My job specifically has more to do with the policy process, but the company as a whole is more concerned with the policy outcomes. Privia\u2019s slogan is \u201cchanging healthcare to what it ought to be,\u201d because they\u2019re most concerned with how to deliver better healthcare to more people. An emphasis on access to preventative care will greatly relieve the pressure on our current healthcare system as more and more disease is prevented, so Privia is invested in better health outcomes for all. The legal department handles a lot more than I originally thought. In addition to contracts with our care centers, we are constantly seeking out updates in coding practices, state level requirements for accredited healthcare centers, and physician member service agreements. I have been primarily working on consolidating contracts for our clients over a number of platforms–Salesforce, Excel, Docusign, Google Drive, etc.–and uploading them into a contracts database called Concord, where I tag them for organization.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My immediate supervisor on paper is Kristen Hall, who is one of the Associate General Counsels for Privia. She seems to be second in command while Thomas Bartum, the General Counsel, is working remotely (which is a large majority of the time). In reality, I\u2019m assigned projects and emailed assignments from everyone in the legal department. Since I\u2019ve been here, they have also hired another legal intern who is in her second year of law school, as well as a legal assistant. I have done various projects from comparing documents to execute changes to templates for the legal team to use, to merging signed contracts with updated literature that became required after the signatory date.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to the responsibilities within my role, Privia has demonstrated a clear priority in my professional development. There was an extensive orientation where I learned not only about the role Privia plays in healthcare, but also how the technology we are developing leads to better population health outcomes. Through this, I was also exposed to compliance policy, various insurance complications, and more information about the ways Privia works to stay updated in the ever changing, complex field. They offer brown bag sessions weekly during lunch, that offer a variety of opportunities to develop important career skills. They promote a spectrum of continuous knowledge, and the people who have been here the longest are usually the first to admit that they don\u2019t know everything about their respective fields.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n All in all, I\u2019m getting a ton of experience reading legal jargon, creating different clauses with different functions within contracts, working on professional development, and gaining exposure to healthcare through the lense of the law. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I’m spending Fall 2019 as a Legal Intern with Privia Health, an Arlington-based public health organization working to make healthcare delivery what it ought to be. Posted below is a midterm self evaluation: I have been learning a lot… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2393,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-78","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/78\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":52,"date":"2017-11-02T22:39:54","date_gmt":"2017-11-02T22:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/?page_id=52"},"modified":"2019-01-14T14:23:12","modified_gmt":"2019-01-14T14:23:12","slug":"research-paper-writing-sample","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/research-paper-writing-sample\/","title":{"rendered":"Research Paper Writing Sample"},"content":{"rendered":" Food Insecurity Research Paper<\/a>: full text below<\/p>\n View Research Paper in Microsoft Word<\/p>\n Modern Racism as Seen Through Food Disparities in Washington, D.C.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Modern Racism As Seen Through Food Disparities in Washington, D.C.<\/span><\/p>\n Half a mile away from the center of the United States federal government lies a decrepit building with four floors: a homeless shelter, a medical clinic, a drug rehabilitation program, and D.C. Central Kitchen. The dimly lit hallway and heavy double doors lead to something truly incredible–an inside look at how this local nonprofit is transforming garbage into meals. Every year, D.C. Central Kitchen provides approximately three million meals for homeless shelters, schools, and nonprofits in need of nutritious food. Most would agree that DCCK\u2019s work is absolutely crucial to the wellbeing of D.C.\u2019s 700,000 residents, because not only do they provide meals to people who desperately need them, but they also run several social initiatives to help combat the systemic, parasitic effects of food insecurity on low-income and minority communities. Examining food insecurity as an oppressive barrier imposed on marginalized communities allows us to better evaluate holistic, unconventional solutions that will contribute to a better quality of life for these communities. <\/span><\/p>\n For the sake of differentiating between words, the United States Department of Agriculture iterates the differences between food insecurity and hunger, affirming that food insecurity is a household-level economic and social condition where inadequate access to food exists, while hunger is the individual-level physiological implications resulting from the phenomenon<\/span>. In other words, food insecurity is the overview of a largely social and economic problem, while hunger is the individual result of food insecurity. Conventional wisdom has it that food insecurity primarily affects low-income families, highlighting an implication of economic oppression, but a number of scholars have recently started to build bridges between food insecurity and other oppressive barriers. Although food insecurity is an obstacle all on its own, the clear ties with a web of other burdensome forces suggest its relevance within the conversation surrounding racism and segregation. Many marginalized communities exist within our society, and I use this idea of marginalization to show that certain groups of people (most likely low income individuals or people of color) within our society are prevented from fully participating economically, socially, and politically. By examining food insecurity within the D.C. community, we are able to unearth the other oppressive barriers preventing certain members of the D.C. community from elevating their standards of living. By no means can I provide enough detail about each oppressive barrier that results from food insecurity, but rather, I aim to give a brief overview so that the connection to food insecurity will become clear. Understanding issues like education, healthcare, and economic stability require much history and in depth analysis that will not be fully provided within this research. <\/span><\/p>\n There is a plethora of data regarding minority accessibility to healthy food that is consistent with a message of oppression. D.C. nativist Christina Sturdivant, a freelance scribe for several local publications, focuses her research on racial injustice within the Washington D.C. community. Sturdivant published two overviews of the food disparities within two of D.C.\u2019s most poverty-stricken wards: 7 and 8. She determined that due to a lack of access to quality grocery stores, citizens of these wards rely on corner stores to grocery shop, which carry less healthy food options, and is a contributing factor to high rates of health complications<\/span>. Residents of these wards are ultimately forced to spend their money on the cheaper, processed foods, because they can seemingly get more value this way. When learning about the disparity of grocery stores with nutritious food affecting these two specific wards, Sturdivant\u2019s natural conclusion would be to promote incentives for more stores to move into the area. After all, only 3 out of 49 grocery stores in D.C. are located in wards 7 and 8, which are predominantly African American wards, to service around 150,000 people<\/span>. In comparison, ward 6 is home to around 80,000 people and contains at least 10 grocery stores<\/span>. D.C. Hunger solutions recently found that 1 out of 7 homes in the District are classified as food insecure<\/span>. Various local nonprofits and humanitarian organizations (e.g. Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture, D.C. Hunger Solutions, etc.) are attempting to get fresh produce to those in need<\/span>, while Councilman Warren William (of Ward 7) and Vincent Grey (of Ward 8) are working towards more legislative solutions, such as incentivizing construction of grocery stores and securing funding within fiscal budgets. While Sturdivant advocates for the construction of more grocery stores in these lower-income wards, Dr. Jerry Shannon of the University of Georgia, who conducts research on social ecology, views this solution through a different lense. Shannon affirms that this form of neighborhood redevelopment, which is intended to eliminate factors leading to obesity, is well intentioned, but the emphasis on recreating normative middle-class community spaces act as a pathway to gentrification<\/span>. In other words, features that are primarily associated with middle class suburbs (new retail, walkability, green spaces, etc.) contribute to the growth of an area\u2019s value, which can prove difficult for low-income communities to absorb the impact on the economy. So while in theory an increase in grocery stores seems warranted, it can actually do more harm to the very community this initiative claims to help. <\/span><\/p>\n Sturdivant continues to stress the importance of access to nutrition, but overlooks the problems associated with more chain grocery stores popping up within wards 7 and 8, the way Shannon addresses it in his musings. In my opinion, by focusing on the economic implications of new retail in an urban area, Shannon overlooks the deeper problem: the health complications within these communities is primarily from the lack of access to fresh produce and other nutrients essential to a healthy lifestyle. Hosting local farmers markets or setting aside small plots of land designated for community gardens are ways to improve access to nutrition without another chain grocery store occupying space. If these farmers markets are organized and community gardens are planted, access to nutrition increases, while simultaneously avoiding the inevitable rise in market value of an area that\u2019s associated with such conveniences as a grocery store. Naturally, complications also arise with this solution. The space for these gardens are often hard to come by, especially in an urban food desert. Additionally, eligible workers suffering from food insecurity would not have enough time, energy, or funds to devote to ensuring the garden\u2019s success. This proves an important point: there is no end all be all solution to food insecurity and other barriers holding back low income people and communities of color. It\u2019s vital to implement several holistic, community-based solutions that I will go into detail about shortly. To understand why these solutions are necessary, clear connections between food insecurity and other oppressive barriers must be made. <\/span><\/p>\n Unhealthy food habits caused by lack of access to nutrition presents many health complications, as well as a strain on the healthcare system. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, the many symptoms that accompany obesity include metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, blood vessel disease, respiratory problems, back pain, urinary incontinence, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, ten different types of cancers, and emotional health issues<\/span>. Clearly, obesity leads to a variety of illnesses, all warranting different levels of concern. Cancer and back pain don\u2019t cause the same amount of panic, but both contribute to a lower quality of life and can affect things such as school attendance, job performance, and personal relationships. Although these potential illnesses and symptoms are all disheartening, what\u2019s truly shocking can be found under the \u201crisk factors\u201d of obesity. Among a number of things such as amounts of physical activity and sleep, the NHLBI has listed race or ethnicity, stating that obesity is prevalent in racial and ethnic minority groups. They also add that rates of obesity in Americans are highest in African Americans, followed by Hispanics<\/span>. To phrase in a more concise way: obesity can be caused by a number of factors, including low amounts of physical activity, abnormal eating patterns, and belonging to a minority racial or ethnic group. The notion that just by being born into a minority racial group you are predisposed to major health complications is a huge indicator that these barriers are a form of racism that continues to hold back marginalized communities. This concept of racial injustice is furthered by Christa Hegenauer, who focuses on the racial disparities within the Affordable Care Act. Her research came to the ultimate conclusion that identifying as black was significantly associated with the likelihood to be uninsured under the Affordable Care Act<\/span>. Being African American puts you at a statistical likeliness to be uninsured with the national implementation of the Affordable Care Act, and this likeliness to be uninsured means even more for the people of color residing in wards 7 and 8 of Washington D.C., who, as previously established, are also predisposed to various health complications due to their race. Without medical attention, many of the symptoms that go hand-in-hand with obesity worsen and lead to more serious medical conditions. Suffering from poor health is not only frustrating on a physical level, but a mental one as well. These conditions prevent low income individuals and people of color from being able to fully participate in society economically, socially, and politically, and viewing health complications as an additional form of systemic injustice is crucial to completely comprehending food insecurity.<\/span><\/p>\n Beyond the physical effects of obesity, the way we view these illnesses are detrimental to marginalized communities. Dr. Melvin Delgado, a professor of Social Work and the Co-Director of the Center on Addictions Research and Services (CARS) within the Boston University School of Social Work, has devoted his career to scholarly writing on urban communities, specializing in the specific impacts on people of color. Delgado takes these claims involving health to the next level, arguing that the problem is actually that: <\/span><\/p>\n The prominence of a medical (disease-based) model complicates discussions of baby<\/span> boomer health. The medical model emphasis on a patient\u2019s health problems is not<\/span> empowering in philosophy or approach. Viewing illness as an individual phenomenon<\/span> (rather than casting it as a family or community need) is another limitation associated<\/span> with [this]<\/span><\/p>\n The disease-based model being used to treat illness is disempowering because it views illness as something that happens to an individual, which limits the model\u2019s ability to address family or community needs. Although this research aims to convey disparities in the way we treat baby boomers medically, it also holds relevance for younger low income individuals and people of color. The important concept to grasp from this research is that using terms like obesity implies that it is the fault of the individual for suffering from these symptoms, rather than the societal reasons (such as restricted nutrition access) that are forcing these symptoms upon marginalized peoples. The limitations Delgado references are complicit in the systemic aspect of food injustices, because if illness was addressed as a community-wide phenomenon, there would be more striking evidence on how prevalent obesity is within these communities as a whole. This evidence would avoid doctors simply diagnosing individual patients as suffering from obesity or one of its comorbid counterparts, and would illuminate the patients as part of a larger public health issue that continues in a cyclical nature. <\/span><\/p>\n While I agree with these scholars to a certain extent, I don\u2019t believe Hegenauer does this problem justice by simply stating that the health disparities exist. I feel that Delgado has the right idea by taking it further to prove the disease-based treatment model has complicity in a system of food injustice. The data speaks for itself, and every scholar seems to be in agreement about one thing: if you are a part of a marginalized community, you can\u2019t afford to get sick. This clearly presents an even more urgent problem when paired with an obesity-causing lack of access to nutrition. If doctors and specialists were to start viewing these health problems as Delgado suggests they are, a part of a larger cycle of oppression, government agencies and other social safety nets would almost be forced to act to fight the injustice. The word obesity itself acts as a mechanism to prevent black and brown bodies from obtaining adequate healthcare, and it will not be until we comprehend illness as a social phenomenon that we can start to relieve marginalized bodies of the pressure that has been placed upon them.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to overlook economic implications of food insecurity in the face of such extreme amounts of medical data, but the reality is that food insecurity is largely tied to economic failings in more ways than one. I see this as a three part problem: the lack of economic stimulation in D.C., the prevention of economic growth within low income families, and the actual system that elongates this prevention of the potential to grow. In Sturdivant\u2019s specific assessment of Washington D.C., she asserts that people who utilize social safety nets (e.g. SNAP, or, food stamps) are very likely to do their shopping in Maryland or Virginia<\/span>. The close proximity of the two states as well as lower retail prices contribute to this striking blow to the D.C. economy. Her report also notes increased transit costs in order to reach affordable supermarkets that lie west of the Anacostia River as a reason for this vital business being taken outside the Washington D.C. city limits. The increased costs that would be necessary to allocate in order to navigate the city would take away from other funds in low income families already paper-thin budget. The point I\u2019m essentially suggesting, is that the mishaps surrounding the economy actually go a step further. If \u00a0people don\u2019t have a basic need met (such as having an adequate amount of food) they are unable to prosper economically in the future. Experiencing long term hunger undoubtedly affects job performance and participation in education, both of which are essential to progressing economically in today\u2019s society.<\/span><\/p>\n I\u2019m convinced that without making the best of the public education system, breaking out of this failing economic bubble will be near impossible. There are many reasons why there is such a significant correlation behind absenteeism and food insecurity, including: being too hungry to focus in class, obesity leading to body-image and emotional issues, and a lack of structure at home that doesn\u2019t foster a good environment to complete homework in<\/span>. Regardless of the reasoning, the statistics prove that food insecurity is deeply correlated with the problems faced by the education system. I argue that this contributes to economic oppression in ways far beyond surface-level consequences, because higher education is becoming more and more essential to succeed in today\u2019s corporate-driven world. The time when families could prosper long-term on a 40 hour-a- week job that pays a minimum wage no longer exists. I\u2019m not saying that it isn\u2019t possible to live a high quality of life with two heads of households working full time at minimum wage, but in order to gain long term financial security, higher levels of education are fully necessary. The fact that more actions are not put in place to combat food insecurity in the D.C. community contributes to this prevention of economic growth, because until food insecurity is addressed, there will be minimal improvement within the school systems, and being successful in school is vital to economic prosperity. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to farmers markets and community gardens, I also believe that schools in low income areas should be granted access to additional funds for community programming. As seen through D.C. Central Kitchen\u2019s many social initiatives, these non governmental actions will be essential to relieving the pressure that food insecurity has built up against \u201cthe system\u201d. With this money, schools could contribute to what Shannon coined the \u201celimination of obesity-generating factors\u201d by doing things like working out discount programs with local gyms, finding a way to educate parents about nutrition and cost-effective ways to feed their family well, and focusing on re-writing the curriculum of the physical education and health programs to better equip students, especially students of color, to fight off childhood obesity. People that have chosen to work in education or the school-system want to see their children succeed, so they will be instrumental in voicing exactly what they need to agencies with the power to grant funding. <\/span><\/p>\n At this point I would like to raise some objections that have been inspired in the small-government advocate in me that presents itself once in a blue moon. I found myself asking questions like: whose responsibility should it be to fund the government agencies and social safety nets that help combat systemic issues like food insecurity? Should the American taxpayer bear the burden? Ultimately, I came to the simple conclusion that yes: the American taxpayer should not protest this fundamental use of revenue. Government agencies funding school programs and providing economic stimulation for low-income communities will be temporary. Members of these communities gaining access to nutrition and vital education will have an effect so transformative that this short-term funding will have long-term results. It remains essential that advocates of smaller government see funding as a way to begin to transform the system not designed for marginalized, low-income, non-white communities, such as wards 7 and 8 of Washington D.C. Our various levels of government are constitutionally bound to act as an agent of the people, and people that are voted into power must act on the needs and desires of their constituents. If the higher leadership in our government would formally recognize the struggles faced by minorities and low income families in this country, progressive policies could make their way to the forefront of national attention. <\/span><\/p>\n Generations of people of color have passed through this inadequate, unjust system; unfortunately for many, it\u2019s too late. But, it doesn\u2019t have to be too late for the other children that live in wards 7 and 8, who have done nothing but be born into a system that wasn\u2019t designed to benefit them. Jeff Chang\u2019s <\/span>We Gon\u2019 Be Alright <\/span><\/i>quotes President Johnson\u2019s June 4, 1965 speech delivered at Howard University\u2019s graduation ceremony regarding the civil liberties movements and the fight for equality:<\/span><\/p>\n But freedom is not enough. You do not wipe away the scars of the century by saying:<\/span> \u2018Now you are free to go where you want, and do as you desire, and choose the leaders<\/span> you please\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n You do not take a person who, for years, has been hobbled by chains and liberate him,<\/span> bring him up to the starting line of a race and then say, \u2018You are free to compete with all<\/span> the others,\u2019 and still justly believe that you have been completely fair. <\/span><\/p>\n Thus it is not enough just to open the gates of opportunity. All our citizens must have the<\/span> ability to walk through those gates. <\/span><\/p>\n This is the next and more profound stage of the battle for civil rights. We seek not just<\/span> freedom but opportunity. We seek not just legal equity but human ability, not just<\/span> equality as a right and a theory but equality as a fact and equality as a result. <\/span><\/p>\n For the task is to give 20 million Negroes the same chance as every other American to<\/span> learn and grow, to work and share in society, to develop their abilities–physical, mental,<\/span> and spiritual–and to pursue their individual happiness<\/span><\/p>\n People who claim non complicity often cite that they didn\u2019t personally inflict these wounds upon the community, and also believe everyone in this society is truly equal. Legally ending slavery does nothing for the people of color who worked to build this nation. America\u2019s policy makers made a mistake when, after slavery ended, they did nothing to ensure the success of a community who had just obtained freedom, and forced generations of people to continue their fight for civil rights. Reparations were never paid to those who had been prohibited from succeeding, and now it is our job to provide true equity to our African American citizens, as well as other minority citizens who have faced disenfranchisement at the hands of this country. Those words were spoken by a powerful person and were uttered over 50 years ago, yet our system is still failing our brothers and sisters of color. I reference the prosperity of systemic racism in our country as a whole because it truly is alive and well throughout America. Just by looking at food insecurity as a systemic injustice connected to a myriad of other complications, it is easy to see the ways in which the system is still designed to keep people in chains. Our nation\u2019s capital provides the perfect example for how decades of injustice and segregation can culminate tragically. <\/span><\/p>\n The members of the Washington D.C. community are not expected to end what centuries of injustice has inflicted upon marginalized communities. What we can do is make our voices heard and be adamant in our opposition to these unfair standards of living. We must take it upon ourselves to ensure that all people of color are given an equal opportunity at acquiring the means to walk through those gates of opportunity, not just the freedom to do so. Equity beyond equality. These words from President Johnson deserve to be looked at in history books for historical context, and should not contain any trace of relevance to the present day situation. It is <\/span>impossible <\/span><\/i>to fix a system which was not created with the intent of protecting you, and food insecurity is an issue that presents many problems that perpetuate systemic racism in Washington D.C. Don\u2019t fix the system, change it. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Food Insecurity Research Paper: full text below View Research Paper in Microsoft Word Modern Racism as Seen Through Food Disparities in Washington, D.C.\u00a0 Modern Racism As Seen Through Food Disparities in Washington, D.C. Half a mile away from the center… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2393,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-52","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":19,"date":"2017-09-11T14:55:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T14:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/spatemplate\/?page_id=19"},"modified":"2017-12-06T18:25:31","modified_gmt":"2017-12-06T18:25:31","slug":"work-sample","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/work-sample\/","title":{"rendered":"Policy Brief Writing Sample"},"content":{"rendered":" Addiction Policy Brief<\/a>: full text below<\/p>\n View Policy Brief in PDF<\/p>\n This is my first formal policy brief, which I handed in as an assignment for my Perspectives on Mental Illness class. The only parameter surrounding this assignment was that it had to be a policy brief about something in the mental health field. Naturally, I chose something I’m very passionate about: policy surrounding substance abuse.<\/p>\n The policy brief is officially titled the following:<\/p>\n Substance Abuse Treatment: Reinventing the Percocet to Prison Pipeline<\/p>\n As far as first assignments go, I believe I learned a lot from this brief. Not only did I further my research skills, but also gained valuable knowledge surrounding formatting of policy briefs. This forced me to be concise in terms of how much information I’m relaying, and also allowed me to use my analytical skills to come up with actual policy options.<\/p>\n Substance Abuse Treatment: Reinventing the Percocet to Prison Pipeline<\/em> <\/strong><\/p>\n VICTORIA VENA <\/span><\/p>\n EXECUTIVE SUMMARY<\/b><\/p>\n Drug addiction and substance abuse is ravaging the nation. Addiction is classified as a chronic disease where the person seeking the drug loses some form of control over their body, even though drug use has many harmful consequences<\/span>. Changes in the brain can occur with continuous use of drugs, affecting self-control and use of other drugs. People that are diagnosed with drug addiction will always be classified as in recovery or in relapse. Drug addiction affects learning, judgement, decision-making, stress, memory, and behavior <\/span>.According to the Office on National Drug Control Policy, substance abuse costs Americans around 200 billion dollars a year when considering health care, criminal justice, legal, and lost workplace production and participation <\/span>. In fact the DSM-IV states half of the inmates in jail and prison qualify as drug dependent<\/span>. Drug addiction is an urgent matter because the rate of addiction for the demographic of young teens is increasing. Additionally, when teens start using seemingly harmless drugs such as marijuana, they will then move on to more harmful substances, this is also known as the gateway drug effect. A study conducted at the Norwegian Institute for Alcohol and Drug Research found the risk of taking hard drugs doubles after being introduced to cannabis. This study also found statistical significance between the gateway way effect of marijuana and \u201ctroubled youth\u201d <\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n CURRENT POLICY<\/b><\/p>\n The current policy in practice in the United States is something referred to as the War on Drugs, which is surrounded by much controversy. President Richard Nixon declared this \u201cWar on Drugs\u201d in 1971, and he increased the size\/influence of drug agencies, pushed policies for mandatory sentencing, and implemented no-knock warrants. <\/span>A brief history of the War on Drugs affirms that \u201cthe first anti-cocaine laws in the early 1900s were directed at black men in the South. The first anti-marijuana laws, in the Midwest and the Southwest in the 1910s and 20s, were directed at Mexican migrants and Mexican Americans. Today, Latino and especially black communities are still subject to wildly disproportionate drug enforcement and sentencing practices\u201d<\/span>. While in present day, these policies have slowly unraveled with the legalization of marijuana becoming more popular, America\u2019s prison system is still focused on the illegality of drugs as opposed to the treatment of this chronic disease. <\/span><\/p>\n POLICY OPTIONS<\/b><\/p>\n For the issue of substance abuse, there are two clear policy options. One option would be to legalize drugs. This would yield lower incarceration rates, stimulate national and state economic growth, and would make drugs in general seem less taboo and rebellious. Another policy option would be to create a federal and state prison to rehabilitation pipeline, letting people receive treatment for their disease instead of having them sit in a jail cell, and become a waste of taxpayer dollars as nonviolent offenders. <\/span><\/p>\n POLICY SUGGESTION<\/b><\/p>\n My personal policy recommendation would be to craft a program to give people the choice of receiving psychiatric care. There is no solid evidence that the legalization of such drugs would actually decrease usage and addiction, and using other countries as a comparison would not work, because there is no country that has legalized all drugs that has a similar system to the United States government. This policy will have to be crafted carefully for many reasons, but namely because of a recent interaction between the UN and the USA, who stated last year that \u201c<\/span>involuntary institutionalization of persons with psychosocial disabilities and forced treatment is prohibited\u201d <\/span>. If this rehabilitation program was implemented, the government would save large sums of money. <\/span>It costs approximately $31,000 to hold each individual prisoner over their entire sentence. If the United States removed all nonviolent drug offenders from their system, they would save around $9.3 billion per year<\/span>. Although there is still a cost associated with treatment, these centers will turn people addicted to drugs into productive members of society who will contribute both to the economy and the overall wellbeing of their family and friends around them. The alternative cost of keeping people incarcerated is far more detrimental in the long run, because once they have records it will be hard to find a job and they\u2019ll likely end up back in the prison system, at an additional cost to taxpayers. Giving addicts the choice of treatment is the only plausible and human policy option to treat what truly is a chronic illness.<\/span><\/p>\n (References provided within PDF file above)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Addiction Policy Brief: full text below View Policy Brief in PDF Context This is my first formal policy brief, which I handed in as an assignment for my Perspectives on Mental Illness class. The only parameter surrounding this assignment was… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2393,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-19","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/19\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":16,"date":"2017-09-11T14:55:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T14:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/spatemplate\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2019-09-30T09:16:43","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T09:16:43","slug":"about-me","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/","title":{"rendered":"About Me"},"content":{"rendered":" My name is Victoria Vena, and I am a part of the Class of 2021 at American University. In addition to a BA in CLEG (Communications, Law, Economics, and Government) with a minor in Public Health, I am also earning a certificate in Advanced Leadership through the School of Public Affairs Leadership Program.\u00a0After I graduate in 2021, I plan to apply to J.D. programs.<\/p>\n I am engaged within both the AU community as well as the D.C. community through various extracurricular activities. I am currently the president of Phi Alpha Delta, the co-ed pre-law fraternity, a legal intern at Privia Health, and a desk receptionist for AU Housing and Residence Life. I spent two years (first as a fellow, then promoted to Congressional Outreach Coordinator) with the Kennedy Political Union, American’s student-run speaker’s bureau, and have also tutored children through D.C. Reads and repurposed\u00a0food waste at D.C. Central Kitchen in my time as a student. I strive to spend my time as a college student as an active, caring member of the community, and I live by the principle that the \u201cservice you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth\u201d (Muhammad Ali).<\/p>\n Some of my passions within legislative areas include agriculture and food security, civil rights, housing and community development, and healthcare.<\/p>\n My proudest achievement thus far was helping to start a grassroots organization, Community in Crisis, in order to bring local attention to the opiate and heroin crisis in New Jersey. I acted as the Head Youth Coordinator for three years, and it is the accomplishment I feel the most passionate about. During my time with this organization, I worked to recruit local youth, write grant proposals, and complete ground work with promotion and customer relations.<\/p>\n If you have any questions or would like to reach out to chat, \u00a0please feel free to email me at vv0969a@student.american.edu<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" My name is Victoria Vena, and I am a part of the Class of 2021 at American University. In addition to a BA in CLEG (Communications, Law, Economics, and Government) with a minor in Public Health, I am also earning… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2393,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}},{"id":13,"date":"2017-09-11T14:55:58","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T14:55:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/spatemplate\/?page_id=13"},"modified":"2019-09-30T09:27:07","modified_gmt":"2019-09-30T09:27:07","slug":"resume","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/resume\/","title":{"rendered":"Resume"},"content":{"rendered":" Master Resume<\/a><\/p>\n View Resume in PDF<\/p>\n When submitting a resume, I tailor it to one page of the experiences relevant to the position I’m applying for. Attached is my master resume, which is a compilation of everything I’ve done professionally.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Master Resume View Resume in PDF When submitting a resume, I tailor it to one page of the experiences relevant to the position I’m applying for. Attached is my master resume, which is a compilation of everything I’ve done professionally…. Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2393,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-13","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2393"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/13\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}]
\nContext<\/h3>\n
Title of Project<\/h3>\n
Reflection<\/h3>\n
Full Text<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/edspace.american.edu\/vv0969a\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1074\/2017\/09\/13892293_631632257003260_1909110809919334321_n-300x300.jpg\")
<\/p>\n