Benton-Franklin Community Health Needs Assessment: Agricultural Workers

1. Benton-Franklin Community Health Needs Assessment:Agricultural Workers Heather Harding, Jennifer Vidmar, & Sharon Edgar Washington State University College of Nursing March 22, 2012

2. Characteristics and Statistics • 78% were foreign born • 79% of migrant/seasonal workers were male • 81% of workers surveyed spoke Spanish • Median level of completed education was sixth grade • Average income of a farmworker ranged from $10,000-$12499 • 8% were covered by employer-provided health insurance National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc. (2009b). Migrant and seasonal farmworker demographics. Retrieved February 2, 2012 from http://www.ncfh.org/?pid=5.

3. Characteristics & Statistics • 27,448 Estimated Migrant Seasonal Farmworkers (MSFW) in Benton County in 2011 • 25,299 Estimated MSFW in Franklin County in 2011(Wagner-Peyser, 2011) • MSFW and their households have a population of approximately 59,057 in Benton-Franklin counties (Larsen, 2000) Larsen, Alice C. 2000. Migrant and seasonal farmworker enumeration profiles study Washington. Retrieved Feb 18, 2012 from: http://www.ncfh.org/enumeration/PDF11%20Washington.pdf From the Wagner-Peyser Agricultural Outreach Plan by the Employment Security Department

4. Population Strengths • Family oriented • Health benefits of physical labor • Interviewees report enjoying working outside • Tight-knit community; support system

5. Healthy People 2020 Objectives • Reduce nonfatal work-related injuries (OSH-2) • Reduce the proportion of individuals who are unable to obtain or delay in obtaining necessary medical care, dental care, of prescription medicines (AHS-6) • Increase the number of community-based organizations (including local health departments, tribal health services, nongovernmental organizations, and State agencies) providing population-based primary prevention services (ECBP-10)

6. Health Care Problems/Needs • Free/affordable care & health insurance • Mental health care • Treatment of chronic conditions (e.g., DM, back pain) • Late clinic hours • Bilingual HCPs/translators • Transportation • Dental care • Spanish literacy programs • Employer responsibility for work-related health costs • Ability to seek care without fear due to immigration status • Adequate occupational safety training (must account for low-literacy) • *Based on interviews with Grace Clinic, agricultural workers, WorkSource and literature review

7. Current Policies/Resources • Immigration policies/attitudes • Grace Clinic (Kennewick) • Miramar Health Center (Pasco) • Tri-City Community Health (Kennewick, Pasco) • WorkSource • Benton-Franklin Health Department *More information is needed about the resources available to local agricultural workers

8. Gaps in Current Resources • Knowledge of local population • Inadequate access to health care due to: • Long work hours • Transportation • Cost • Fear • Lack of free health care • Lack of mental health care providers • Lack of awareness of health problems

9. “Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers are essential for a large part of Washington agricultural production …Legal and language barriers, lack of steady work, poor housing conditions for too many, low literacy, health care risks and the lack of payroll benefits in the industry all contribute to a need for MSFW organizations…For all service providers, an ongoing challenge is to adequately enumerate the service population of MSFWs.” From the Wagner-Peyser Agricultural Outreach Plan by the Employment Security Department of WA State