Health Equity for Abenaki Indigenous People: Improving Access to Quality Mental Health and Substance Use Services.

Background And Purpose: The purpose of this study was to learn about the Abenaki Indigenous communities' access to services, specifically, their beliefs and knowledge about different types of mental health and substance abuse services and supports within their communities.

Methods: This was an exploratory qualitative study using a focus group approach. Two focus groups were conducted in spring 2020 with community members and tribal leaders from different Abenaki Bands in Franklin, Chittenden, and Addison Counties and the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont.

Pregnant Migrant Latinas at the US Border: A Reproductive Justice Informed Analysis of ICE Health Service Policy During "Zero-Tolerance".

During the Trump Administration, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Directive (11032.3) revoked the automatic release of pregnant women detained by ICE. This paper presents a policy analysis of the impact of this directive on pregnant Latina migrants.

Application of the Indigenous evaluation framework to a university certificate program for building cultural awareness in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

This paper presents a case example of the Indigenous Evaluation Framework as applied to a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education pilot program. Indigenous methodologies include knowledge and data that are inclusive of historically marginalized groups, are highly meaningful, valid, and useful for all. A paradigm shift from Western evaluation methodologies to Indigenous evaluation is necessary when evaluating STEM programs that are committed to increasing recruitment, retention, and graduation of students from historically marginalized groups.

Evaluating the Impact of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences Using the Most Significant Change Technique.

Problem: In medical education, evaluating outcomes from programs intended to transform attitudes or influence career trajectories using conventional methods of monitoring is often difficult. To address this problem, the authors adapted the most significant change (MSC) technique to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the Medical Education Partnership Initiative (MEPI) program at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences.

Approach: In 2014-2015, the authors applied the MSC to systematically examine the personal significance and level of positive transformation that individuals attributed to their MEPI participation.

Planning and Designing the Improving Addiction Care Team (IMPACT) for Hospitalized Adults with Substance Use Disorder.

People with substance use disorders (SUD) have high rates of hospitalization and readmission, long lengths of stay, and skyrocketing healthcare costs. Yet, models for improving care are extremely limited. We performed a needs assessment and then convened academic and community partners, including a hospital, community SUD organizations, and Medicaid accountable care organizations, to design a care model for medically complex hospitalized patients with SUD.

"It's been an Experience, a Life Learning Experience": A Qualitative Study of Hospitalized Patients with Substance Use Disorders.

Background: Individuals with substance use disorders (SUD) have high rates of chronic illness and readmission, yet few are engaged in addiction treatment. Hospitalization may be a reachable moment for initiating and coordinating addiction care, but little is known about motivation for change in the inpatient setting.

Objective: To explore the experiences of hospitalized adults with SUD and to better understand patient and system level factors impacting readiness for change.