Curtis Center 2024 Impact Report

PUBLISHED DECEMBER, 2023

Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training University of Michigan School of Social Work

2019 - 2023

Dr. James L. Curtis University of Michigan Alumnus, Psychiatrist, and Philanthropist

“

It is fortunate that we have the leadership of Professor Daphne C. Watkins and the team she has assembled to work with her during this political crisis brought about by recent Supreme Court decisions to nullify the gains that have been made to make our nation a leader in showing the benefits of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training is in just the right place and at just the right time to resist this effort to turn back the clock on the past several

“

decades to make our nation and the world a better place.

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Contents 2

Message from Dr. James L. Curtis

4

Welcome

5

Executive Summary

6

About the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training

7

Vision, Misson, and Goals

9

Leadership

9

External Advisory Board

10

Core Team

11

Curtis Center Faculty

11

Signature Program

12

13 14

Affiliates

Research Assistants Making a Difference Across the Globe – Research Impact

15

Research Projects

24

Education and Training

28

Community Outreach

30

Advancing Health Equity Programs

30

Curtis Center Signature Programs and Faculty

36

The Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training — Looking Back at the Last Five Years

38

Curtis Center Selected Research Publications

39

Partners

42

Looking Ahead to the Future

3

Welcome from the Director Daphne C. Watkins, PhD Curtis Center Director University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work

On behalf of the entire team at the Vivian A. and

“reset” we needed to refocus and reassess how we

James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and

want to truly make a difference in the communities

Training, I am proud to bring you our 2019 - 2023

we care about the most.

Impact Report. This report is a cumulative account of the last five years of Curtis Center activities — a marker

So, this Impact Report is special to us. We are grateful

for what we are doing to make a difference in the

to our team and our partners for maintaining an

lives of individuals from marginalized communities in

unwavering level of support for us and our desire to

Michigan and across the globe.

advance health equity. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that while this report highlights our

When I became the Director of the Curtis Center in

accomplishments, we, too, experienced some

January 2019, I was filled with both excitement,

challenges. But we stand firmly by this impact report

confidence, and fear—excitement about the critical

because the challenges we experienced amplified

work ahead of us and confidence in knowing that

our successes in unspeakable ways. So thank you.

we can truly make a difference, but also fear of the

Thank you for your interest in our impact and our reach.

unknown. Looking back, my fear was not unwarranted, as I had no idea that 13 months into my first term as Curtis Center Director, a global pandemic would force us to pivot from our original strategic plans.

Though scary at first, I look back on those months now, grateful for the patience, wisdom, and support we all provided one another. The world slowed down, and everyone took a moment to exhale, reflect, and recalibrate. I did not know this then, but that brief pause in our “business as usual” was the

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As far as I am concerned, we are just getting started.

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Executive Summary Welcome to the 2019 - 2023 Impact Report of the

Next, our report takes a deep dive into the impact of

Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health

the Curtis Center in Michigan and across the globe.

Equity Research and Training. The vision of the

We begin with a brief overview of how we make a

Curtis Center is “health equity for marginalized

difference in the communities we serve, and then

communities in Michigan and across the globe.”

we help readers distinguish between Curtis Center

The vision feeds into our mission which is “to stimulate

projects and Curtis Center programs. Namely, our

research, training, and outreach opportunities that

projects are our research, educational, and outreach

promote health equity by supporting work that

efforts we do with sponsored funding. Our programs

deepens our understanding of the factors that lead

(i.e., the Signature Programs Initiative) are our

to inequities and the strategies that eliminate them.”

premier grant-making mechanisms to support innovations led by faculty members embedding

In all that we do, we strive to advance health equity.

practical ways to advance health equity into their

So this impact report includes seven major sections

overall programs of research.

that help readers familiarize themselves with the inner workings of our center, our program outcomes,

The final section of the Impact Report takes readers

and our impact. The report begins with an introduction

for a walk along our journey to becoming the Curtis

to the Curtis Center. We provide a history of the

Center we are today. We provide a timeline, selected

center, the vision, mission, and goals. We also offer

research publications of the Curtis Center leadership

an account of the center’s renaming in 2019 and the

and Signature Program faculty, and a list of Curtis

motivation behind that. Then, we introduce the Curtis

Center partners. Then, we invite you to look ahead

Center team, including the leadership, faculty, staff,

with us into the foreseeable future. How has what

students, and affiliates. Next, we share information

we have done in the past set us up for a successful

about our impressive external advisory board, which

future? We leave you with the answer to this

comprises some of the world’s top leaders in health,

question as we begin planning for the Curtis Center

human services, and social justice.

of tomorrow.

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About the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training The Vivian A. and James L. Curtis School of Social

School of Social Work Development Office to rename

Work Research and Training Center was named in

the center the Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center

2007 to recognize James and Vivian Curtis’s gift

for Health Equity Research and Training.

to the School during the Michigan Difference fundraising campaign. According to Dr. Curtis, the

We continue to be grateful to Dr. Curtis for his support

purpose of the Curtis Center gift is to: “…provide

and friendship with the Curtis Center, the School of

strategic research career planning and peer support

Social Work, and the University. Dr. Curtis celebrated

to junior faculty dedicated to bringing to light and

his 101st birthday on April 27, 2023.

ameliorating health-related and social disparities commonly experienced by under-served communities.”

When Professor Daphne C. Watkins became director of the Curtis Center in January 2019, she believed it was time to reignite its focus on eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity. Professor Watkins worked with Dean Lynn Videka and the

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Goals

Mission Vision

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Health equity for marginalized communities in Michigan and across the globe.

The mission of the Curtis Center is to stimulate research, education/ training, and community outreach opportunities that promote health equity. We do this by supporting scholars whose work deepens our understanding of the factors that lead to inequities and the strategies that eliminate them.

RESEARCH To advance the conduct and mobilization of research on health equity that impacts marginalized communities.

EDUCATION/TRAINING To establish fertile ground for health equity education and training for faculty, staff, and students.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH To build and sustain direct engagement with communities so that the center can generate real world impact.

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C U R T I S C E N T E R F O R H E A LT H E Q U I T Y R E S E A R C H A N D T R A I N I N G

The Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and

Although the focus of the center is on facilitating

Training is unique in that it promotes innovative

the improvement of health of marginalized groups,

and aspirational models to achieve health equity

success in this effort will include the study of various

through research, education/training, and

social determinants that influence health outcomes

community outreach.

(e.g., socioeconomic status, education, family dynamics, social systems, etc.). The work of the

Our efforts are tied together by a core commitment

Curtis Center addresses multiple settings across

to understanding health disparities and the upstream

multiple levels while focusing on historically

factors that drive these inequities at the population

marginalized individuals and communities.

level. Despite documentation of health disparities and inequities, there is still substantial work to be done to understand the forces behind them and few strategies to eliminate them.

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Our Leadership Daphne C. Watkins, PhD Curtis Center Director; University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor; Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work

Jaclynn Hawkins, PhD, MSW Associate Professor of Social Work, Curtis Center Associate Director

External Advisory Board

Paula G. Allen-Meares, PhD

Jorge Delva, PhD, MSW

Jodi Jacobson Frey, PhD, LCSW

Chancellor Emerita, John Corbally Presidential Professor Emerita, Professor of Medicine, College of Medicine; Professor, Community Health Sciences Division, School of Public Health, University of Illinois, Chicago, Dean Emerita, School of Social Work, The University of Michigan

Paul Farmer Professor for the Center for Innovation in Social Work & Health (CISWH), Boston University

Professor & Associate Dean for Research, Chair, Social Work in the Workplace & Employee Assistance Sub-specialization, Founder & Faculty Executive Director, Behavioral Health & Well-being Lab, University of Maryland, Baltimore

Derek M. Griffith, PhD

Tanya Sharpe, PhD, MSW

Michael Spencer, PhD

Professor, Health Management & Policy and Professor, Department of Oncology, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center; Founding Co-Director, Georgetown Racial Justice Institute; Founder and Director of the Center for Men’s Health Equity in the Racial Justice Institute, Georgetown University

Associate Professor, Endowed Chair in Social Work in the Global Community, Founder & Director, The Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto

Dean, School of Social Work, University of Washington, Presidential Term Professor of Social Work, Director of Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander & Oceanic Affairs, University of Washington

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C U R T I S C E N T E R F O R H E A LT H E Q U I T Y R E S E A R C H A N D T R A I N I N G

Core Team

Jamie M. Abelson, LMSW, ACSW

Hannah Burgess, MPH

Kate Kloss, MS, RDN, CDCES

Research Associate and Data Analyst

Program Manager

Keith F. Miller, Jr., M Ed, MFA

Sharon Norris-Shelton, MSc

Jane A. Rafferty, MA

Program Manager

Senior Research Associate

Research Area Specialist Senior

Srijani Sengupta, BA

Kiyoshi Shelton, BA

Kirstn Tatar, MA

Clinical Research Coordinator

Community Engagement Manager

Executive Assistant to the Director

Program Manager

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Signature Program Faculty

Jaclynn Hawkins, PhD Associate Professor of Social Work, Curtis Center Associate Director

Lenette Jones, PhD, ACNSBC, RN

Jamie Mitchell, PhD

Assistant Professor, School of Nursing

Associate Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work and Faculty Associate, Research Center for Group Dynamics, Institute for Social Research

Katie Schultz, PhD

Daphne C. Watkins, PhD

Anao Zhang, PhD

Assistant Professor of Social Work

University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor; Curtis Center Director; Professor of Social Work, School of Social Work

Assistant Professor of Social Work, Clinical Research Director, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program, University of Michigan Health

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C U R T I S C E N T E R F O R H E A LT H E Q U I T Y R E S E A R C H A N D T R A I N I N G

Faculty Affiliates

NKemka Anyiwo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Columbia University

Jade Burns, PhD, RN, CPNP-PC Assistant Professor of Nursing, The University of Michigan

Fernanda L. Cross, PhD, MSW Assistant Professor of Social Work, The University of Michigan

James M. Ellis, PhD

Paul J. Fleming, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Assistant Professor, School of Education, The University of Michigan

Assistant Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, School of Public Health, The University of Michigan

Natasha Johnson, PhD, LLMSW

Gretchen A. Piatt, PhD, MPH

James Smith, PhD

Associate Chair for Education Programs, Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences, Associate Professor of Health Behavior and Health Education, Director of Health Infrastructures and Learning Systems (HILS) Program, The University of Michigan

Deputy Dean of Rural and Remote Health, Northern Territory Professor of Health and Social Equity, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia

Assistant Professor of Social Work, Columbia University

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Janelle R. Goodwill, PhD, MSW Neubauer Family Assistant Professor, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, The University of Chicago

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Faculty Affiliates (Cont’d) Ed-Dee G. Williams, PhD, LLMSW Assistant Professor of Social Work, Boston College

Kara Zivin, PhD Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The University of Michigan Medical School, Professor of Health Management and Policy, The University of Michigan School of Public Health

Research Trainees

Allura Casanova, PhD, MS

Ash Chandrakapure

Alana Ewen, MPH

Research Associate

Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Keion Harris

Nina Jackson Levin, PhD, MSW

Katie Kurnick, MSW

Research Assistant

Research Associate

Research Assistant

Brittany Ribeiro Brown, MSW

Ashley Starks, MSW

Research Assistant

Program Assistant

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Making a Difference Across the Globe – Our Research Impact

“

The Curtis Center has provided me with an amazing learning community where I am able to workshop ideas, brainstorm solutions for issues I have faced with research projects, or with staying productive and moving my program of research forward.

Fernanda Cross, PhD, MSW

“

Curtis Center Faculty Affiliate

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Curtis Center Research Projects (Since 2019) A Behavioral Health Collaborative for Young Black Men & Boys

Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF), with Packard Health (2022-2023); $100,000

The Michigan Men’s Health Education Project

Sun Life Trust Foundation (20222023) ($100,000)

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Kiyoshi Shelton, Keith Miller, Jamie Abelson, with Dr. Ray Rion from Packard Health

Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins, Kate Kloss

This is a communitybased, coalition-building project. We are developing a network of community organizations committed to addressing the behavioral health needs of young Black men in Washtenaw County, Michigan.

IMPACT:

The Michigan Men’s Health Education Project is a partnership with the Michigan Institute of Urology’s Men’s Health Foundation. The purpose of the project is to adapt and preliminarily validate a peer leader program targeting hypertension and diabetes-related prevention, screening, and self-management behaviors for use with Black men (age 18 and over) at risk for or living with type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

IMPACT:

We are developing a network of community organizations to examine and help fill gaps in care for young Black men in the county.

We are developing and evaluating low-cost programs that build on available resources and existing infrastructures in the community. Specifically, it will provide evidence for the effectiveness and relative cost-effectiveness of hypertension and diabetes prevention and self-management support delivered by peer leaders in underserved communities, specifically focusing on Black men.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

YBMen Secondary Data Analysis

UM Poverty Solutions (2022-2023) ($20,000)

Centering Underrepresented Faculty

The University of Michigan, ADVANCE (2022-2023) ($7,000)

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Brittany Ribeiro Brown, Hannah Burgess, Jane Rafferty

Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins, Kate Kloss

Evaluation of Novel and Emerging Practices for COVID-19

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NNPHI/CDC subaward (2022-2024) ($300,000) Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Jamie Abelson, Jane Rafferty, Hannah Burgess, Brittainy Ribeiro Brown, Kirstn Tatar

We are exploring how contextual factors shape the success of the YBMen program for Black men and boys. Our investigation informs our understanding of inequities among educational systems for this population. Funding will also be used to cover costs associated with disseminating the findings to various audiences.

IMPACT:

This project will provide pre-tenure and newly tenured faculty from diverse backgrounds (broadly defined) with a two-day writing retreat to provide a safe space to discuss and work towards career milestones.

Additionally, there will be a focus group to brainstorm how the larger university administration can better support underrepresented early-career faculty.

IMPACT:

We are evaluating two state health department programs to address CDC’s question: To what extent do grant recipients improve capacity and services to address COVID-19 health disparities and advance health equity?

IMPACT:

We are exploring the impact of the YBMen Project on both participants and the systems in which they are being educated.

We are providing a safe space for pre-tenure faculty from diverse backgrounds to support one another as they seek to meet tenure track milestones. While opportunities to network during the pandemic have been scarce, leaving many junior faculty isolated, this project will provide a multi-day retreat to overcome this barrier.

We leveraged our years of expertise in qualitative and mixed methods research and evaluation to assist two state health departments with evaluations of their COVID-19 efforts.

Findings from the evaluations will inform future emergency public health efforts and sustainable programs that address health equity across the states.

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Michigan Men’s Diabetes Project 2 (MenD 2)

NIH R21 - NIDDK (2021-2024) ($585,000)

Rapid Review: Best/Promising Practices for COVID-19 Health Equity

NNPHI/CDC subaward (2021-2022) ($250,000)

The YBMen Project at the University Michigan

University of Michigan’s Wolverine Wellness (20212022) ($30,000)

Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins, Kate Kloss

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Jamie Abelson, Kate Kloss, Jane Rafferty

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Keith Miller, Brittany Ribeiro Brown, Jamie Abelson, Ash Chandrakapur, Keion Harris

MenD 2, a larger/longer version of MenD, is an 18-month, pilot randomized clinical trial (RCT) of an adapted intervention to evaluate recruitment and retention rates, treatment and intervention satisfaction, and estimate intervention effect sizes on A1C and self-management behaviors, as well as on diabetes social support and diabetes-related distress.

IMPACT:

We were one of four teams that contributed to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) repository of literature high-lighting ways to “mobilize partners and collaborators to advance health equity and address social determinants of health as they relate to COVID-19 health disparities among populations at higher risk”.

IMPACT:

We partner with Wolverine Wellness to provide the YBMen 2.0 intervention to Black male students on campus. The program ran for four weeks and addressed mental health, manhood, social support, anti-racism, and wellness.

IMPACT:

We provide insight into best practices for recruiting Black men into research projects.

Additionally, MenD 2 adds to the current body of research regarding using gender-matched peer leaders for diabetes self-management support.

We made valuable contributions to the final COVID-19 Health Equity Resource Library, which is now available publicly.

It will be especially valuable to public health departments addressing health inequities.

We strengthened the university’s role in developing and delivering mental health and wellness resources for Black male students. By adapting previous YBMen programming and incorporating modernday needs of Black male students, we increased the sustainability of resources for Black male students for years to come.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

Unarmed Mental Health Crisis Evaluation: “Anti-racist action by cities and communities to respond to racist police violence”

UM National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID) (2021-2022) ($15,000)

The Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research (MCDTR): Pilot and Feasibility Grants Program

NIH P30 – NIDDK (2021-2026) ($14,000)

The Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research: National Core on Leveraging Community, Family, and Peer Support

NIH P30 NIDDK (2021-2026) ($3,900,000)

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Dr. Paul Fleming, Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Jamie Abelson

Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Jamie Abelson, Dr. Edwin Fisher, UNC Chapel Hill, and Patrick Yao Tang, UNC Chapel Hill

Led by Paul Fleming and his team (at the SPH) we are working to explore models for an unarmed non-police response to address mental health/ social crises. This project is focused on how Ann Arbor is creating an unarmed public safety program and the role residents/activists play in the creation of such a program.

IMPACT:

The MCDTR Pilot/ Feasibility (P/F) Grants Program provides start-up support and mentorship for highquality research proposals for T2 through T4 translational research related to MCDTR research themes. A crucial component has been to stimulate interest in MCDTR pilot research activities throughout many units of the University of Michigan.

IMPACT:

This National MCDTR Core, co-led by Daphne C. Watkins and Dr. Ed Fisher, pulls together U of M, UNC, and other national faculty to explore the relationships and synergies of Communities, Families, and Peers in diabetes care and research, and considers the pertinence of these to addressing racism, injustices, and inequities in diabetes and health.

IMPACT:

We are exploring existing models for alternatives to armed police to address mental health or social crises. We are also examining how a municipality takes steps to create an unarmed public safety program, and the key metrics to determine the success of such a program. This research is documenting Ann Arbor’s process for creating an unarmed public safety program and the role residents and activists play in the creation of such a program.

We are supporting early stage researchers from under-represented backgrounds through training, mentorship, and grant funding. This program will also continue to strengthen partnerships with community organizations to promote productive collaborations with MCDTR investigators by co-funding pilot studies.

A significant impact of this work is the collaboration with and education of leaders in the field of Diabetes care and research with a health equity perspective. Core 3 serves colleagues at the U of M, UNC, and diabetes researchers across the US through the national facilitation of a collaborative learning network of those interested in the contributions of and interactions among community, peer, and family supports for improving and reducing inequity in diabetes prevention and management.

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NIH R25 (2021-2026) ($1,300.000) Dr. Melissa Dejonckheere, Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Jane Rafferty

Michigan Men’s Diabetes Project (MenD)

Pepper Center and Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation (2020-2022) ($82,000) Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins, Kate Kloss

This project carries out an intervention for underrepresented high school students in southeastern Michigan with the goal of increasing representation in STEM careers. By engaging students in research, the intervention promotes researcher identities, scientific literacy, and scientific self-efficacy.

IMPACT:

The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility/acceptability of peer-led diabetes self-management support for Black men with type 2 diabetes.

The aim is to estimate intervention effect size on diabetes self-management behaviors and A1C, and changes in weight, blood pressure, quality of life, diabetes-relateddistress, diabetes social support, and adherence to gender norms.

IMPACT:

We are incubating underrepresented students’ interest in entering STEM careers.

Participation in this program will facilitate scientific knowledge and the belief among students that they will be successful in STEM careers.

MenD provides participants with diabetes self-management education while supporting and connecting with one another. MenD also adds to the current literature on utilizing gender-specific lay health workers to better support Black men with type 2 diabetes in leading healthier lives.

“

As an undergraduate student, the Curtis Center not only impacted my aspirations within health equity-based research but also enacted as a wider community filled with scholars and advisors that will continue to support my journey into graduate school as a joint doctoral student.

“

My Health Project

Keion Harris Doctoral Student, Research Assistant

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

“

The Curtis Center is such a vibrant community that is supporting and carrying out health equity research.

It’s an important center on campus for innovation, rigor, and training the next generation of scholars. Dr. Watkins is an incredible leader and has created a space where critical and impactful research and training can occur.

“

Paul Fleming, PhD Curtis Center Faculty Affiliate

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Online Diabetes Education Project (ODEP)

Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research, NIDDK (2020-2022) ($50,000) Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins, Kate Kloss

Increasing Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Provider Capacity Findings from Interviews with MedicationAssisted Treatment Beneficiaries

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) (2020-2021) ($3,000,000) Dr. Kara Zivin, Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Jamie Abelson, Najeia Mention

The “Online Diabetes Education Program” (ODEP) was a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a Virtual Diabetes-Self Management Education and Support (DSME/S) program. The aim of ODEP was to evaluate the impact of a virtually delivered diabetes education program on glycemic control (HbA1c) as well as diabetes-related distress, self-management behaviors and diabetes social support, among patients being seen at a Detroit-based federally qualified health center.

IMPACT:

We explored race and gender differences in Medication Assisted Treatment (MATs) for substance use disorders to understand the factors that influence the type of MAT people receive and the inequities reported.

We reviewed 51 patient interview transcripts to investigate initial and recent MAT prescriptions and experiences with stigma and perceived bias and considerations for the new Michigan Crisis Access Line (MiCAL).

IMPACT:

During COVID-19, we provided virtual diabetes self-management education and support (DSME/S) to a high risk populations with type 2 diabetes. This was particularly meaningful given social distancing policies. Participants of ODEP were patrons of a federally qualified health clinic and were provided with accessible and free virtually-delivered group-based DSME/S.

We gained an understanding of race and gender inequities in Medication Assisted Treatment for SUD to help healthcare professionals more equitably prescribe these meds and deal with diverse patients, and improve insurance and SUD-related policies in Michigan.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

Racial Equity in Professional Health and Human Service Networks

Kellogg Foundation (2017-2020) ($60,000)

Training Promotoras/ Community Health Workers using Culturally and LinguisticallyAppropriate Research Best Practices

NIH U01 (2020-2024) ($2,200,000)

RISE YBMen

The Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims (Toronto, Canada) (2023-2025) $480,884 CAD

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Sharon Norris-Shelton, Dr. Janelle Goodwill, Cecelela Tomi, Jamie Abelson

Dr. Susan Murphy, Dr. Daphne C. Watkins

Dr. Daphne C. Watkins, Dr. Tanya Sharpe, Keith Miller, Brittany Ribeiro Brown, Jamie Abelson

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The goal of this field scan was to increase knowledge about the development and sustainability of health professionals who identify as members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

How do professional networks advance the research and training opportunities in their professions while employing a racial equity lens?

IMPACT:

This project aims to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate research best practices training for Community Health Workers which addresses the need to increase research competence of this workforce, empower community members, and facilitate the relevant, well-conducted research needed to impact health in underserved areas such as diverse, minority, and Spanish-speaking communities.

IMPACT:

The YBMen team is advising and consulting on the adaptation of the YBMen intervention for African and Caribbean Black men in Toronto.

IMPACT:

This report underscored the numerous ways professional networks apply racial equity principles in order to operationalize racial equity. However, we found most organizations still refer to their work in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion and not as “racial equity” work.

In recognition of a need for tailored good clinical practice training for researchers, our team led the development of the Best Practices for Social and Behavioral Research Course. The course was developed in 2017 as part of an effort to increase competency-based research training. It is now recognized as an acceptable training to fulfill the good clinical practice requirement for researchers at the NIH.

These international programs are building upon YBMen’s success to develop interventions that address the specific needs of Black male survivors of homicide victims, in Toronto.

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Our Research Funding 190k

$

2022

2021

2020

450k

$

2023

$

345k $

430k

1.4m

$

Involved in nearly $12 million of sponsored projects

Allocated to the Curtis Center

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Curtis Center Education and Training Training and Engaging Future Leaders

“

My time as a faculty affiliate at the Curtis Center has been invaluable. Dr. Watkins is an excellent teacher and leader. The community of scholars in the Curtis Center is outstanding and the scholarship being produced is making an impact worldwide. I am grateful to be a part of this community as it has contributed to my professional development in health equity.

Participating in the mixed methods certificate program has expanded my methodological approach to my ongoing research program.

“

James M. Ellis, PhD Curtis Center Faculty Affiliate

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Mentoring Junior Faculty

A significant part of education and training at the Curtis Center involves mentoring faculty, especially junior faculty. This involves mentoring faculty on how to succeed in the academy (e.g., developing a research agenda, applying for grants, writing papers, pulling together a research team, etc.), and how to do health equity research.

Mixed Methods Training

The Certificate in Mixed Methods Research (MMR) is designed for researchers and practitioners in social work, nursing, psychology, public health, anthropology, political science, sociology, education, and other applied fields who are interested in: • Ways to integrate qualitative and quantitative research methods and data • Commonly used qualitative and quantitative data collection methods and procedures • Popular data analysis techniques used in in the applied professions • Effective approaches to research conducted in practice settings Participants learn how to understand and appreciate a scientific approach in building practice knowledge. Emphasis is placed on increasing participants’ ability to critique theoretical foundations of research, form qualitative and quantitative research questions, create study designs that answer mixed methods research questions, and integrate qualitative and quantitative datasets for analysis and interpretation.

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research (MCDTR)

National Core: Leveraging Community, Peer, and Family Support (Co-Leaders: Edwin Fisher, PhD, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill and Daphne C. Watkins, PhD).

This national core facilitates research on interventions addressing community, family, and peer support. Aims are to 1) provide consultation and assistance to researchers to increase and enhance T2-T4 translational research that affects, improves, or reduces inequities in the prevention and management of diabetes; 2) curate and disseminate resources nationwide; and 3) develop a special interest group to enhance the quality of T2-T4 research and communication among leading and early career researchers addressing community, family and peer influences in prevention, management, and reduction of inequity in diabetes.

National Core May Meeting - Communities, Families, and Peers: Opportunities to Address Diabetes, Racism, and Inequities (Daphne C. Watkins, PhD and Edwin B. Fisher, PhD) The objective of this meeting was to articulate the relationships/synergies among communities, families, and peers; explore their pertinence in addressing racism, injustice, and inequity in diabetes and health; identify research opportunities and resources, and create a base among thought leaders in these fields to promote broader recognition of the relationships among C/F and P, and their importance in wellbeing, especially in addressing racism and inequities in diabetes and health.

Pilot/Feasibility Study (P/FS) Grants (William H. Herman, MD, MPH and Jaclynn Hawkins, PhD) The MDRTC Pilot/Feasibility Study (P/FS) Grants Program attracts junior investigators to diabetes-related research and stimulates new biomedical, clinical, epidemiologic, and health services research in diabetes. P/FS grants also encourage established investigators working in other disease areas to focus their expertise on problems related to diabetes and encourage established investigators in diabetes to explore new, high-risk directions.

Major benefits of the P/FS Grants Program are that it attracts new investigators into research careers in diabetes and related disorders, attracts investigators from Schools and Institutes across the University of Michigan (UM), and makes the MDRTC a catalyst for new interdisciplinary collaborations.

Pilot and Feasibility Workshop in Translational Health Equity Research (Jaclynn Hawkins, PhD) The emphasis of this training for junior researchers was a lively and informal discussion of preliminary research ideas, planned, and/or problematic rather than on the formal presentation of results or the interpretation of complex projects. This training was also aimed at teaching young investigators how to apply Core Directors’ methodologies and expertise to their research. The overall goal was to allow as much fruitful discussion and information exchange to occur outside of the scheduled presentations as occurred within.

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Curtis Center Lectures CC Health Equity Lectures: • Tanya Sharpe, PhD: “A Pandemic of Grief: Experiences of Black Survivors of Homicide Victims – A discussion on the disproportionate impact, root causes and consequences of homicide for Black communities” • Anao Zhang, PhD: “Creating an Equitable Healthcare System for Adolescents and Young Adults Living with Cancer: Overcoming Unique Bio-psycho-social-spiritual Challenges” • Ed-Dee Williams, PhD: “Exploring Depression in Black Autistic Youth” • Jodi Jacobson Frey, PhD: “National Guidelines for Workplace Suicide Prevention: How Social Workers Can Help Implement Comprehensive Public Health Approaches.”

Recorded lectures are maintained on the Curtis Center website.

2019 - 2023 Research Trainees Postdoctoral Fellows: Zachary Jackson, Natasha Johnson, Lloyd Talley, Ed-Dee Williams PhD Students: Brittany Ribeiro Brown, Nina Jackson Levin, Alana Ewen, Allura Casanova MSW Students: Katie Kurnick, Najeia Mention, Ashley Starks, Cecelela Tomi, Davon Wheeler Undergraduate Students: Ash Chadrakapure, Keion Harris, Srijani Sengupta

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Curtis Center Outreach

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MAKING A DIFFERENCE ACROSS THE GLOBE

Advancing Health Equity Curtis Center Signature Programs The purpose of the Inaugural Curtis Center Signature Programs Initiative was to “launch” School of Social Work faculty who want to develop new or existing programs of research on health equity. Individuals and teams of SSW faculty were invited to apply. Three of the four programs selected received $10,000 to be used over the two- year period (March 2020-2022). Four were selected.

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“

The Curtis Center pilot funds enabled us to do innovative health research that was a cross-pollination of all of our intersecting areas of research. Further, it allowed us to fund several students to assist with the research, providing them with an enriching experience and significantly moving our project and publications forward.

“

Jaclynn Hawkins, PhD, Lenette Jones, PhD, Jamie Mitchell, PhD

African American Chronic Care Equity through Self-management Program

The purpose of this program was to work in synergy across multiple NIH-funded research projects in order to support the development, implementation, and translation of culturally informed and evidence-based behavioral and health services interventions that target improvements in the self-management of chronic diseases among African American adults. Our primary outcomes related to shared scholarly publications, the testing of two interventions in the area of diabetes self-management and hypertension self-management, and establishing a research registry for Black older adults that will connect them to studies targeting improvements in chronic diseases.

PROGRAM IMPACT

Co-leads: Jaclynn Hawkins, PhD, Associate Professor of Social Work; Lenette Jones, PhD, ACNS-BC, RN, Assistant Professor, School of Nursing; Jamie Mitchell, PhD, Associate Professor of Social Work

This program advances health equity by: • Increasing the number of scholars of color interested in working on health disparities • Increasing the findings available in the literature to guide care and self- management for patients of color • Translating self-management evidence available to diverse groups, specifically by sharing clear and concise messaging on social media (and other accessible formats) so that individuals and providers can make informed decisions about self-management • Advancing the evidence in adapting and implementing effective self-management programming for African American men and women, with an emphasis on utilizing community resources and infrastructure •Creating diabetes programming that addresses the intersection of gender and markers of marginalization (e.g. race/ethnicity; income) • Facilitating an understanding of barriers and facilitators to implementing a communitybased approach and the impact of the initiative

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A D VA N C I N G H E A LT H E Q U I T Y P R O G R A M S

Developing Collaborative Research to Address Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women in Michigan Lead: Katie Schultz, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Work

This program established a research partnership between faculty of the U-M School of Social Work and a statewide tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalition serving tribes in Michigan. Disproportionately higher rates of domestic violence and sexual assault against American Indian and Alaska Native women result in higher rates of negative health outcomes and health disparities. Identifying research priorities with key stakeholders across the state will support the development of a new, innovative program of community-led research to address violence and promote health equity among tribal communities in Michigan.

PROGRAM IMPACT: Despite sustained work in tribal communities to improve health and respond to disparate rates of intimate partner violence and sexual assault, rates of violence are consistently higher among AI/AN women compared to the general population. Violence against AI/AN women, its associated health consequences, and a lack of adequate services remain a persistent health inequity among these populations. The study developed through this program seeks to improve and support services provided by tribal victim advocacy programs to address disproportionate rates of violence among tribal communities across the state.

“

A central goal of my work is to address violence in American Indian and Alaska Native communities through communityengaged research. I was particularly eager to develop community-based partnerships with tribal-serving organizations after moving to Michigan.

This Signature Program Initiative offered dedicated time and support to develop a study in collaboration with the support of Uniting Three Fires Against Violence, a statewide tribal domestic violence and sexual assault coalition with a mission to support Michigan Tribes that prioritizes needs and issues identified by the coalition.

“

Katie Schultz, PhD

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The Curtis Center grant puts health disparity at the center of a transdisciplinary team of oncology researchers. It formalizes our group’s emphasis on health equity and has offered a wealth of opportunities to train future psycho-oncology researchers (from pre-doctoral fellows to medical residents) with a primary goal of advancing health equity for young adults diagnosed with cancer.

“

Anao Zhang, PhD

A PsychoOncology Fellowship to Support Pre-Doctoral Health Disparity Research on Adolescent and Young Adult Sex and Gender Needs During Cancer

This program created a pre-doctoral Psycho-Oncology social work Fellowship at the emergent Michigan Medicine Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Research Group (MAYA) to address the unique developmental issues that result in significantly worse health outcomes among adolescents and young adults (AYAs; aged 15-39) than their pediatric or adult counterparts, both during treatment and throughout survivorship.

The detrimental effects of cancer and treatment among this age group on infertility and sexual dysfunction significantly impact their psychosocial well-being. The social work research fellow at MAYA will thus address the paucity of research on the health inequities created by heteronormative framing of fertility and promote a more capacious or inclusive understanding of reproductive health care during cancer.

PROGRAM IMPACT: We have produced scholarly work in the field of AYA psychosocial oncology to strengthen and promote the wellness of AYAs diagnosed with cancer. We have obtained funding to support clinical and research efforts at the AYA Oncology Program at Michigan Medicine to directly engage and promote health equity. We will have an MSW graduate involved in clinical care and an MSW graduate to work on research projects.

Co-Leads: Anao Zhang, PhD, Assistant Professor of Social Work, Clinical Research Director, Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Program; Nina Jackson Levin, Predoctoral Fellow, School of Social Work

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A D VA N C I N G H E A LT H E Q U I T Y P R O G R A M S

The Young Black Men, Masculinities, and Mental Health (YBMen) Project Lead: Dr. Daphne C. Watkins (no Signature Program Initiative funding was allocated for this project)

Founded and directed by Professor Daphne C. Watkins, the YBMen Project provides young Black men with a safe place to communicate about their mental health, manhood, and social support. It is an adaptable intervention with proven strategies that have addressed unmet needs among adolescent and young adult Black males. After the initial pilot intervention at Jackson College in 2014-15, the project was implemented again at Eastern Michigan University (2016-17), Michigan State University (2017-18), Ohio State University (2017-18), Bow Middle School (2018-19), and as a Signature Program of the Curtis Center, was adapted for K-12 schools in Washtenaw County in partnership with TRAILS to Wellness.

PROGRAM IMPACT: For nearly a decade, the YBMen Project has served as a culturally-sensitive, genderspecific, and age-appropriate mental health education and social support program for Black men and boys across the Midwest. The program’s adaptability and focus on enriching the lives of Black men and boys is what has made it a success in previous years. Our ability to pivot from social media delivery to in-person delivery is what makes the YBMen Project a low-cost, high-impact program for communities in the U.S. and around the world.

“

All I ever wanted to do was enrich the lives of Black men. Bi-directional relationships between mental health and manhood have always existed, yet, early in my career I did not see programming efforts dedicated to unpacking what this experience was like for Black men. Our success really speaks to the fact that so many Black men want to talk about their mental health, manhood, and support, but until recently, did not have the ability to do so in a safe place. For many of them, the YBMen Project is that safe place.

“

Daphne C. Watkins, PhD

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“

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Being a part of the Coalition helped highlight gaps in our community and gave us an opportunity to reduce these gaps. Our patients, business practices, and process have shifted for the better because a space and support was created to do more than just talk about the issues but to do the work. We are grateful and better for it.

Ashley M. Anderson, MPA Community Outreach & Education Manager Internship Program Coordinator The Corner Health Center

“

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FALL 2018

JANUARY 2019 THE CURTIS CENTER F O R H E A LT H E Q U I T Y RESEARCH AND TRAINING

SEPT 2019

NOV 2019

WINTER 2020

MARCH 2020

DEC 2020

JULY 2021

DEC 2021

MAY 2022

JULY 2022

SEPT 2022

JUNE 2023

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Dean Lynn Videka appoints Professor Daphne C. Watkins as the Curtis Center Director

Watkins begins five-year term as Curtis Center Director

Official name changed to “Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training” Curtis Center Open House & Renaming Event

Inaugural Curtis Center Signature Programs named and launched

Curtis Center moved to remote work due to COVID -19

Curtis Center External Advisory Board named

Watkins named Associate Professor Jaclynn Hawkins as the Curtis Center Associate Director Inaugural Curtis Center Health Equity Seminar launched

Celebration of Dr. James L. Curtis’s 100th birthday

Beth Angell appointed as new dean of the School of Social Work

Watkins begins sabbatical; Hawkins named acting director

Watkins returns from sabbatical and resumes leadership

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Curtis Center Selected Research Publications

Our Work to the Community P U B L I C A T I O N S ,

A R T I C L E S

DECODING THE ROLE OF COMPANIONS IN SUPPORTING THE HEALTH COMMUNICATION OF OLDER AFRICANAMERICAN MEN WITH CANCER Mitchell, J., Hawkins, J., Williams, E. D. G., Eggly, S., & Albrecht, T. L. (2020). Journal of Patient Experience, 7(3), 324-330.

“ THEN WHO ARE YOU?

“

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CONNECTING

Young American Indian and Alaska Native women navigating cultural connectedness in dating and relationships

Schultz, K. & Noyes, E. (2020) Genealogy, 4, 117.

HEALTH PROMOTION WITH ADOLESCENT BOYS AND YOUNG MEN OF COLOUR: Global strategies for advancing research, policy, and practice in context

&

P A P E R S

POLICE VIOLENCE: Reducing the Harms of Policing Through Public Health–Informed Alternative Response Programs Spolum, M. M., Lopez, W. D., Watkins, D. C., & Fleming, P. J. (2023). American journal of public health, 113(S1), S37-S42.

THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC COSTS AND HARMS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY Smith, J., Whetton, S. & d’Abbs, P. (2019). Darwin, Menzies School of Health Research.

Smith, J., Watkins, D., & Griffith, D. (2023), New York, Springer.

EVALUATING AN ENGAGING AND COACH-ASSISTED ONLINE COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL THERAPY FOR DEPRESSION AMONG ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT CANCER SURVIVORS: A P ILOT FEASIB ILIT Y T R I A L

Trends in antenatal depression and suicidal ideation diagnoses among commercially insured childbearing individuals in the United States, 2008–2018.

Zhang, A., Weaver, A., Walling, E., Zebrack, B., Jackson Levin, N., Stuchell, B., & Himle, J. (2021). Journal of Psychosocial Oncology, 1-23.

Tabb, K. M., Dalton, V. K., Tilea, A., Kolenic, G. E., Admon, L. K., Hall, S. V., ... & Zivin, K. (2023).

Journal of affective disorders, 320, 263-267.

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Curtis Center Partners U of M Partners Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Research (AYA CaRES) Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health (CSEPH) Diabetes in Men’s Health (DiMH) Lab Elizabeth Caswell Diabetes Institute Institute for Health Policy and Innovation (IHPI) Institute for Social Research (ISR) Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research (MCDTR) Michigan Medicine (Cardiac Surgery, Learning Health Sciences, and the Rogel Cancer Center) Mixed Methods Program #MyHealth: Training the Next Generation of Health Scientists School of Nursing School of Public Health University Health Sciences Wolverine Wellness

Community Partners (MI)

National Partners

Corner Health Center

My Brother’s and Sister’s Keeper – San Francisco

Coalition for Re-envisioning Our Safety (CROS) Eastern Michigan University

Flinders University, Australia The CRIB: (Centre for Research & Innovation for Black Survivors of Homicide Victims), University of Toronto, Canada

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services

Jackson College

University of North Carolina Peers for Progress

Michigan State University

Washington State Department of Health

Michigan Institute of Urology Men’s Health Foundation

Funding Partners

Michigan Primary Care Association

U-M ADVANCE

Packard Health

American Diabetes Association

St. Patrick Senior Center, Detroit

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

The Children’s Center, Detroit

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students (TRAILS) Uniting Three Fires Against Violence, Sault Ste. Marie Ypsilanti Community High School (YCHS) Ypsilanti Seventh-day Adventist Church

International Partners

JED Foundation

The Washtenaw County Network to Improve Behavioral Health for Young Black Men: Huron High School My Brother’s Keeper Ozone House Packard Health

Claude Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) Eisenberg Family Depression Center W.K. Kellogg Foundation Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Michigan Health Endowment Fund (MHEF) Movember Foundation U-M National Center for Institutional Diversity (NCID)

Sheriff’s Dept

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

The Corner

National Institute of Health (NIH)

The YBMen Project Ypsilanti Community Schools

National Network of Public Health Institutes (NNPHI) U-M Poverty Solutions Sun Life Trust Steve Fund U-M Wolverine Wellness

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41

Looking Ahead to the Future The last five years have impacted the nation and the

With every study, every discovery, and every innovation

world in remarkable ways. Thankfully, the Curtis Center

we pursue at the Curtis Center for Health Equity

for Health Equity Research and Training has remained

Research and Training, we carve a path toward a

nimble with its approach to assessing the needs of

world where health is a fundamental right, not a

communities, supporting the intellectual contributions

privilege. Our collective efforts will empower

of our team, and training up the next generation of

communities, bridge gaps, and create a ripple effect

change agents in health equity research, practice,

of positive change that will touch the lives of

and policy.

countless generations.

As we look to the future, we are inspired by

In this future, we envision a world where health

Sankofa, a symbol of the Akan tribe in Ghana.

disparities are replaced by health equity, social

The Sankofa is a symbol of wisdom that encourages

determinants of health are transformed into drivers

us to use lessons from the past to build a better

of well-being, and where the most vulnerable

future. What we have learned from the COVID-19

among us are uplifted and protected. We believe in

pandemic, the racial reckoning, and the injustices

the power of data, compassion, and collaboration to

faced by racially and ethnically minoritized people

bring about this transformation.

and members of the LGBTQ+ community over the past five years is that we are the architects of

Looking ahead, let us stay inspired and dedicated,

change, the champions of justice, and the guardians

and together, we can create a future where health

of hope. We stand at the threshold of a future where

equity is a reality for all.

health disparities will be mere echoes of the past and where every individual, regardless of their background or circumstances, will have equal access to good health.

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“

Dr. Jaclynn Hawkins’ pivotal work with Black men living with diabetes is long-needed work that reaches to the heart of life concerns when living with a chronic disease. Her work uses a patient-centered approach that respects autonomy and creates a safe, supportive space for men to voice their struggles and questions. Dr. Hawkins’ work has provided them an avenue to renew their strength and feel empowered for self-care, as well as be an informed advocate for themselves.

Robin Nwankwo, MPH, RDN, CDCES

“

Department of Learning Health Sciences University of Michigan Medical School

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2019 -2023

Vivian A. and James L. Curtis Center for Health Equity Research and Training

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Contact Us

University of Michigan School of Social Work

(734) 764-3309

1080 South University Avenue, Room 3603

ssw.umich.edu

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106