Food and housing security at a US Hispanic-Serving Institution: An examination before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

University students occupy a socially marginal position and therefore are often underserved by academic and service institutions. This article analyzes food and housing security among students at The University of Texas at El Paso, a Hispanic-Serving Institution located in the U.S.-Mexico Border region. Findings of a sample of n = 7,633 university students are presented in the first cross-sectional, two-year food and housing security study on campus administered via platform Campus Labs Baseline. The first sample in 2019 consisted of n = 2,615 students representing 10.4% of student enrollment (25,177 total 2019 enrollment), and the second sample in 2020 was n = 5,018 representing 20.2% of student enrollment (24,879 total 2020 enrollment). To measure food security, the six-item short form of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Survey Module was used. To document housing security, we created questions informed by student input. In this study, survey results are reported, and tests are conducted to assess the relationships between various student characteristics and food and housing security. Student characteristics significantly impacting food and housing security are probed further using data visualizations and subpopulation analysis with a focus on analyzing factors impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicate that employment status, consistent employment status, hours per week, academic level, number of dependents, and gender are all factors associated with food security during the pandemic but not prior to the pandemic. Other factors, including, college affiliation, ethnicity/race, having any dependents and being head of household, living alone, mode of campus transportation and mode of the transportation, household income, and age, all were associated with food security in both academic years. Using these results, a critical analysis of past interventions addressing food and housing security is presented with a focus on changes made during the pandemic. Recommendations are made for further data-driven interventions and future steps.

The Use of Photovoice Methodology to Assess Health Needs and Identify Opportunities Among Migrant Transgender Women in the U.S.-Mexico Border.

Psychosocial, social and structural conditions have rarely been studied among transgender women in the U.S.-Mexico Border. This study used Photovoice methodology to empower migrant transgender women of color (TWC) to reflect on realities from their own perspectives and experiences and promote critical dialogue, knowledge, and community action. Sixteen participants documented their daily experiences through photography, engaged in photo-discussions to assess needs and identify opportunities, and developed a community-informed Call to Action. Four major themes emerged from the participants' photographs, discussions, and engagement: (1) mental health, (2) migration experiences and challenges, (3) stigma, discrimination, and resiliency, and (4) impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through active community engagement, a Call to Action was developed. A binational advisory committee of decision makers and scholars reviewed a set of recommendations to better respond to the needs of TWC in the U.S.-Mexico Border. Photovoice served as an empowerment tool for TWC to assess the myriad of syndemic conditions, including mental health, stigma, discrimination and COVID-19, affecting them daily and identify initiatives for change.

Adults Experiencing Homelessness in the US-Mexico Border Region: A Photovoice Project.

Homelessness is a social, economic, and political crisis in the United States. In particular, the US-Mexico Border region has seen a surge of homelessness, specifically among veterans, women victims of intimate partner violence, and immigrants. In 2014, 12 persons in El Paso, TX, with experience of being homeless used the photovoice methodology to participate in a project titled, "The Voices and Images of the Residents of the Opportunity Center for the Homeless: A Visual Project on the Identity and Challenges Homeless Adults Face on the Border Region." The project was led by faculty from the Department of Social Work and facilitated by graduate students from the Departments of Social Work, Sociology, and Anthropology at the University of Texas at El Paso. In partnership with the Opportunity Center for the Homeless, a community-based organization, a gallery of photographs with respective narratives was produced along with a video documentary. The participants identified four themes: broken systems, invisibility, opportunities and what works, and growth and determination. These themes represent participants' life experiences with homelessness and their aspirations. In addition to the photo gallery, participants supported the development of a Call to Action asking the community, policy, and decision makers to commit to changing the current social, economic, and political conditions affecting individuals experiencing homelessness. The gallery, Call to Action, and overall participant experiences with photovoice were shared during local, regional, and national conferences and events, including three State of the Homeless Conferences led by the Opportunity Center for the Homeless in partnership with the university.

[Micro and Macro Social Work Practice in the Context of Tuberculosis]. / Trabajo Social en la Micro y Macro Práctica en el Contexto de la Tuberculosis.

The study of tuberculosis (TB) in the U.S.-Mexico border involves the consideration of three key components, which are complex and interrelated: the difficulty tracking and providing appropriate TB care due to the epidemiological and pathological characteristics of TB; the border itself is a geographical and epidemiological area that interweaves two nations, two cultures, two health systems and different laws; and the need for prevention and treatment approaches to TB that involve comprehensive clinical care and prevention while also taking into consideration stigma, social context and knowledge. This manuscript describes the work of ten studies conducted in Mexico and in the U.S.-Mexico border region from 2006 to 2013. It also provides an understanding of the social and public health implications of TB, the environment and communities, as well as the identification and application of advocacy and social mobilization practices. The work presented provides an understanding of different interventions related to adherence, stigma reduction, person-centered approaches, and effective micro and macro practices in social work.

Nuestra Casa: An advocacy initiative to reduce inequalities and tuberculosis along the US-Mexico border.

The US-Mexico border provides a rich learning environment for professional social workers and at the same time poses some challenges. This article explores some of the unique demographics and social and cultural characteristics in the border region. These characteristics have implications for social work teaching, research, policy and practice. The study of borders includes exploring social disparities and inequalities. Health risks and diseases travel fluidly between borders and kill indiscriminately. The US-Mexico border is at high-risk of elevated tuberculosis (TB) and HIV incidence due to socio-economic stress, rapid and dynamic population growth, mobility and migration, and the hybridization of cultures. Every minute, four people die from TB, and 15 more become infected worldwide. The number of deaths due to tuberculosis is unacceptable given that most cases of TB are preventable. Cross-border cooperation and collaboration among social workers, health professionals and public officials between communities and countries can reduce social injustices to move towards a healthier borderland, as demonstrated in the collaborative prevention of TB. Rather than limiting our work to define social inequalities, we seek to further the conversation and suggest social action to address TB. This article contributes ideas and examples of experiences to encourage innovative, community-academic engaged inter- and multidisciplinary interventions like the Nuestra Casa (Our House) initiative. Nuestra Casa is an advocacy, communication and social mobilization strategy to address TB and HIV health disparities and inequalities in underserved communities, which we argue provides a useful model for combating TB and other inequalities plaguing the US-Mexico borderland.