presenter martha olaya-crowley, m.ed., lcsw wake county human services mental health issues &...

Presenter

Martha Olaya-Crowley, M.Ed., LCSW Wake County Human Services

Mental Health Issues & The Latino Migrant Farm Worker

Human Health & Well Being

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Deficiency Needs

•Physiological: hunger, thirst, bodily comfort etc

•Safety/Security: out of danger

•Belongingness and Love: affiliate with others, be accepted.

•Esteem: to achieve , be competent, gain approval and recognition

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Growth Needs

•Cognitive: to know, understand and

explore

•Aesthetic: symmetry order and beauty

•Self-actualization: to find self-fulfillment and realize one’s potential

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs& Latino Migrant Farm Worker conditions

Physiological NeedsLatino Migrant Farm Workers live in

•poverty,•substandard, unsanitary housing, •lack of toilets, •lack of hand washing facilities in the fields, •exposure to toxic agricultural chemicals,•hunger and thirst, •heat exposure and stroke

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs &Latino Migrant Farm Worker conditions

Safety/security needs: out of danger;

•exploitation,

•discrimination and abuse,

•sporadic work, hard/demanding work,

•financial concerns and instability,

•illness,

•community violence.


Belonging & Love needs: affiliate with others, be accepted; • transient lifestyle,• frequent moves • isolation, • fragmented or discontinued contact with family, • lack of friendships, • lack of health care, • lack of educational resources• lack of familiarity w/ social services systems• lack of contact with the broader Latino community.


Esteem Needs:

be competent, gain approval and recognition;

• language barriers,• isolation, • discrimination, • mistreatment, • poorly paid, • demanding work, • losses due to migration.

Migration: A Process of Uprooting

Migration involves at least three forms of

uprooting:

• Physical

• Social

• Cultural


Physical uprooting….. “..is living without the familiarity of people’s faces, the sound of their voices, the feel of the streets, the comfort of the houses, the odors of the foods, the cold and heat of the air, the myriad of smells, sounds, and sights including the configuration of stars in the sky at night, and the landscape that has been internal and external…”

The Latino Families in Therapy (Falicov, 1998)


Social uprooting……..

“..is living without family, friends,

church, working environment, resources,

like transportation, medical, and financial.

Social uprooting causes social marginality

and social isolation leading

to decreasing self-esteem and depression.”

Latino Families in Therapy ( Falicov.1998)


Cultural uprooting. •The disruption of lifelong attachments and stabilities.•Meanings are uprooted internally and externally.

•The uprooting of established ways of thinking and doing, and the massive, abrupt exposure to a new language, and a new way of life, precipitate psychological distress most commonly referred as “culture shock”. Latino Families in Therapy (Falicov.1998)


Culture Shock

• Culture shock is a reactive process that results from the coexistence of two factors: • The disconcerting, stressful, anxiety provoking encounter with the new culture, paired with the • Painful mourning for the loss of the physical, social and cultural aspects of the old culture. Tha Latino Families in Therapy.( Falicov,1998)

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Flashbacks

• Recurrent dreams and nightmares

• Fear and Anxiety

• Inability to concentrate

• Sleep disturbances

• Helplessness

• Hyper-vigilance

• Ongoing maltreatment causes“On going

Traumatic Stress”

Coping With Uprooting

Loneliness AnxietyNot feeling safe Alcohol use/abuse Palpitations Domestic ViolenceDifficulty breathing Panic AttacksAgoraphobia DizzinessPhobias ParanoiaDepression InsomniaFeelings of worthlessnessFeelings of inferiorityGastrointestinal Problems

Remedies To Assist Migrant Farm workers Cope With Migration

Promote, advocate and support the provision of decent, adequate and appropriate living conditions

Support and validate the farm worker’s efforts to retain and celebrate the physical, social and cultural aspects of their culture. Promote and support social interactions with each others in the community. Build new friendships.

Facilitate involvement and participation in church.


•Support and facilitate access to books, magazines,

newspaper in Spanish.

•Promote, support and facilitate supportive

interactions through discussion groups, and social

gatherings.

•Provide and facilitate transportation to reach out and interact with the community.


•Promote, support and facilitate English classes and literacy classes.

Promote Support and organize leisure activities, movies, games, TV, sports, soccer games etc.

presenter martha olaya-crowley, m.ed., lcsw wake county human services mental health issues &...

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