has a personalized result in the form of the emergence of social obligations as relative legal relations of the state represented by its bodies or institutions with individually defined participants (citizens - recipients of social provision). Individualization of protection against social risk manifests itself at the stage of formation of the right to certain types of social security, for example, through individual (personalized) accounting in the compulsory pension insurance system. It is also used to determine, within normatively established limits, the amount of social security guaranteed to a specific person based on his specific needs (individual program for rehabilitation or habilitation of a disabled person, individual program for the provision of social services). In addition, the prevention of social risk and compensation for its consequences can be based on civil contracts or social partnership agreements, ensuring increased individualization of protection against social risks through additional social provision.

Embracing Connection: A Review of First-Ever Clinical Guidelines on Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults.

Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns and are associated with morbidity and mortality. As this is an increasing issue in older adults, guidance for healthcare providers is a priority. The Canadian Coalition for Senior's Mental Health (CCSMH) has developed the first Canadian social isolation and loneliness guidelines to help providers recognize, assess, and manage social isolation and loneliness among older adults. We review and summarize these guidelines to support healthcare and social service providers to apply best practices and evidence-based care for older adults experiencing social isolation and loneliness.

“It’s Not Easy Being Around That Kind of Sickness”: Intellectual Disability and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), and yet their perspectives and experiences have not been incorporated into the vast majority of research, public health plans, or social service provision. This article presents the pandemic experiences of twelve adults with I/DD living in the United States in late spring 2020. Findings include informants’ uncertainty about the virus and its impacts, difficulties navigating changes to housing, employment, and schedules, increased feelings of personal responsibility, and exacerbated tensions in professional and personal relationships. I conclude with recommendations for research, policy, and practice that privilege the lived experiences of people with I/DD during times of crisis.

Interventions to minimise hospital winter pressures related to discharge planning and integrated care: a rapid mapping review of UK evidence.

Winter pressures are a familiar phenomenon within the National Health Service and represent the most extreme of many regular demands placed on health and social care service provision. This review focuses on a part of the pathway that is particularly problematic: the discharge process from hospital to social care and the community. Although studies of discharge are plentiful, we identified a need to focus on identifying interventions and initiatives that are a specific response to 'winter pressures'. This mapping review focuses on interventions or initiatives in relation to hospital winter pressures in the United Kingdom with either discharge planning to increase smart discharge (both a reduction in patients waiting to be discharged and patients being discharged to the most appropriate place) and/or integrated care. We conducted a mapping review of United Kingdom evidence published 2018-22. Initially, we searched MEDLINE, Health Management Information Consortium, Social Care Online, Social Sciences Citation Index and the King's Fund Library to find relevant interventions in conjunction with winter pressures. From these interventions we created a taxonomy of intervention types and a draft map. A second broader stage of searching was then undertaken for named candidate interventions on Google Scholar (Google Inc., Mountain View, CA, USA). For each taxonomy heading, we produced a table with definitions, findings from research studies, local initiatives and systematic reviews and evidence gaps. The taxonomy developed was split into structural, changing staff behaviour, changing community provision, integrated care, targeting carers, modelling and workforce planning. The last two categories were excluded from the scope. Within the different taxonomy sections we generated a total of 41 headings. These headings were further organised into the different stages of the patient pathway: hospital avoidance, alternative delivery site, facilitated discharge and cross-cutting. The evidence for each heading was summarised in tables and evidence gaps were identified. Few initiatives identified were specifically identified as a response to winter pressures. Discharge to assess and hospital at home interventions are heavily used and well supported by the evidence but other responses, while also heavily used, were based on limited evidence. There is a lack of studies considering patient, family and provider needs when developing interventions aimed at improving delayed discharge. Additionally, there is a shortage of studies that measure the longer-term impact of interventions. Hospital avoidance and discharge planning are whole-system approaches. Considering the whole health and social care system is imperative to ensure that implementing an initiative in one setting does not just move the problem to another setting. Time limitations for completing the review constrained the period available for additional searches. This may carry implications for the completeness of the evidence base identified. Further research to consider a realist review that views approaches across the different sectors within a whole system evaluation frame. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR130588) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 31. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Comparative analysis of corporate social responsibility management: foreign experience

Building the concept of a socially responsible enterprise is an important element of the process of implementing sustainable development at enterprises and in the country as a whole. The purpose of the paper is the analysis and systematization of key aspects of social protection, provision of social services, organization and management of social responsibility of enterprises, organizations and the state as a whole in developed countries of the world in order to develop a mechanism of social responsibility management in Ukraine. To achieve the goal, the following tasks have been set to research modern approaches to social protection and the provision of social services in foreign countries of the world, as well as to analyze the best foreign practices in managing social responsibility at the enterprise, local and state levels. A scheme of interconnection of local social responsibility, consisting of external and internal and operating at the level of the enterprise, region, industry, and state, has been built. The scheme made it possible to substantiate the criteria by which the analysis was carried out - social protection, social services, management of social responsibility by levels (state, local and enterprise or organization level). It was concluded that the management of social responsibility is carried out in countries according to the models of social responsibility chosen by the state in accordance with traditions and culture. At the same time, there is no single classification of these models. The classifications differ only in the complete disclosure of the European model. It has been proven that the models of social responsibility differ in the level of intervention by state authorities regarding social protection and the provision of social services. The conducted comparative analysis will allow to build a mechanism for managing the social responsibility of the enterprise.

Professional perspectives on facilitators and barriers for high quality provision of health, education and social care services to disabled children in England during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

ObjectivesTo understand how health, education and social care services for disabled children changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, what did or did not work well and what the impacts of service...

The relationship between social environmental stressors and depressive symptoms among Chinese young adults: Above and beyond the effects of childhood trauma

Childhood trauma has been identified as an important etiological risk factor for depressive symptoms, but there are other modifiable social environmental factors that may be equally, if not more, important. This study aimed to improve our understanding of the social determinants of depressive symptoms among young people while taking childhood trauma into account. We analyzed survey data from a convenience sample of Chinese young adults aged between 18 to 24 (N = 205). Participants completed standardized assessments of childhood trauma (the Brief Betrayal Trauma Survey), depressive symptoms (the PHQ-9), and social environmental stressors (the Social Environmental Stress Questionnaire). Social environmental stressors had the strongest relationship with depressive symptoms (β = .416, p < .001), above and beyond the effects of childhood trauma. We also identified some specific modifiable and targetable social environmental stressors (e.g., school work and occupation issues, high expectations from others, sleep environment) that were positively correlated with depressive symptoms, even when the Bonferroni correction was applied. Although childhood trauma is a well-documented risk factor for mental health problems, there are modifiable factors associated with depressive symptoms, above and beyond the effects of childhood trauma. Educators, healthcare practitioners, social service providers, and policymakers can play a vital role in changing the trajectory of depression in the community.

Mental Health, Race, and Social Support among Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence.

Women with mental health (MH) symptoms are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of intimate partner violence (IPV). Social support (SS) helps those women cope with adversities and regain their overall well-being. Examining specific sources and functions of SS will help expand knowledge about resources for and barriers to MH services for women IPV survivors. However, few studies examined functional and relational SS among women IPV survivors residing in shelters. This cross-sectional study examined how 31 racially diverse women IPV survivors with different MH symptoms perceive relational SS from various sources as they stay in a shelter that provides functional SS. Cluster analyses were performed to classify participants into two groups: more MH or fewer MH symptoms. Results showed that the women with more MH symptoms reported higher tangible support than those with fewer MH symptoms. Results from ANCOVA showed a significant cross-over interaction between MH and race for overall SS, indicating that women of color with more MH symptoms were less likely to perceive overall SS than Caucasians when controlling for functional SS. MANCOVA analyzed the specific sources of overall SS, such as family, friends, and others. There was a significant cross-over interaction of MH and race on SS from others when controlling for functional SS. These findings suggest that women IPV survivors of color who experience more MH symptoms perceive support from others as less supportive and trustworthy. Social service providers must provide culturally sensitive and strengths-based SS programs to help women of color who have experienced social isolation, stigma, and shame associated with IPV and mental illnesses (MIs). They also must engage in community outreach programs by educating community members about the needs and rights of women IPV survivors with MIs and collaborating to build communities that promote safety, trust, diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Im/migration, mental health and well-being, and newcomer Filipino families: implications for anti-racist and anti-oppressive policies and practice

ABSTRACT This article draws upon the perspectives of newcomer Filipino families who have migrated through the global domestic work industry, specifically through Canada's Live-in/Caregiver Program (L/CP), and the perspectives of Filipino social service providers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I examine how newcomer Filipino families make meaning of, and negotiate, the impact of family separation and reunification through the L/CP on their mental health and well-being. Moreover, I look at how Filipino social service providers center the experiences of newcomer Filipino families within service provision through an anti-racist and anti-oppressive framework, which has implications for policies and praxis in community-based agencies. The paper moves from deficit-focused experiences of ‘trauma’ to centring the voices of newcomer Filipino families as agents of change, in collaboration with Filipino social service providers. This shift illuminates how newcomer Filipino families and their lived experiences are sites of transformation in the policy and practices that impact their mental health and well-being.