The target setting selected for the analysis is the prison environment, which has been chosen due to the lack of support for the incarcerated and the necessity to provide them with access to healthcare as one of their basic human rights. The target communities are represented by African American female prisoners and Latin American ones. Therefore, the agencies offering healthcare support for female inmates, specifically, the National Survey of Prison Health Care (2021) and Health Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (2021), have been selected for this case study. By introducing better communication between the target population and the agencies in question, one will be able to address some of the health issues that presently threaten the well-being of women in prison, specifically, the problem of chemical dependency and reproductive system issues, particularly, STIs.
Instruments
In order to collect the necessary data from the target population, the agencies in question have been deploying similar instruments, namely, surveys. Remarkably, while one of the agencies uses open-ended question surveys, the other one resorts to the use of preset questions and a Likert-type scale. To improve the existing framework for data collection, one will need to build a combined instrument that includes both open-ended questions and a Likert-type assessment scale. Thus, data diversity will help to evaluate the health status of the target population better, while also identifying the extent of their awareness concerning the health issues in question. Specifically, the following questions will be used:
- Have you ever taken drugs?
- Do you currently suffer from drug misuse issues?
- How have you been addressing these issues?
- What resources have you been using to address these issues?
- On the scale from 1 to 5, how bad is your drug misuse problem currently is?
- Have you ever suffered from STIs? If so, what issues have you faced?
- Do you currently suffer from STIs? Which one(s)?
- To what STI treatment options do you have access?
- What have you been doing to avoid STIs?
- How are you going to manage this problem in the future?
Criteria Summary
The issue of drug misuse and STIs are quite common in female inmates, which is why developing a strategy for preventing further aggravation of the problem and ensuring that the target population can identify a threat and prevent it from affecting them is crucial. Specifically, the criteria suggested from the diagnosis of the presence of a drug misuse problem as it is described in the DSM-V can be defined using three primary criteria. These include the experience of strong craving for the substance, the willingness to neglect other aspects of life in favor of continuing the use of the said substance, and the willingness to continue the use of the substance even if it entails a direct danger to an individual (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The specified standards for determining a substance misuse problem should also be supplemented with the assessment of the patients’ ability to identify the specified health issue and seek appropriate support.
Diagnosis and Treatment Options
To diagnose the health problems in question, regular checks should be provided along with the increase in the availability of tests for STIs and drug dependency issues. The specified measures will allow locating both the patients that actively seek help and those that are in denial of their health status. Thus, the aggravation of the issue and the rise in the threat to other inmates will be prevented successfully. As for the treatment options, medications for managing STIs will be provided along with the drug therapy aimed at minimizing the extent of patients’ dependency on drugs. With the described measures introduced into the target settings, female prisoners will be able to receive proper treatment.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). APA.
Health Services Division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2021). Leadership. Web.
National Survey of Prison Health Care. (2021). Background. Web.