122 - The Burden of the Pandemic: How COVID-19 Pushed Inequity Over the Edge

Abstract Information: COVID-19 magnified the inequities of our society, disproportionately impacting marginalized populations. For many, COVID-19 will likely be all but forgotten in a few years. However, among our most vulnerable populations, its consequences will continue to reverberate for generations. The presentation, based on the voices of over 1,000 of Chicanos por la Causa’s (CPLC) clients, tells the story of how COVID-19 has added great stress to underrepresented, lower-income, communities of color and identifies ways to help alleviate the burden of the crisis. Chicanos por la Causa is one of the largest Latino-serving nonprofits in the country, impacting over 2 million lives in all 50 states and 4 territories. Methodology, results, and lessons learned will be presented. Highlights on health disparities and social determinants of health will be addressed with a special focus on: Latinas, who felt the pressure to care for their children while working on the frontlines to keep food on the table. Persons experiencing homelessness including those already homeless and those who became homeless during the crises. Immigrants and Migrant workers, who were keeping food on our tables but lived in fear of governmental policies that led to higher health disparities and underreporting of social service needs. Youth, who experienced the digital divide and needed resources to stay engaged and on-track during online schooling. The results are primarily Arizona and Nevada based; however, the findings reverberated beyond the Southwest and provided a snapshot of those hardest hit by the pandemic.

Relevance Statement: The proposed presentation hits on three core domains and competencies utilized by the AEA: 1) Professional Practice, 2) Methodology, and 3) Interpersonal. A competency of Professional Practice is that an evaluator “identifies how evaluation practice can promote social justice and public good.” This presentation helps provide insight that evaluation doesn’t have to “fit” one mold, evaluation can be used for community-oriented, large initiatives that can provide insights to promote change and advocacy for upstream, structural challenges. COVID was unprecedented and changed the world, including getting the Research & Evaluation department out of its comfort zone by going beyond our traditional evaluation outcomes such as changes in attitudes, knowledge, behavior, and clinical care outcomes to focus on conditions, experiences that precede equity. The focus on conditions versus outcomes shifts the burden to the system and policies. The next domain that is consistent with this proposed presentation is Methodology. Specifically, “collecting data using credible, feasible, and culturally appropriate procedures.” The method we chose was person-centered and culturally responsible, and required a lot of strategy. CPLC serves individuals from all walks of life—from children, to the aging population, to individuals experiencing homelessness, all with differing levels of digital literacy, access to technology, and language competencies. Also, the study was taking place during the deep months of COVID-19, where social distancing practices and safety restrictions were in full force, we were forced innovate and leverage technology to reach our clients. To try and meet our clients where they were at, modes of engagement were: web link/online survey, QR code scanning, text messaging, email, 1:1 over-the-phone. 1:1 in-person interviews, and paper surveys. Surveys were in English and Spanish. Overall, 1,069 CPLC clients completed the survey, making the sample statistically significant, with a margin of error for the sample is +/- 3% at a 95% confidence interval. Additionally, this presentation will address the Interpersonal domain. The assessment filled a void of community-level data on needs, conditions, assets, and strategies that met Latino communities, where they were at, particularly in the time of COVID 19. It is due to the on-going trust that has been built with the Research & Evaluation department, CPLC’s programs, and the communities we serve that made this initiative so successful. Finally, this presentation is relevant due to the overall theme of the conference this year: The Power of Story. This specific evaluation effort made it possible for unheard voices to be heard, in some cases potentially for the first time, in order to best serve them, their family members, and communities better during COVID but also moving forward in a post-COVID world. The story that our findings provides is what makes this project so timely and brought to the forefront the gaps and inequities the communities we serve had been experiencing prior to COVID. It was an opportunity to show a large audience what needs to be done to best help the individuals who need it most, and it opened up the door to advocate for larger, structural change.