Category: Projects Spring 2017

Analogous Immersion- Public School Bus

Posted on by Helen

Teammates Dan, Cole, and I were supposed to have a phone call with someone from the South Bend Public School Bus System to understand how the transportation areas and routes are determined. However, we did not hear back from our contact and did online research. We are hoping to be able to speak to someone about this soon, as we believe this is an analogous situation to SJHS’s transportation problem at hand.

Public school buses must determine which areas to serve, how many stops are made, and the location of the stops to help students safely and efficiently get from point A to point B.

Public School Bus:

  • Many students and children of the individuals I held interviews with had to walk to the bus stop alone and ride the bus to school. Routine of the bus lowers feelings of anxiety and disorganization because users know what to expect. The public school bus is a reliable mode of transportation.
  • Students and parents also do not have to worry about children coming home from school.
  • Schools and online platforms easily communicate and inform users which bus to ride and the area is covers.

Parallels for SJHS:

  • Hospital needs to know where and what kinds of neighborhoods their low-income patients are living in to know where to make safe stops
  • SJHS can set up a shuttle that makes stops within a 5 mile radius (approximately 20-25 minute drive max)
  • Patients should be able to look up bus stop times and locations online easily and hospitals should advertise their service much more

Interactive Immersion (Journey Mapping)

Posted on by Helen

Date: 3/6/17

Location: SJHS Mishawaka Medical Center

Participants: Helen Sung

As Alex mentioned in her previous blog post, I visited the Medical Center and asked patients in the open to mark a red X on the problematic stages of getting from home to a medical appointment on time.

2 had said journey map didn’t apply to them, as they did not experience transportation issues. 1 woman said it was difficult to make it to appointments on time because she has to take her 2 young children with her. 2 said arranging transportation was difficult.

Possible bias: I asked patients who were out in the open in the lobby and café areas. More of these people may be waiting for a ride rather than have their own because a person who drove would be less likely to be just waiting in the lobby looking out at the parking lot.

I noticed that those who find transportation an issue have not chosen to explore public transportation, especially the Transpo bus running throughout South Bend. Near the elevators behind the lobby, there is a single Transpo bus stand giving directions to the Medical Center. Maybe if it was more noticeably placed towards the front desk, receptionists and nurses will remember and be more likely to inform their patients of the options they have.

Immersion: Borrow Car

Posted on by Helen

As an immersion, I tried to role-play what many patients without a personal vehicle do- hitch a ride or borrow a car. This immersion took place on 3/6/17, anytime between Monday from 2:30-5:00PM. My classes ended at 2:30 and the doctor offices closed at 5:00, so this was the only available window I had on this day.

I had tried to arrange for a ride on the previous Friday, three days in advance of the given date I had expected to go to the hospital. I asked a couple close friends, who were more than willing to give me a ride, but there were either conflicting schedules with their classes or I did not have a guaranteed ride back.

I asked three other people who owned a car if I could borrow it and was finally able to secure a ride after asking a total of five people. As each person said their sincere apologies and explained their conflict schedule, I was able to empathize with those who face these challenges everyday. It felt very frustrating and confining. After I was told I could borrow my friend’s car that afternoon to go to the hospital, a great sense of relief came over me.

At 2:00PM, I was sent out to search up and down the vast rows of D Bulla for a car I had never seen before. It took a good while before I found that faded blue Ford Focus. From Notre Dame to SJHS Mishawaka Medical Center, it took about 15 minutes and was a total of 3.3 miles. The patients I interviewed both had mentioned that they also live a 20 min driving distance away from the hospital. By the time I had parked and walked through the entrance, it was approaching 3:00PM.

From the worries of navigating the car in the parking lot to the frustration and pressure of the time limit I had, I felt disorganized upon entering the hospital. I conducted my interviews and quickly headed back, as I was under a time constraint to get the car back to my friend by 5:00PM sharp.

The purpose of this immersion was to put myself in the shoes of a patient who had no car and relied on those in her social sphere who would take her from point A to point B. This would be incredibly difficult and tiresome to do over a longer period of time and with children.

Ethnographic Expert Interview Summary- Family & Children’s Center (Roxanne)

Posted on by Helen

Helen Sung interviewed Roxanne Ultz, Executive Director of the Family & Children’s Center of St. Joseph County, regarding the clients and services FCC offers.

Date: 3/6/17

Type: Expert Interview

Location: Hesburgh Library; phone call

Team participants: Led by Helen and observed with Cole

User Characteristics:

  • Bachelors and Masters of Social Work from Western Michigan University
  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Executive Director of FCC
  • Driven by public service and empathy for clients

 

Can you briefly tell me about what kind of services Healthy Families provides?

  • Healthy Families is a 100% home visitation program to new or expecting parents struggling with the demands and stresses of raising a child.
  • Parents learn about appropriate parent-child interactions, medical concerns, and important goals for themselves and the baby
  • All families remain linked to a clinic or physician

Who are the services targeted for?

  • At risk families, 2 out of 3 of these families live on $10,000 or less a year. “At risk” is a broad definition using a standard the national Healthy Families organization uses. It consists of households involving anything from substance abuse, domestic violence, adversity, and/or poverty.
  • Hear about us mainly through referrals from hospitals, OBGYNS, pediatricians, and other social workers.

Why did the program choose to provide at-home services?

  • Healthy Families is a national organizational design of the entire program. As a whole, the at home services are practiced as an accreditation to the organization.
  • Not aware of current hard facts, but would say majority of program clients do not have a personal vehicle or have convenient mobility.
  • Part of the program is the education clients about transportation resources available to them: Medicaid, Transpo bus routes, and eBus.

What is the transportation system of the program right now?

  • Our staff take their own vehicles are make trips to their clients’ homes and are reimbursed for gas for $0.50 a mile.
  • Each staff makes at least three trips a day

Insights

  • Many of SJHS’s patients who face transportation challenges may also fall under Healthy Families’ clients. There is an opportunity for patients to have more access to resources and education if SJHS made more referrals to the Family & Children’s Center.
  • FCC does not actively try to tackle the transportation conflicts its clients face, as it is not the aim of the program. But rather, it serves as an informative function to its clients.

Ethnographic Interview Summary-Patient in Lobby (Kate)

Posted on by Helen

Helen Sung, accompanied by Cole Gillan, conducted an individual interview with patient Kate at about the transportation challenges she faces everyday.

Date: 3/3/17

Type: Individual Interview

Location: Mishawaka Medical Center; sofa in the main lobby

Team participants: Helen Sung, accompanied by Cole Gillan

User Characteristics: “Pregnant Patient”

  • Mother of three children with boyfriend
  • 9-months pregnant
  • Homemaker
  • Does not own personal vehicle

Quotes:

  • “I face transportation challenges everyday. I usually walk, which is more difficult carrying 3 kids and I’m 9-months pregnant.”
  • “Got to my appointment today using Medicaid. I just have to call 48 hours in advance to schedule a ride and they come pick me up at my home when I’m ready. The longest I’ve ever waited for the service to take back home is an hour.”
  • “I’ve missed a lot of my one year old’s appointments because I couldn’t get a ride so he’s behind on his shots. He’s 14-months, but he should have gotten his shot at 12-months old.”
  • “My boyfriend doesn’t have a car either. His friend gives him a ride to work. My mom borrows her sister’s car if I need to go somewhere.”
  • “I don’t have a credit card for Uber. And I just never tried the bus.”
  • “Spend about $100-200 on a monthly average paying people for gas.”
  • “Haven’t really tried to do much if I couldn’t find a ride. We’re from a bad neighborhood that I don’t even like to walk unless someone is with me.”

Insights:

  • Opportunity for less missed appointments through knowledge of South Bend’s Transpo bus routes and eligibility for Medicaid’s transportation services.
  • Rides need to be scheduled in advance because patients ask car-owners within their social sphere for rides. Schedule conflicts are bound to arise.
  • Ride sharing services and taxis may be out of budget for many living as low-income
  • There are opportunities to spread awareness of the transportation services Medicaid offers

 

Activities

  • Had oldest child (19 years old) stay at home to watch over younger kids
  • Rode in car using Medicaid transportation service
  • Was waiting in the lobby for almost forty minutes waiting for Medicaid ride back home
  • Sitting quietly by herself on coach in the waiting area of the main lobby

 Environment

  • Main lobby of Mishawaka Medical Center near entrance
  • Later in the evening reaching to around 5:00PM on a Friday afternoon
  • Fairly empty lobby with sparse patients and staff working at the nearby Starbucks or other boutique gift shop
  • Several waiting areas with varying chairs, sofas, and tables. Interview conducted in two armchairs facing each other
  • Ride came in drop-off/ pick-up zone in front of main doors

 Interactions

  • Approached Kate as she was quietly sitting alone in lobby
  • Brief greeting exchanges with others in lobby; pleasant and polite staff

 Objects

  • Kate’s medium-sized bag was held in her lap

 Users

  • Other patients and staff in the lobby and shops/ café

 

 

Ethnographic Interview Summary- Specialty Pediatrics (Laura)

Posted on by Helen

Team member Helen Sung, accompanied by Cole Gillan, interviewed Laura, mother of a patient, about her experiences regarding transportation to and from the hospital.

Date: 3/3/17

Type: Individual Interview

Location: Specialty Pediatrics at SJHS Mishawaka Medical Center; waiting room

Team Members: Helen Sung accompanied by Cole Gillan

User Characteristics: “Mother of Patient”

  • Female, late 20s
  • Mother of three children, guardian for foster daughter
  • Wife
  • Photographer
  • Driven to be a good mother and guardian to her children
  • Optimistic and persistent in two of her autistic children

Quotes:

  • “We’re off to doctor’s appointments because there’s usually an appointment everyday.”
  • “Just gas maybe $300-400. With insurance around $550-600 a month.”
  • “My kids are autistic so they have Medicaid and are eligible to do that. So kids with     Medicaid, you can either drive yourself and ask for reimbursement through the insurance to cover gas, or you can say you need a ride to get you somewhere.”
  • “I come to all the doctor’s appointments with these three kids four times a week.”
  • “All my kids go to different schools. My foster daughter and other son ride the bus. My youngest son, Nick, always has to ride the car. Sometimes I’m back and forth a lot. Every other day is different.”

Key Insights:

  • Patients not only have to go to one hospital location, but often need additional healthcare services in other areas that would not be possible without transportation means.
  • Disabled children are eligible for Medicaid transportation services.
  • Owning a personal vehicle is costly.
  • Families, especially those with disabled or sick children with frequent appointments, really need full mobility and financial stability in order to healthily raise their children.
  • Children and parents each have different schedules that often result in time and ride conflicts.

 

Activities

  • Picked up son, Nick, from school
  • Took Nick and other two kids to hospital
  • Sat in waiting room with baby in her lap
  • Talking with foster daughter

 Environment

  • Waiting room of Specialty Pediatrics at Mishawaka Medical Center
  • Around 4:00pm on a Friday afternoon
  • Many chairs along the walls and children’s toys sprawled in the room
  • User sat close towards the receptionist window
  • Kid-friendly atmosphere

Interactions

  • One other mother and son sat diagonally across User
  • Other mother politely declined to partake in interview because she and her son were tight on time
  • User was carrying her baby on her lap

Objects

  • Baby seat with thick, soft blankets
  • Large tote with baby supplies and personal belongings
  • Child’s toy that the baby played with during interview

 Users

  • Other visiting patients
  • Receptionists
  • Other patients’ guardian

 

Immersion – Clay HS Cafeteria

Posted on by Cheong In

Date of observation: March 3, 2017

Location: Clay High School Cafeteria

Type: Immersion

During our research day on campus, we stopped by the cafeteria during lunch hours to gather our materials and thoughts, and I noticed several trends and activities in the area. Here are some photos I took during that time:

Takeaways:

  • Students would either gather in large groups among their friends or eat alone.
  • There was a lot of roughhousing going on, which made me somewhat uncomfortable during the stay. I was reassured with the security patrols/ coaches walking around, but it seemed pretty rowdy even with them around.
  • Almost no one was eating anything, which I thought was strange for lunch time. Most students were busy socializing, and only a few were eating small snacks. However, I don’t know how much I’d be able to focus on eating in an environment as busy as the cafeteria…
  • I’ve noticed that a lot of the raucous behavior continued as students began to leave the cafeteria, and students were straggling to return to their classes.
  • The environment as a whole is uninspiring and restrictive. The other half of my discomfort came with this sensations that I was locked in the space; students can’t roam about the campus freely, and to be in a specific space for a set amount of time is uncomfortable.

George Lowe, Expert Interview, Director of Resident Services at The Center in Asbury Park

Posted on by Wen Cong

Ethnography Summary

Wen-Cong Toh interviewed George Lowe, The Director of Resident Services at The Center in Asbury Park.
The Center in Asbury Park is a volunteer based New Jersey not-for-profit service organization, providing support services for people living with HIV/AIDS and their caregivers. They have nutritional programs as well as housing programs like Center House, which houses 25 permanent residents with HIV, many of whom are formerly incarcerated.

Date: 3/7/15

Type: Expert Interview

Location: Phone Call

Team participants: Conducted interview alone

User Characteristics:  

He is a gay white male in his 50’s and 60’s, and is responsible for Center House (residential arm of the organization) and their emergency placement program for homeless individuals.

What is this person about – what drives him/her?  He is very driven to help the HIV-infected population. He ran community health centers in New York City. He is still working in healthcare, just with a homeless population now.

What is this person’s biggest point of pain?  Not having enough funding to support all of their clients, clients being overly concerned about social stigmas, navigating the unique intersecting health (HIV and mental), housing, and incarceration issues for each resident.

Memorable quotes from interview:

“Housing is Healthcare.”

“If you have a felony, a lot of people won’t rent to you, if you have been convicted of the distribution or manufacturing of drugs, you can’t get any benefits through social service. Employers won’t hire you. We want to keep them in care but that’s impossible if they’re not housed properly. It is not fair; a felony can be just contempt of the court. Upon release, they are not supposed to be discriminated against, but they are.”

“It is difficult to get apartment owner/landlords to accept these people because they’re often undesirables of community, who do come with a relatively high level of risk.”

“The law creates the stigma, both against the HIV population and ex-convicts. With the HIV population, if they are asymptomatic (through medication) and use condoms, there is a zero percent chance of transmitting the infection, so they feel like they shouldn’t have to disclose (to sexual partners).”

“The biggest barrier is within the community with rent, we must pay market price to house our clients.”

Top 3 Learnings:

  1. There are actually a lot of grants that non-profits can apply for to help this specific population as people are worried about the potential outbreak of HIV. When housing clients in motels/apartments, the center pays for all rent and amenities. The center takes responsibility for their clients if anything goes wrong, so the program is set up to be safer and profitable for the landlords.
  2. Mental health is another major issue; many clients grow to feel that they don’t deserve employment or housing and are very concerned about the stigma around both being incarcerated and having HIV. They develop conditions like depression and bipolar disorder. Suicidal clients are especially common when they first enter the cycle of drug abuse/incarceration and homelessness/re-incarceration.
  3. The center does have pretty strict rules for their residents. While letting in most ex-felons, they don’t house major sex offenders and they have strict rules against using drugs while living in the center. Clients with substance abuse issues must stick to a treatment plan set out by their counselor.

Key Insight – (1) Imani Unidad can apply for federal grants to start up a housing program for their clients with HIV, or just obtain funds to help clients pay for emergency housing and amenities. This would make landlords in the area much more receptive to the idea of accepting formerly incarcerated individuals, many of whom probably have very low incomes as well. (2) There should be more emphasis placed on treating the mental health issues among this population, as that may be a root cause to why so many struggle to find housing or employment. If they don’t have the self-confidence or mental stability to represent and stand up for themselves well, it makes it easier for the community to marginalize them

Activities:

  • Plans, directs and coordinates activities necessary to centralize case management across multiple agencies with multiple disciplines
  • Applies for grants
  • Determines the best use of funding to help the most individuals
  • Negotiates with landlords and apartment complexes in their area to accept their clients as tenants
  • Determines where to place the homeless clients in their emergency housing program
  • Leads the process for new residents to move into Center House
  • Ensuring that the medical and physical (food/shelter) needs of their clients are met.

Environment

  • Asbury Park, Monmouth County, NJ
  • A wealthy, generally liberal town, located on the Jersey Shore
  • Can be very depressing and seem hopeless at times. A recent client committed suicide recently before they could house him at Center House.
  • The Center has been described as: friendly, helpful, and informed but nonjudgmental.

Interactions:  

  • Helping clients infected with HIV (Both residents and nonresidents).
  • Many of these individuals also have been incarcerated, homeless, and/or drug abusers.
  • Appealing to federal and state officials for funding, especially those from the CDC and State Department of Health.
  • Other non-profit organizations (such as those that focus on the homeless)
  • Educating community leaders and business owners
  • Directing their employees at The Center in Asbury Park.

Objects:

  • The Center
  • Transportation
  • Shelter
  • Computer and phone

Users:

  • Clients (residents and nonresidents) with HIV
  • HIV-infected individual who is homeless/formerly incarcerated.
  • People in the community
  • Government officials.

Greg Anderson, Individual Interview, Student Housing Landlord

Posted on by Wen Cong

Ethnography Summary

Wen-Cong Toh interviewed Greg Anderson, the co-owner of andersonNDrentals.
AndersonNDrentals has been providing off-campus housing for Notre Dame and St. Mary’s students for over 35 years. They also provide housing for a few Memorial Hospital students and employees.

Date: 3/7/15

Type: Individual Interview

Location: Wen-Cong’s house on East Marion Street (one of andersonNDrentals’ properties).

Team participants: Conducted interview alone

User Characteristics:  

He is a white male in his 60’s, co-owner of andersonNDrentals, and rents about 20 houses to ND and SMC students every year. He has been in the business for over 35 years.

What is this person about – what drives him/her?  He is driven to make a living from renting out properties to students. He also enjoys the relationships he forms with tenants. This has evolved from a side-job to become his full-time profession.

What is this person’s biggest point of pain?  Dealing with the turnover every school year and making sure all of their houses are rented out. Maintenance issues during the year.

Memorable quotes from interview:

“When I go to landlord association meetings in South Bend, most people just complained about tenants who didn’t pay rent or moved out/ran away in the middle of the night. They don’t really bring up the issue of crime itself; but being formerly incarcerated definitely gives us an impression of being untrustworthy.”

“I read in the paper about meth houses, and about how it can permeate the walls and be very expensive for owners.”

“I wouldn’t take on any risk that would endanger my business. While I would love to help, we are a business first, not a charity.”

Top 3 Learnings:

  1. Their company does not ask potential tenants about their criminal record or do background checks because since their renters are all educated young college students, they assume that they don’t have a history and are pretty safe. Even if they found out that one of them was formerly incarcerated, they wouldn’t have a problem renting to him/her because they trust them as Notre Dame students and through their association with the larger friend group in the house.
  2. However, they would be wary to rent to formerly incarcerated individuals in the community (non-students). They have heard about negative experiences from other landlords regarding renting to this population. Their main goal is to make a living by collecting rent each month and the less drama the better. Also, Greg would be worried about how the community views his business and properties if they do rent to more dangerous ex-convicts. He said it definitely does depend on the crime though.
  3. Greg is unsure about the feasibility of partnering with a nonprofit housing program, as their properties are pretty expensive, and the non-profit would have to pay market value. However, there are pros if the non-profit behaves similarly to Memorial Hospital, and provides their own cleaning services while maintaining the turnaround for them.

Key Insights – (1) While non-profits may try to appeal to their charitable sides, landlords are trying to make a living as well. They will generally take the safer option, such as students whose parents will pay rent every month. They may be more willing to rent to formerly incarcerated individuals though, if rent is guaranteed by a non-profit. (2) Students get a lot more benefit of the doubt due to their education level and age; this is a class issue. Educated ex-convicts are more likely to be granted second chances from landlords as they seem more trustworthy.

Activities:

  • Maintains houses throughout the year, provides repair if anything breaks.
  • Provides tours of the houses and tries to rent out each one to students every year.
  • Develops relationships with tenants.
  • Attends landlord association meetings in South Bend.

Environment

  • South Bend, IN, a college town.
  • The houses are all large and spacious, decorated and designed for 6-8 students.

Interactions:  

  • Constant contact with current tenants to make sure everything is going smoothly
  • Recruiting prospective renters for future years.
  • Works with wife.
  • Communicates with other landlords in the area to stay informed.

Objects:

  • Houses
  • Transportation
  • Computer and phone

Users:

  • Current student renters
  • Prospective student renters
  • Neighbors around each of the houses they own.

Analogous Immersion

Posted on by Steffen

 

Steffen Timmer went to O’Rourke’s Public House for trivia night and was faced with a decision about what beer to get.

Date: 3/6/2017

Type: Analogous Immersion

Location: O’Rourke’s Public House

Team participants: Only team member immersed, but had non-team members facing the same decision with me.

User Characteristics: Notre Dame business student

Male

Likes to save money

Generally enjoys darker beers

Immersion:

At O’Rourke’s for trivia night and was faced with a nightly special of a $4 beer with 4 beer options to choose from

  • Guinness
    • Past Experience with Guinness
    • Irish Dry Stout
  • Smithwicks
    • Irish red ale-style beer
    • Never had before
  • Harps
    • Euro Pale Lager
    • Never had before
  • Magners
    • Irish Cider
    • Had once and enjoyed it

The Decision

Price was not an issue in this situation so the four beers were on a level playing field in that instance, much like how public schools all compete at about the same price level. I really like darker beers but a nice cider to relax with also sounded promising. The waitress on this night did not provide me with an opinion, which disappointed me. In the end I chose to go with Guiness because I had the most previous experience with it and knew it would be a reliable option to have.

Top 3 Learnings:

  1. When making a decision, familiarity is a major player. With respect to choosing a high school, a person is much more likely to choose a school if they have heard good things about it in the past or knew someone who went there. Choice of school is a decision a person makes for four years generally and a person would not want to have much risk with the school they are choosing.
  2. Name recognition is big. Guinness has the most recognizable name out of the four beers mentioned above and that name recognition is key to it being chosen. If Clay is the first name that comes to mind when people think of South Bend public schools it can gain an advantage.
  3. The description says a lot about a brand. Clay has school is branded as a performing arts school and that turns a lot of people off. In this beer choice I faced I saw that Smithwicks was an ale-style beer and because I am not a big fan of IPAs when I saw ale-style I decided not to go with that option.

Key Insight – (1) Sometimes there is not much depth in a decision. If a person is familiar with an option and does not have much information or recommendations on the other options than they will go with the familiar choice. (2) Both uniqueness and quality is key in this decision. If the option can differentiate itself and do so at a high level than it will set itself apart. (3) Appearance helps. Guiness is always served in a nice glass and that plays a roll in people enjoying the product. If Clay looks like a good school then people will see it as one.