Team Members
- Yumiko Aratani, PhD
- Irán Barrera, PhD
- Sabrina Kelley, MPH
Research Project Description
The goal of this IRL project was to promote a Culture of Health among child-serving agencies and community stakeholders in Fresno by employing the Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) framework. The specific aims were: (1) to examine how ACEs affect young children living in low-income housing; (2) to investigate how parents perceive ACEs and the need to address ACEs, and (3) to raise awareness and develop recommendations for child-serving agencies and community leaders in Fresno who provide support and services in addressing ACEs. The team employed mixed methods, combining quantitative and qualitative research. For the quantitative aspect of this study, the team analyzed administrative data from Fresno Housing (FH), health data from the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, and school district data. The qualitative data was obtained by conducting focus groups with FH residents. Team members conducted three focus group interviews in English, Spanish, and Hmong. The focus group discussion surveyed parents’ perspectives of ACEs experiences using a vignette format, as well as what they think about the need to address ACEs and mental health challenges in their community, and, lastly, the services they would like to see in their community.
Watch the Team Video
Team Members
Yumiko Aratani, PhD
Yumiko Aratani is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School of Public Health and Director of the Health and Mental Health Unit at the National Center for Children in Poverty. She specializes in public policy research related to child poverty and mental health services.
Irán Barrera, PhD
Irán Barrera is an Associate Professor at Fresno State in the Department of Social Work Education. His research focuses on the barriers and disparities Mexican-Americans and other communities of color face in accessing mental health care.
Sabrina Kelley, MPH
Sabrina Kelley a community relations consultant with the Wells Fargo Corporate Responsibility and Community Relations Group. She is a public health practitioner and has implemented many place based health interventions such as designing brown field remediation plans in partnership with the City of Fresno, expanding green spaces and play areas in poor neighborhoods, facilitating resident and stakeholder engagement in environmental justice campaigns, and designing and launching a green cart initiative that brought fresh produce to a food desert in West Fresno. In her current role, she manages the Wells Fargo Foundation and serves the Central Valley, South Valley, and coastal regions from Paso Robles to Malibu, CA.
Issue Brief: Fresno
Children with Frequent ER Visits at Higher Risk of Maltreatment
