This project focuses on the role of free clinics as an essential part of the healthcare “safety net” that serves those without sufficient healthcare coverage and how free clinics have the potential to provide better mental health care for Hispanic patients. My research draws from both my experience as a Spanish-English translator and public health intern at the Community Health Care Clinic (CHCC), a free clinic in Bloomington, Illinois, as well as from an extensive literature review. The AIMS of my research are addressed by asking the following questions: What are free clinics and what space do they occupy within the larger U.S. healthcare system? What type of mental health services are available to free clinic patients and what barriers affect access to them? How do Hispanic patients uniquely encounter free clinic mental health services? What recommendations and treatment considerations can be made to improve access to mental health services for Hispanic free clinic patients? Through my research, I found that there is a notable discrepancy between mental health needs of Hispanic free clinic patients and utilization of services, and this discrepancy can be explained by a variety of cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic factors, as well as a lack of Hispanic representation in the field. My research concludes that free clinics can better serve the mental health needs of Hispanic patients by promoting and prioritizing cultural competency among providers, providing extensive training for volunteer interpreters, and advocating on multiple levels for better Hispanic representation in the mental health field. As a student interested in fields dealing with health inequities, gender studies, applied anthropology, and refugee and migrant studies, I believe this research provides me with relevant experience and knowledge for my career as a social worker improving access to socio-sanitary services for vulnerable populations.
Author(s): Lindsay Douglass, Anthropology and Spanish Major
Advisor(s): Paul Flaspohler, Department of Psychology
McKenna Ackon, Department of Psychology
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