Meeting people where they are: Exploring food banks as community mental health resources for rural Hispanic families
Western Region
Mesa
County
(Delta, Garfield, Moffat, Montrose, Rio Blanco, Routt)
- Health & Wellbeing
- Equal time spent on-campus and in the field
Primary Topic:
Health & Wellbeing
Other Topics:
Food Systems, DEI
Internship Overview:
The intern will develop new knowledge concerning the experiences of Hispanic families who utilize rural food banks in Colorado. Community food banks can be a significant resource in alleviating the stress of access to healthy foods, but food-insecure families often face a cluster of health-related barriers and needs, including those related to chronic illness and mental wellbeing (Middleton et al. 2018). Language barriers often amplify these difficulties. There is a synergistic opportunity to identify ways that food banks can support their populations around mental health yet successful solutions must be co-created with the involvement of all stakeholders, including food bank workers and the populations that utilize their services.
Documenting these experiences and knowledge will: 1) Help scholars seeking to gain a better understanding of the cultural and social navigation of Hispanic families facing food insecurity around mental health supports; 2) Identify gaps in care or services and inform practitioners on how to better serve Hispanic families’ behavioral health needs; 3) Expand the services and resources provided by food banks to food insecure Hispanic families in Northwestern Colorado.
To better understand the needs of Spanish speaking populations around mental health and food insecurity, the intern will work with a local community organization, Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) to gather information from primarily Spanish-speaking populations in the form of a survey and on-site qualitative interviews. With assistance from the project mentors, the student will synthesize the information into data that can be used to support scholars and inform community practitioners and general audiences. Applicants to this internship must be conversant in Spanish and English. Experience in qualitative research methods is preferred. Some travel will be required to conduct survey outreach in counties TBD.
Documenting these experiences and knowledge will: 1) Help scholars seeking to gain a better understanding of the cultural and social navigation of Hispanic families facing food insecurity around mental health supports; 2) Identify gaps in care or services and inform practitioners on how to better serve Hispanic families’ behavioral health needs; 3) Expand the services and resources provided by food banks to food insecure Hispanic families in Northwestern Colorado.
To better understand the needs of Spanish speaking populations around mental health and food insecurity, the intern will work with a local community organization, Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR) to gather information from primarily Spanish-speaking populations in the form of a survey and on-site qualitative interviews. With assistance from the project mentors, the student will synthesize the information into data that can be used to support scholars and inform community practitioners and general audiences. Applicants to this internship must be conversant in Spanish and English. Experience in qualitative research methods is preferred. Some travel will be required to conduct survey outreach in counties TBD.
Goals, Scope and Objectives:
The goal of this internship is to increase knowledge about the experiences of Hispanic populations around mental health and food insecurity in rural Colorado. This information will be used to: 1) Inform scholars seeking to gain a better understanding of the cultural and social navigation Hispanic families face around behavioral health in rural communities; 2) Identify gaps in care or services and inform practitioners on how to better serve the needs of food-insecure Hispanic families in rural Colorado; and 3) Share this information with FBR and their community partners to develop appropriate resources, trainings or programs for rural food banks that will help better serve Hispanic families.
During the internship, the intern will 1) Work with CSU to develop the research methodology and protocols; 2) Conduct interviews in the field with FBR’s community partners and the primarily Spanish-speaking food-insecure families they serve; and 3) The intern will document the research and share it back with FBR and their partners as well as with rural behavioral health practitioners. Additionally, this internship will connect with other Western Region interns to tour Extension research facilities to gain a broader perspective of the variety of roles offered within Extension.
During the internship, the intern will 1) Work with CSU to develop the research methodology and protocols; 2) Conduct interviews in the field with FBR’s community partners and the primarily Spanish-speaking food-insecure families they serve; and 3) The intern will document the research and share it back with FBR and their partners as well as with rural behavioral health practitioners. Additionally, this internship will connect with other Western Region interns to tour Extension research facilities to gain a broader perspective of the variety of roles offered within Extension.
With which stakeholder group(s) will the intern work?
Food insecure rural Hispanic families
CSU Agriculture Experiment Station
Community Partners, including, but not limited to the Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR)
CSU Agriculture Experiment Station
Community Partners, including, but not limited to the Food Bank of the Rockies (FBR)
What student learning outcomes do you anticipate and what are the opportunities for professional development?
Intern will practice self-directed learning skills through experiential education in authentic settings; evaluated through a pre/post assessment of pre-identified key skills and learning/practice goals including:
-Working with the Hispanic community to better understand their experiences around cultural diversity and navigating gatekeepers, capturing their aspirations, and how to support their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.
-Field work in applying quantitative and qualitative research methods
Intern will develop key skills related to expanding awareness and increasing visibility of rural Hispanic mental health experiences; evaluated through:
-Summary and synthesis of thematic results of surveys and interviews in a white paper or executive report to share with scholars and practitioners.
-Working with the Hispanic community to better understand their experiences around cultural diversity and navigating gatekeepers, capturing their aspirations, and how to support their physical, social, and emotional wellbeing.
-Field work in applying quantitative and qualitative research methods
Intern will develop key skills related to expanding awareness and increasing visibility of rural Hispanic mental health experiences; evaluated through:
-Summary and synthesis of thematic results of surveys and interviews in a white paper or executive report to share with scholars and practitioners.
