Guest Post by Brandon Baird (Dec '17)

Brandon Baird (Dec '17)

Society likes to compile and categorize occupations to fit a mold. It’s usually a straight path where tasks and activities are clear. Becoming a dual-degree professional is a challenging journey that can lead you down multiple roads because the relative newness of dual-degree programs still carries a uniqueness into the workforce. The combination of the master of public health (MPH) and master of social work (MSW) has grown to become a solid partnership. Public health inevitably creeps into social work as if it were the friend that always was welcome in your home; social work can also lend a hand to public health, even if the reciprocity is not always apparent. Dr. Joseph Telfair, a dual-degree wizard as he has been a piece in starting several MSW/MPH programs around the country, explained that every challenge has multiple factors at play, stressing the importance of understanding the levels of the ecological model from the individual to the environment.

A public health social worker (PHSW) is a professional that can understand and help meet the needs of the individual to support the population’s well-being. By using interpersonal techniques of social work in the framework of public health knowledge, a PHSW can read between the lines to have a greater understanding of an individual’s needs and how to reach those needs. Although this may seem complicated, a clearer picture is painted when you identify the common values between the two disciplines: elimination of health disparities and promotion of social, economic, and environmental justice (Sable et al., 2012). These shared values and ethics between the disciplines show how to accomplish goals from both sides that seem one-sided.

My realization of the integrative nature came when I shadowed a social worker at a low-income health clinic in Atlanta. My usual tasks included calling patients in order to help them schedule appointments from regular check-ups to mammograms to a number of other health services. The people I came in contact with usually did not know how to schedule their own specialty appointments or navigate the Medicare or Medicaid system that was more of a burden on their shoulders than a boost under their feet. I felt good about myself, but I also came to realize the nature of the hierarchy of needs. Most people I helped had some form of income and a house to call home. However, I also helped a mother who did not have a place to stay other than her daughter’s dorm room. This could have built into a bigger situation, but I was able to use my resources with United Way to find some temporary housing for the mother to stay. The spectrum of situations that can arise in the setting I was in was long spanning, and none of these situations could be labeled as simply public health or social work.

Although research is limited, the identity of public health social workers in the workforce is beginning to be evaluated. When comparing dual-degree graduates to MSW-only graduates, Ruth et al. (2006) found that both groups had high employment and career satisfaction. However, the flexibility of the kind of job was apparent as 80% of MSW-only graduates held strictly social work occupations compared to just one-third of dual-degree graduates. A more recent study focused on the kind of education PHSWs would benefit from by analyzing what skills the dual-degree graduates used most. Sixty-three percent of the graduates labeled themselves as PHSW and used both skill sets while only half said they had the ideal integrative job (Ruth et al., 2015). This speaks to the workforce not exactly being prepared for dual-degree professionals, but dual-degree professionals still finding ways to utilize the skill sets that were learned with both degrees.

Even with the skills from both areas being used, Dr. Betty Ruth of Boston University believes that dual-degree professionals have a chance to better integrate more disciplines. She wrote “MSW/MPH programs are not just educational enhancement; they have the potential to become the profession’s building blocks for transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration” (2015, p. 193).

Similar to interdisciplinary collaboration, transdisciplinary collaboration integrates components such as perspectives, concepts, and theories while also using these components to be creative by generating strategies and techniques to address, and hopefully solve, problems (Stokols, et al., 2013). This kind of collaboration goes through a fluidly sequential set of four phases: development, conceptualization, implementation, and translation. Although collaborative groups would like to flow through these phases in order, there are times where you have to take a step back and make some corrections to your original strategies.

The role of the PHSW in this kind of context is to be able to bring a greater holistic view of the situation at hand. First, the PHSW should go through a collection of steps in order to identify the problem. The three pieces that go into fully understanding the problem is identifying the locus of the problem, identifying key modifiable contributing risk factors, and identifying key issues related to adoption, which leads to an effective solution (Johnson-Reid, et al., 2013). These three pieces are important because it will help the PHSW identify what community partnerships need to be mobilized in order to help advocate for policy changes, provide and increase access to services, educate the community, and evaluate the efficacy of the intervention or program as a whole (Hall & Rounds, 2013).

Consider you are trying to reduce the rate of violence among adolescents. Possible collaborators may include medical personnel, law enforcement, social services, teachers, parents, and coaches. With so many perspectives and ideals that can present themselves in this hodgepodge, leadership is crucial for reaching the intended goal as the separate entities that make up the group have their own agenda and limited power in which to make change. However, dynamic delegation can bring out the best of the group by having each entity do what they can do best in order for the group to strive at full capacity (Dow, et al., 2013). Sometimes polarizing figures will be at the same table with stakeholders that will disagree about plans of action the majority of the time. No one likes to have their toes stepped on, especially when people feel like their way will make a lasting impact. The key is to avoid the crunch and hopefully just give the toes a tap. With leadership, the PHSW can help find the middle ground because understanding how to work through disagreements is critical for the growth and success of the collaboration group.

I am not sure where my journey will take me, but I do know my dual-degree education will mold me into a versatile professional. Of course my attractiveness in the workforce will be boosted, which does matter. By the same token, the multiple perspectives I bring to the table as well as understanding the perspectives of other’s that are at the table will increase the probability for effective and meaningful change. That is what matters most about being a public health social worker.

-Brandon Baird, MSW MPH Student (December 2017)

Visit Brandon's LinkedIn profile.

References

Dow, A. W., DiazGranados, D., Mazmanian, P. E., & Retchin, S. M. (2013). Applying organizational science to healthcare:  Framework for collaborative practice. Academic Medicine, 88(7), 952-957.

Hall, W. J. & Rounds, K. (2013). Adolescent health. In R. H. Keefe & E. T. Jurkowski (Eds), Handbook for public health social work (pp. 58-80). New York, NY: Springer.

Johnson-Reid, M., Drake, B., Weaver, N., & Constantino, J. (2013). Transdisciplinary approaches to violence and injury prevention and treatment among children and youth (Chapter 10). In D. Haire-Joshu & T.D. McBride (Eds), Transdisciplinary public health:  Research, education, & practice (pp. 217-247). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Ruth, B. J., Marshall, J. W., Velasquez, E. E. M., & Bachman, S. S. (2015). Teaching note: Educating public health social work professionals: Results from an MSW/MPH outcomes study. Journal of Social Work Education, 51, 186-194. 

Ruth, B. J., Wyatt, J., Chiasson, E., Geron, S. M., & Bachman, S. (2006). Teaching notes: Social work and public health: Comparing graduates from a dual degree program. Journal of Social Work Education, 42(2), 429-439. 

Sable, M. R., Schild, D. R., & Hipp, J. A. (2012). Public health and social work. In S. Gehlert & T. Browne (Eds.), Handbook of health social work, (pp. 64-99). Hoboken, NJ: WILEY.

Stokols, D., Hall, K. L., & Vogel, A. L. (2013). Transdisciplinary public health: Definition, core characteristics, and strategies for success (Chapter 1). In D. Haire-Joshu & T.D. McBride (Eds), Transdisciplinary public health:  Research, education, & practice (pp. 3-30). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

  

  

Alumni Update - Kate Binkow Boyd, MSW, MPH, CPH, LSWAIC (May '14)

Kate Binkow-Boyd, MSW, MPH, CPH, LSWAIC (May '14) recently accepted a position as a Federal Investigator with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.  In this role, Kate investigates housing discrimination cases throughout the Pacific Northwest.  These cases cover everything from an individual’s right to reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications, to equality in the provision of housing services, to fair lending practices.  Kate also mediates these cases when the parties are open to finding resolution outside of the judicial system.  Kate began federal service through the Presidential Management Fellows program in 2014.  Kate holds a master’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in public health from The University of Georgia, and a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies from Agnes Scott College.  She is licensed as an associate independent clinical social worker (LSWAIC) in Washington state, and is certified in public health (CPH). 

Kate says, "My social work and public health training from UGA helped prepare me for my role as a federal investigator and mediator.  The core values in our social work code of ethics – service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence – are integral to my work at HUD.  Many of the individuals with whom I work have experienced multiple forms of discrimination, not just discrimination through housing.  It is important to understand the systems and institutions that influence the way an individual may interpret and interact with the world around her.  It is also crucial to be able to understand the diagnoses and disabilities that my clients disclose.  The symptoms and side effects of these diagnoses and disabilities affect my clients’ lives in many ways, and understanding these effects helps me ask more informed questions during interviews, and provide more meaningful insight during mediations.  On a more technical note, the skills I use when interviewing clients and well as when mediating cases are the same skills that I learned, practiced, and honed through UGA’s MSW program!"

"There is ample and growing research on the link between discrimination and an individual’s mental and physical health.  My public health training from UGA helped me hone the skills to be able to understand and interpret this research.  I use this data and research to inform the way that I further the mission of HUD’s Office of Fair Housing – to eliminate housing discrimination, promote economic opportunity, and achieve diverse, inclusive communities by leading the nation in the enforcement, administration, development, and public understanding of federal fair housing policies and laws."

"Additionally, I am able to use health promotion program planning skills to encourage healthy behavior and behavior change among my colleagues in the workplace.  I am a member of several committees that design, promote, and implement public health and wellness programming in the workplace."

"The training I received through the MSW and MPH programs at UGA has been crucial to my success in the federal government.  To be frank, I believe that I’m eligible for a wider variety of jobs than my peers who only have one degree.  This is due to the overlapping and yet distinct nature of the skills and information learned in both degree programs.  No matter the job, employers are always looking for qualified and exceptional candidates who can analyze information and make insightful contributions to the workplace.  Having a dual degree gives you an edge over your competitors in the job marketplace.  A dual degree professional has myriad lenses and methods through which to analyze information and assist clients, and this gives her a unique perspective and opportunity to make meaningful changes in her workplace and in the lives of her clients."

Congratulations on this new position Kate!

MSW/MPH Spring 2016 Graduate: Breanna Miller

Breanna Miller presenting at MPH Poster Day, May 2016.

Congratulations to our newest graduate, Breanna Miller, MSW, MPH, who graduated in Spring 2016 with a MSW (Clinical concentration) and MPH (Health Promotion and Behavior concentration) and a certificate in Nonprofit Management.

Ms. Miller completed her integrated field placement at Mercy Health Center in Athens. While at Mercy, Ms. Miller engaged in direct service practice with patients diagnosed with Hepatitis C, as well as assisted the clinic in an overhaul of the Social Service division. In addition, Ms. Miller utilized her leadership skills to assist in recruiting and training volunteers. She also developed protocols for screening social service needs for patients and evaluation materials.

Ms. Miller's MPH capstone was entitled, "Using Survey and Observational Data to Inform Bicycle Safety Initiatives."

After graduation, Ms. Miller plans to work in Athens over the summer as an Education Specialist at The University of Georgia while publishing her capstone work in a peer reviewed journal. Ms. Miller will also be seeking employment to work with underserved youth and young adults in the community.

Visit Ms. Miller's LinkedIn profile.

Alumni Update - Lauren Reed, MSW, MPH (Dec '15)

Lauren Reed, MSW, MPH (Dec '15) recently accepted a position with the Northeast Health District as the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) District Coordinator. 

Lauren Reed (middle) with co-workers at a community outreach and education event

Ms. Reed explains, "Due to hearing loss being one of the more common birth defects, all babies have their hearing screened at birth before leaving the hospital. If a baby fails to pass their initial screen, misses their initial screen (due to emergency transfer or equipment not working), or has risk factors for hearing loss, then the hospitals sends a referral to me. From there, I contact the families to let them know the importance of having their child's hearing re-screened and educate them on the type of tests they need, and what providers in the area offer those services.

The program allows me to follow a child from birth to 5 years old. Typically I begin working with a family following their initial screen up until diagnosis where I refer them to the appropriate early intervention. Early diagnosis for children who experience hearing loss is so valuable in order for children to meet their developmental milestones. If children are not screened early on then they may not receive a diagnosis until they are in school.

This program is able to be successful through collaborations between pediatricians, hospitals, families, and the Georgia Department of Public Health. I am able to provide case management and support to families during this sometimes overwhelming process, while also capturing data in the state surveillance system to ensure that early detection and intervention is taking place in my district."

Ms. Reed continues, "When I began looking for a job I was concerned that I would have to choose between using my public health or social work skill sets, but I have been pleased to find that this position provides an opportunity to integrate both. I work very closely with the Children's First program and will also be teaching some health education classes on car seat safety. I recently became a Certified Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST), which I will use to educate individuals in our community on how to install their car seat to best protect their child(ren)."


"Additionally I have continued to do some contract work around health education and individual therapy. I hope to continue to be able to apply my skills in a variety of ways to help promote a healthy community."

Learn more about the Northeast Health District EHDI program, and about hearing loss in children.

 

Congratulations on your new position, Ms. Reed!

Visit Ms. Reed's LinkedIn Profile.