CENTER FOR SOCIAL CONCERNS Community-Based Research 2011 AWARD GRANTS FELLOWS

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1 CENTER FOR SOCIAL CONCERNS Community-Based Research 2011 AWARD GRANTS FELLOWS

2 Evidence of Impact ON DISPLAY IN THE JORDAN HALL ATRIUM This poster session documents the findings of community-based research initiatives over the last several years, some of which were supported through Ganey Collaborative Community-Based Research Mini-Grants. Crisis in Development: A Mixed-Method Policy Analysis of the Community Service Block Grant in Rural Wyoming Economic Development in St. Joseph County: Improving our Quality of Life Get the Lead Out: Preventing Poisoning in America s Youth No Parent Left Behind Preventing Childhood Obesity: Examining Access to Healthy Foods on the West Side of South Bend Using Interactive Robots to Scaffold Social Skills for Children with Autism Foreclosed and Abandoned Homes in South Bend: A Search for Causes and Solutions

3 contents 2 Community-Based Course Development Grants 4 Faculty Fellows 5 Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D., Collaborative Community-Based Mini-Grants 12 Community Impact Grant 14 Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D., Faculty Community-Based Research Award 18 Center Faculty and Research Staff

4 community-based course Development grants Each year the Center for Social Concerns accepts proposals for summer grants to fund the design of a new course or a major redesign of an existing course. These course development grants are a special initiative for faculty and graduate students interested in incorporating social concerns into their courses through community-based learning. 2

5 La literatura, el arte y el cine al servicio del pueblo* Thomas F. Anderson Romance Languages and Literatures Students in this course will study literary texts, works of public art, and films from the Hispanic Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic), which were produced with the expressed goal of educating the public and especially the rural majority on a variety of topics such as health, education, human rights, community building, public safety, and the importance of traditional cultural manifestations. Students will apply knowledge and analytic tools gained in the classroom at South Bend s Perley Fine Arts Academy, where they will serve as instructors in an after school visual and performing arts program for 2nd 4th graders. One of the course s central aims will be to underscore the importance of global citizenship by encouraging students (and through them, those at Perley) to engage in intercultural dialogue, respect diversity, become involved in their communities, and to develop interest in a range contemporary issues that effect, and thus unite, all of the world s citizens. *Literature, Art, and Film at the Service of the People THOMAS F. ANDERSON Are We Eating Good Food? DANiel HICKS DANiel HICKS Philosophy In the last few years, an increasing number of voices have answered the question "Are we eating good food?" with a resounding "no." This course will develop conceptual tools from ethics, political philosophy, and philosophy of science to critically engage with both proponents and critics of several aspects of our contemporary food system. Topics will be selected based on student interest, and include but are not limited to vegetarianism, conventional vs. organic vs. beyond organic agriculture, transgenic or GMO crops, justice for food workers, scientific and public policy controversies over nutrition and health, food deserts, and special interest control of agricultural economics. Students will also be engaged in work with a local community partner most likely a local food co-op in order to understand how these issues appear in and impact the food system of the Michiana region. Mitch Nakaue What Are the Roots that Clutch? Mitch Nakaue University Writing Program "What Are the Roots that Clutch: Writing the Community Garden," will bring Notre Dame first year students into contact and conversation with the volunteers and organizers at four of South Bend's Unity Gardens. Students will investigate how South Bend s Unity Gardens bring vitality to their neighborhoods; they will also develop skills in writing and argumentation to make meaningful contributions to the gardens missions of community building and public education. 3

6 Faculty Fellows Joseph A. Buttigieg english Joseph A. Buttigieg, is the William R. Kenan Jr., professor of English, director of the Ph.D. in Literature Program, director of the Hesburgh-Yusko Scholars Program, and co-director of Italian Studies at Notre Dame. His main interests are modern literature, critical theory, and the relationship between culture and politics. In addition to numerous articles, Buttigieg has authored a book on James Joyce's aesthetics, A Portrait of the Artist in Different Perspective. He is also the editor and translator of the multi-volume complete critical edition of Antonio Gramsci's Prison Notebooks, a project that has been supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. As a Center Faculty Fellow, he will work closely with Connie Snyder Mick, director of Social Concerns Seminars and Community-Based Learning, to consult on community engagement within the Hesburgh-Yusko program and on Center-based faculty development initiatives. Juan Carlos Guzman institute for latino studies Juan Carlos Guzman is assistant professional specialist with Notre Dame s Institute for Latino Studies, where he is the director of research. As a Center Faculty Fellow, he will be mentoring undergraduates in the Poverty Studies Interdisciplinary Minor (PSIM), which Center faculty member Connie Snyder Mick codirects. Under his guidance, PSIM students will be engaged in community-based research that focuses on increasing the institutional capacity of community organizations to deal with health issues such as obesity and chronic disease. Dr. Guzman will also be assisting, along with the Center s Naomi Penney, in the design of community-based participatory research being undertaken by the Monroe Park Food Co-op in collaboration with other organizations in the area that are addressing issues of food security. Dr. Guzman s research focuses on socioeconomic issues that affect vulnerable populations such as women and children. His publications have centered on the state of Latinos in Chicago, how gender shapes adolescence, and the impact of remittances and gender on household expenditures in Ghana. 4

7 The rodney f. ganey, ph.d. collaborative community-based research mini-grants Every year the Center awards three grants to support joint community-faculty-student research partnerships addressing a need articulated by the community organization. These grants may support the planning and development of new projects, the expansion of existing ones, the assessment of projects, or the dissemination of findings from projects that are ongoing or in final stages. The purposes of the grants are to foster community-faculty-student partnerships that: 1. result in measurable, positive impact in the South Bend area; 2. reflect the investment of faculty expertise and community expertise; and 3. offer students community-based learning opportunities that promote civic responsibility. 5

8 Evaluation of the Talk with Your Baby Program Children in the first three years of life need an abundance of verbal interaction. The amount of time that parents and other caregivers talk with infants correlates strikingly with later measures of cognitive development and reading readiness. Verbal interaction and encouragement from parents also builds healthy attachment relationships and social skills. Previous research has shown that children born in poverty have a smaller and less complex vocabulary, language delays, speak less to others, and are less likely to be able to answer complex questions. In 2009, nearly half (48%) of the 4,582 infants born in St. Joseph County were born to families living at the poverty level. In 2009, the Memorial Health Foundation Research and Development Committee created the Talk with Your Baby (TWYB) program to educate parents and other caregivers about the importance of talking with babies and small children, birth to age three. Currently, over 30 organizations are participating in designing and/or delivering the TWYB program. This project will evaluate the program to test if the intervention worked, how effective it was, and for whom the intervention was most or least effective. The research team will administer pre- and post-test surveys to participating parents in the TWYB program to determine if parents learn the material presented in the program and compare the pre-and post-test results with parents who have not yet attended the program. The results of this evaluation will be used for program improvement and are expected to assist with future program decisions such as program expansion. It is expected that these results will be shared with the local community as well as at national conferences. 6

9 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Talk With Your Baby Task Force Co-Chairs Nancy Ickler Asante Foundation, Inc. Terri Kosik Early Childhood Development Center Talk With Your Baby Evaluation Committee Suzanne Christensen The Family Connection Velshonna Luckey Robinson Community Learning Center Susan Cress Indiana University, South Bend Ann Rosen The Family Connection UNIVERSITY PARTNERS Julie Braungart-Rieker Psychology Center for Children and Families Jennifer Burke Lefever Psychology Center for Children and Families Jeanne Mattei Center for Children and Families 7

10 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Bonnie Bazata Cathy Lenoir Baye Sylvestor Leah Zimmer Bridges Out of Poverty UNIVERSITY PARTNERS Ines Wenger Jindra Visiting Research Scholar Michael Jindra Visiting Scholar Anthropology Colleen Reiss Graduate Student 8

11 Breaking the Cycle of Poverty the bridges out of poverty approach Forces that contribute to poverty can be categorized in three broad areas: structural, cultural, and individual. Research has tended to focus on structural forces such as the economy and jobs, neighborhood segregation and decline, and discrimination. Less attention has been given to cultural factors, such as family interactions; daily habits and attitudes; consumption and work patterns and motivations; and specific dynamics of neighborhoods, peer groups, and social networks. The Bridges Out of Poverty Getting Ahead curriculum focuses on these cultural factors. The Ganey Mini-Grant team will examine how the St. Joseph County Bridges Out of Poverty organization works in the local community to assist low-income individuals and families in the form of a program effectiveness evaluation. Specifically, they will examine if and how graduates of the Getting Ahead in a Just Gettin -by-world are able to build resources, develop agency, and exercise new strategies and behaviors to move more consistently and effectively toward financial self-sufficiency. This research will also examine the primary obstacles to self-sufficiency for participants, and how the Bridges Out of Poverty program is helping to overcome these obstacles. The research team will utilize several methods in evaluating the effectiveness of the program, including semi-structured interviews and participant observations as well as tools already in use to evaluate program effectiveness. The results of these interviews will be used for program improvement as well as to add to the knowledge-base regarding the cultural forces affecting poverty and the struggles to succeed. The results of this study will be presented to the entire national network of Bridges Out of Poverty affiliated organizations, currently numbering over 40, along with interested local organizations and shared directly with participants in the study. It is also expected that the results will be submitted to a scholarly journal for publication as well as presented at national conferences on poverty, inequality and diversity. 9

12 Improving Infant Health in St. Joseph County The Role of Adverse Childhood Experiences in Birth Outcomes Infants who are born prematurely and underweight are at greater risk of long term health and learning problems. Our local rates of poor birth outcomes for low-income women and racial disparities related to infant health are significantly worse than state and national rates. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) links adverse childhood experiences (ACE) to increased risk of a multitude of poor health outcomes in adulthood. Adults who were exposed to violence and other traumatic stressors as children are more likely to suffer from alcoholism, depression, liver disease, illicit drug use, domestic violence, heart disease, and many other health and social ills. There is good reason to believe there is a link between a woman s ACE history and her future reproductive outcomes. Women exposed to trauma as children may be more likely to give birth to low birth-weight infants. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which a history of childhood trauma and/or stressors is related to a woman s reproductive outcomes. Five hundred women receiving services from the St. Joseph County WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program will be screened to identify any and all recalled instances of childhood trauma as well as current health issues that may affect birth outcomes. The women will be followed at their WIC appointments at the first visit after the birth of their infants and birth outcome data will be collected. Two hundred women will continue to be followed at 6-month and 12-month WIC appointments to inform researchers about the infants cognitive, social, and emotional development through the first year of life. Findings will be presented at the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Annual Meeting and to submit the findings to the Journal of Traumatic Stress. The results of this study, will be used locally to design trauma-focused programming for pregnant women with a significant history of ACEs. Success will be measured longitudinally, by tracking county-level birth outcome data in the years to come. 10

13 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Jamie Reinbold Sue Taylor St. Joseph County WIC Program Memorial Hospital UNIVERSITY PARTNERS Jeanne Mattei Center for Children and Families Kristin Valentino Psychology Michelle Comas Anne McNeill Amy Nuttall Graduate Students 11

14 Community impact grant (new 2011) The Monroe Park Food Cooperative Community-Based Research and a Long-Term Collaboration for Action Food deserts are defined as areas displaying a lack of retail outlets selling a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables within a 500 meter radius. These deserts are more prevalent in low-income neighborhoods, and in some cities, the prevalence of food deserts varies by race, with non-whites facing less access than Caucasian residences. Research has identified lack of access to healthy food as a risk factor for such chronic conditions as obesity and heart disease. The Monroe Park Food Cooperative was formed to address the need for affordable grocery staples and fresh produce within the Monroe Park neighborhood. By utilizing a cooperative economic model to address the challenges of a food desert, Monroe Park neighbors hope to strengthen the social fabric of the community by stimulating improved physical health and social cohesion. To assist in reaching these goals, the cooperative will undertake research with the following two aims: 1) to determine the most viable cooperative format given the demographics and particular needs of the Monroe Park neighborhood; and 2) to identify health benefits for members of the cooperative as well as indirect benefits to the neighborhood for non-cooperative members. Results will be shared with cooperative members and the cooperative s community partners as well as with other local neighborhoods. Additionally, results will be shared at two conferences in June This research project, to be funded through the Center for Social Concern s Ganey Endowment for Excellence, will be part of a larger initiative to be undertaken collaboratively between the Monroe Park Food Cooperative, the Center for Social Concerns, and a number of other organizations and individuals in the geographic area interested in addressing food security concerns in South Bend over the long term. 12

15 COMMUNITY AND CAMPUS PARTNERS Jessica Bitten, Mike Coman, Madeline Cronin, Bert Fitzgerald, Cindy Forsberg, David Hurley, Amy Jonason, Jin Kwak, Stephanie 13 Merryfield, Sade Murphy, Barbara Oglesby, Jaime Owens, Margaret Pfeil, John Roxy, Aimee Shelide, Sara Stewart, Charlotte Wolfe

16 Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D. Faculty Community-Based Research Award Recipients 2002 Charles Craypo Economics richard lamanna Sociology 2003 Richard a. williams Sociology 2004 f. clark power Program of Liberal Studies 2005 Felicia le clere Sociology 2006 john G. borkowski Psychology 2007 STEPHEN E. SILLIMAN Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences 2008 Mark R. Schurr Anthropology 2009 DANIEL H. LENDE Anthropology 2010 STUART GREENE Education, Schooling, and Society 2011 michael jenuwine Law School 14

17 The rodney f. ganey, ph.d. faculty community-based research award The Rodney F. Ganey, Ph.D. Faculty Community-Based Research Award is a $5,000 prize presented annually to a regular faculty member who has completed at least one research project that addresses a need within South Bend or the surrounding area. In order to be considered, projects must: 1) address a question raised by a local community group; 2) involve collaboration with a local organization; and 3) include graduate or undergraduate students. In addition, the nominee should have a record of publication in his or her field, or other forms of evidence of work valued in his or her area of expertise. 15

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19 2011 GANEY AWARD WINNER Michael Jenuwine Michael Jenuwine Clinical Professor of Law Concurrent Associate Professor of Psychology Notre Dame Legal Aid Clinic When individuals are unable to make important decisions for themselves, due to brain injury, mental illness, cognitive disabilities or age, the law allows for substitute decision makers to be appointed for them. Once a court appoints a guardian, the individual loses many of his or her basic rights, such as those concerning where to live, control of assets, and medical treatment. Many states have recently undergone major statutory revisions because their guardianship laws did not adequately protect the rights of individuals. Guardianships were being granted too readily and the needs for autonomy and independence of protected persons were oftentimes ignored. Working closely with the Indiana Adult Guardianship State Taskforce, Professor Jenuwine has helped to design and implement investigations whose findings are aimed toward the ultimate goal of improving the guardianship laws for the state of Indiana. The taskforce consists of judges, lawyers, social service providers, the ARC of Indiana (an organization supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities), Adult Protective Services, and others who advocate on behalf of incapacitated and endangered adults. Closer to home, he is working with the St. Joseph County Guardianship Consortium, which consists of area service providers, to help identify local practices and to propose ways to improve advocacy on behalf of protected persons in St. Joseph County. Law students play an important role in this work. Initially, law students volunteered as part of a Pro Bono student initiative. These students conducted legal research, and designed a telephone survey. Students, both volunteer and paid, conducted all telephone interviews and entered the resulting data. Law students also participated in visits to various courts throughout the state to review guardianship case files, reading all court filings and recording data. Two students participated in the Indiana State Adult Guardianship Services Symposium and completed training to become certified guardians through the National Guardianship Association. The research is intended to support the proposal and implementation of specific legislative changes in Indiana. Presentations on findings have been made at Guardianship Symposia across the state, as well as to stakeholders in different counties. The research was presented at the Indiana Judicial College, and was central to a retreat of the State Guardianship Taskforce held at Notre Dame recently, where specific legislative proposals were discussed. At the local level, findings have informed groups in pilot project counties of local practices, to assist them in designing training programs for guardians, lawyers, and judges. Professor Jenuwine came to Notre Dame in 2005 from the faculty of the Indiana University School of Law in Bloomington. Professor Jenuwine teaches, conducts research, and practices both as a lawyer and as a clinical psychologist. Professor Jenuwine s research and teaching interests focus on overlaps between the legal system and the mental health system including mental health law, child advocacy, and interdisciplinary legal practice. He also teaches courses related to all forms of alternative dispute resolution, and conducts research on interdisciplinary mediation. Professor Jenuwine teaches and supervises law student interns both through the Legal Aid Clinic as well as through the Applied Mediation Program. His publications can be found in journals and books including Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, Psychiatric Services, University of Cincinnati Law Review, and Washington University Journal of Law and Policy. 17

20 CENTER FOR SOCIAL CONCERNS FACULTY Mary Beckman Economics Jay Brandenberger Psychology Rev. William Lies. C.S.C. Political Science Connie Snyder Mick Poverty Studies William Purcell Catholic Social Tradition Andrea Smith Shappell Theology CENTER FOR SOCIAL CONCERNS RESEARCH STAFF 18 Nicholas Bowman Postdoctoral Research Associate Meredith Nelson Administrative Assistant Naomi Penney Community-Based Research Associate

21 JOINT FACULTY APPOINTMENTS Stuart Greene English Rachel Rivers Parroquin Romance Languages and Literatures Margaret Pfeil Theology JOINT FELLOWS Marie Denise Milord Haiti Program Susan Sharpe Restorative Justice 19

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