Administering SDOH Screening Tools With Ag Workers And Their Families

A Virtual Learning Event

July 19, 2022 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM PST

With generous support from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington

The National Center for Farmworker Health estimates that there are approximately 4.5 million Migratory and Seasonal Agricultural Workers (MSAWs) and their family members living in the United States. These workers travel and work throughout the U.S., serving as the backbone for the trillion-dollar agricultural industry. MSAWs are exposed to Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) such as limited means of transportation, language and cultural barriers, lack of health coverage, high cost of services, lack of time-efficient healthcare delivery methods and an inefficient medical referral system. Although there are good examples of improving agricultural worker housing conditions, most MSAW housing is often substandard or overcrowded. Research has shown that many MSAWs report living in crowded conditions regardless of whether the provided space complies with housing standards, and some have living situations not meant for habitation (such as the outdoors, vehicles, or inhabited converted garages). 

To capture and address MSAW’s social needs, proper screening methods and processes need to be put in place. First with selecting appropriate screening tools, then creating and improving workflows that benefit the providers and the patients, and lastly, identifying community assets and resources to establish partnerships and networks. This training will discuss some of the main MSAW social needs, provide some best practices on how to administer screening tools for this population in clinical settings and share some tips and strategies to create a patient-friendly screening process while linking referrals and resources for MSAW populations. 

OBJECTIVES:

At the end of this learning event, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the main SDOH factors that impact MSAW populations in their service areas.
• Identify best practices to administer SDOH screening tools with MSAW populations
• Share tips and strategies to link referrals and resources for MSAW populations

INTENDED AUDIENCE:

Community Health Center staff involved in screening clients for social needs: Population Health, Health Equity, Community Health Workers, Quality Improvement, providers, Behavioral Health staff

If you have questions in regards to this virtual learning event, please contact Patricia Gepert, Health Access Coordinator, at the Washington Association for Community Health. 

This publication was supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $1,011,178 with 0 percentage financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.