March 2020
CHAS eNews
POLICY BRIEFS
System Changes Could Improve Relationships between Incarcerated Mothers and Their Children
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of women in state and federal prisons over the last few decades, leading to a need for gender-responsive policies and practices that address the needs of incarcerated women and their children. Upcoming speaker for our Michael Davis Lecture series and SSA Assistant Professor Gina Fedock, PhD , along with researchers at Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago and the School of Social Service Administration lead a project aimed at informing the development and implementation of gender responsive policies and practices that will address the needs of incarcerated mothers in the Illinois Department of Corrections and reduce the impact of incarceration on their children. From their interview with 42 incarcerated mothers at Logan Correctional Center in Illinois, they found that mothers are constrained in their ability to parent and face multiple barriers to maintaining relationships with their children. The few parenting programs that exist to foster relationships between incarcerated mothers and their children are not consistently available and not all mothers are eligible to participate when these programs are offered. Researchers recommend facilitating communication either by mail or phone, improving the experience of in-person visits, enhancing parenting programs, increasing the availability of other support services and providing alternatives to incarceration.
SERVICE DELIVERY
Correlates of Patient-Centered Care Practices at US Substance Use Disorder Clinics

Understanding environmental and organizational factors associated with clinicians’ efforts to engage patients in clinical decision-making processes is essential for bringing patient-centered care to the addictions field. A study by CHAS Co-Directors and SSA Professors, Colleen Grogan, PhD and Harold Pollack, PhD and Sunggeun (Ethan) Park , PhD (UMichigan), Jennifer Mosley, PhD (UChicago SSA), Keith Humphrey, PhD (Stanford) and Peter Friedmann, MD, MPH examined factors associated with patient-centered care practices in substance use disorder treatment. They found that c linicians were more likely to engage patients in decision-making processes when working in residential clinics (compared with outpatient nonopioid treatment programs) or in clinics serving a smaller proportion of patients with alcohol or opioid use disorder. Clinical supervisors were more likely to value patient-centered care practices if the organization’s administrative director perceived less regional competition or relied on professional information sources to understand developments in the substance use disorder treatment field. Clinicians’ tendency to engage patients in decision-making processes was positively associated with clinical supervisors’ emphasis on patient-centered care. The researchers recommend future studies on how patient-centered
care practice affects the nature and outcomes of the services that clinics offer.
UPCOMING EVENTS
The safety and well-being of our community is our priority.  Due to the recent events surrounding COVID-19, in accordance with recommendations from the CDC and The University of Chicago, all Michael Davis Lectures will be held via Zoom.
*Confirmed e-Lectures*
April 21, 2020:
"Pandemic as Politics: Indian Vaccination and American Empire"

Assistant Professor
Department of Political Science
The University of Chicago

April 28, 2020:
"Suicidal Behaviors in Prisons: Examining Racial Differences in Suicidal Behaviors and Health Care Disparities in Prison Responses"

Assistant Professor
Sc hool of Social Service Administration
The University of Chicago

May 19, 2020:
"What is it About Sleep? Population Research on Sleep Quality and Social Determinants"

Louis Block Professor of Public Health Sciences and the College
Department Chair, Department of Public Health Sciences
The University of Chicago
Upcoming and Past Webinars
An interview with Jay C. Butler, MD from the CDC

Regulating Through The Coronavirus  
Past webinar, available here

The Flint Water Crisis and Beyond
Three-part webinar series available now

The Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-being of the Nation

NC Health Care Professionals COVID-19 Webinar Series
March 19-April 23
Announcements
Apply NOW: CHAS Seed Grants

The CHAS Seed Grants program is still open for all UChicago faculty members with an academic appointment. The Seed Grants program aims to support promising health services and policy research projects at the University of Chicago by providing modest research funding for a limited time (usually two years) to enable eligible investigators to explore the feasibility of a concept related to the mission of the Center and to generate sufficient data to pursue it through other funding mechanisms.

Proposals are currently being accepted online through  April 30, 2020 . New awards will be funded for the performance cycle of July 2020-June 2022. See PI criteria at our website .
 
To learn more about the CHAS Seed Grant program or to submit a proposal, please  click here .
 
Check on the Elderly During Coronavirus Outbreak - It Could Saves Lives

As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues to spread, the advice from medical professionals is clear: Stay away from other people. But social distancing could also affect the health of the elderly, isolating them when they may be most in need of assistance. CHAS Fellow and UChicago Sociologist, Kathleen Cagney, PhD , shares her research on the ramifications of isolation and loneliness with UChicago News. Find the full article here.
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