SESSION I. Hired and Contract Ag Workforce – Sustainable Solutions
Chair: Marc Schenker, MD, MPH, University of California Davis, WCAHS
Vulnerable and underserved populations make up a substantial majority of the agricultural workforce in the West. These workers are at great risk of occupational injury and poor health outcomes. All of the NIOSH Ag Centers have considerable research and outreach activities that aim to reduce these adverse outcomes. With this in mind, the goal of the Hired and Contract Ag Workforce session is threefold: 1) to enhance collaborations of people working on common challenges, both research and outreach, of improving health and safety among hired and contract agricultural workers; 2) to share knowledge of unique approaches appropriate for improving the health of hired and contract agricultural workers; and 3) to learn about effective approaches to addressing sensitive health issues such as sexual harassment and mental health among vulnerable workers. In addition to presentations from Ag Center members on their research activities, a panel will discuss the translation of research to practice at the community level.
Engagement through Promotores de Salud
Mary Jo Ybarra-Vega, MS, LMHC, Outreach/Behavioral Health Coordinator, Moses Lake/Quincy Community Health Center
Mental and Physical Health of Immigrant Workers in CAFOs and Field Ag
Athena Ramos, PhD, CS-CASH, University of Nebraska Medical Center
Occupational Health and Safety of U.S. Farmworkers in the High Plains
Anita Pena, PhD, HICAHS, Colorado State University
Diversity within the Forestry and Logging Workforce
Vanessa Casanova, PhD, SW Ag Center, University of Texas
Panel: Sustainable Models of Research and Translation to Improve Farmworker Health
Moderator: Xóchitl Castañeda, Health Initiative of the Americas, at the School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley Panelists composed of previous speakers