July 2021
CHAS eNews
Policy Briefs
Health care disparities for incarcerated adults after a suicide attempt
Suicide is a leading cause of death in U.S. prisons and the national suicide rate for incarcerated adults is estimated to be three times the rate of suicide for adults in the community. Although suicide prevention recommendations stress the importance of providing health care to incarcerated adults after suicide attempts, research shows that prison policies and practices often focus instead on punitive responses such as placing incarcerated adults under direct observation with no care or in segregated housing. Gina Fedock (CHAS Fellow and Assistant Professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice) and a team of researchers conducted a study to explore the impacts of these punitive responses within five prisons in the Midwest (three men's prisons and two women's prisons) by reviewing critical incident reports for suicide attempts that occurred over a five year period. Their study found that race was a significant factor in prison responses to suicide attempts – prison staff were less likely to request and provide health care for Black men and Black women who attempted suicide. Factors including segregated housing placement, the method of attempted suicide, and multiple suicide attempts were also associated with lower odds of prison staff requesting and providing health care despite these being major risk factors for death by suicide in prisons. This study highlights factors that predict health care responses to suicide attempts and illustrates the need to address and prevent health care disparities in prisons.
Gender disparities in opioid treatment progress in methadone versus counseling
Although counseling and medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) are considered the gold standard of care in substance use disorder treatment, research shows that many individuals receive just one of these treatments. Even more, the high dropout rate of 75% in OUD treatment among women and racial/ethnic minorities in the United States calls for understanding the various factors that contribute to making progress in treatment. Researchers including Jeanne C. Marsh (CHAS Director and George Herbert Jones Distinguished Service Professor at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice), conducted a study in which they analyzed multi-year and multi-level (treatment program and client-level) data using the Integrated Substance Abuse Treatment to Eliminate Disparities (iSATed) dataset that was collected in Los Angeles County, California. Researchers looked at two outcomes: making progress towards completing treatment plans and completing treatment plans. The study found gender differences in the two treatment outcomes for outpatient program service types (MOUD-methadone vs. counseling). More specifically, clients who received methadone treatment but not counseling had lower odds of completing their treatment plan. Even more, female clients receiving methadone had lower odds of making progress in and completing their treatment plan than male clients receiving counseling. Latina clients also had lower odds of completing their treatment plans than non-Latina clients. The study calls for health policy and program designs that take into account the need for comprehensive and culturally responsive services in methadone-based programs to improve OUD treatment outcomes among women. 
Upcoming Lectures
Michael M. Davis Lectures: 2021 Autumn Quarter to be announced soon. Save the dates below!

10/05/2021 @12:30 pm CDT

10/12/2021 @12:30 pm CDT

10/19/2021 @12:30 pm CDT

10/26/2021 - No lecture

11/02/2021 @12:30 pm CDT

11/09/2021 @12:30 pm CDT

11/16/2021 @12:30 pm CDT
CHAS Podcasts
Invisible Visits: Black Middle-Class Women in the American Healthcare System
Dr. Tina Sacks, AM ’98, PhD ’13 Assistant Professor
School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley
Surgeon General of California; Author of The Deepest Well; CEO/Founder of the Center for Youth Wellness
The Importance of Community Asset Mapping, Medical Integration with Social Sciences, and Youth Involvement
Dr. Stacy Lindau, PhD
Professor, Department of Medicine, UChicago Medicine and CIO/Founder of NowPow
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Announcements
2021 Doctoral Research Stipend Recipients Announced
CHAS is pleased to announce the following UChicago doctoral students as recipients of our 2021-2022 Doctoral Research Stipend Awards. Recipients of the awards play an active role in the research of CHAS fellows, CHAS affiliates, and other CHAS-funded faculty members.

Lauren Beard
Social Sciences Division

Eunseok Jeong, MSW
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Caroline Kelly
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Frania Mendoza Lua, MSW
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Melanie Nadon, MPA
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Lauren Peterson, MPH, AM
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Durrell Malik Washington Sr., MSW
Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice

Congratulations to the funded doctoral students!
Watch Michael M. Davis eLectures on YouTube
Each academic quarter, the Center for Health Administration Studies sponsors the Michael M. Davis Lecture Series, which brings renowned policy experts, researchers, and commentators to the University to explore the intersection of health policy and the broad needs of vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. If you missed a lecture, you can access the recording of any lecture on our YouTube channel and watch at your leisure!
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