| Sandra Magana first became interested in social work when she was a teen-ager. Now an assistant professor of social work at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Magana is working to research and aid Latino families and other families of color, who are care giving for a developmentally disabled family member. When Magana was a high school student, her best friend was a foster child. This is when she was first introduced to the field of social work and it struck a chord. Magana went on to study social work and receive her undergraduate degree from California State University-Sacramento. Before pursuing her Masters degree in social work from California State University-San Bernardino and a Ph.D. from Brandeis University, Magana worked with an agency in California that serviced families who had at least one family member with a developmental disability. It was here that she became interested in how culture affects care-giving experiences among families of color versus their White counterparts. She noticed a trend; there was a noticeable difference between the way in which Latino and non-Latino families approached the care-giving experience. One of the main differences was the number of family members involved in the person's care. "I noticed that there were many different family members involved in the day-to-day care of a person [with a disability in Latino families]," Magana said. "In White families, it is mainly the mom, the dad, and maybe the siblings, who help with care." Magana also noticed that Latino families are less likely to seek services; sometimes because they face language barriers, sometimes because they are undocumented, and other times because the services provided do not match their personal philosophies on how to care for disabled family members. One noticeable difference, Magana said, is that Latinos and African Americans with disabilities tend to live with their parents much longer than Whites do. "Families of color more often care for their child with disabilities at home, even into adulthood," she said. "It's important to have that individual contribute to the unity of the family." Service providers in the U.S., on the other hand, tend to advocate for the autonomy of disabled individuals. "Service agencies often push for the autonomy of the individual and do not consider the needs of the whole family, which is particularly important to the families of color that I have studied," Magana said. Another major finding Magana has discovered through her research, is that Latina and African American mothers of developmentally disabled individuals are much more likely to suffer from chronic health problems when compared to their non-care giving counterparts. Latina mothers are also more likely to suffer from depression. Magana stresses that it is just as important to provide services for caregivers, as it is to provide services for the developmentally disabled. These services, however, are lacking, she said. "This means that while these families are saving the government money by caring for their adult children at home, as opposed to having them live in a government-funded facility, the needs of the caregivers are being overlooked," she said. "The state often disregards the fact that the family is an important institution that provides concrete services to all of us. We need to support our families in those efforts." Magana has taken on a number of projects that help to support Latino caregivers of developmentally disabled individuals. Roughly four years ago, she developed a support group for Latino caregivers and their family members. Originally, she ran the program with just herself and her students on a volunteer basis. The program is now funded by Family Support 360 and the Epilepsy Foundation. Anywhere from five to eight families meet each month at the Villager Mall on Madison's south side to explore a number of issues related to care giving. Participants are directed to service programs that will meet their needs. "This group aims to educate families about the services they are entitled to, but maybe don't know about," she said. Additionally, Magana is currently in the throes of planning a new initiative that will focus on the health needs of Latina mothers who are caring for a developmentally disabled child. "As they get older, [Latina] mothers of children with disabilities suffer from higher rates of depression and chronic illness," she said. Magana is developing a program that will provide health education and intervention to Latino caregivers and their families. She hopes to have the pilot program launched this fall. The program will train lay people who are native Spanish-speakers to work as health educators, or promotoras, within Latino families. Instead of making caregivers and their families come to them, each promotora will have three families that they visit on a regular basis. They will educate families about pertinent healthcare issues including stress reduction, nutrition, and healthcare access. Through her research and programs, Magana is making it clear that the services currently available to care-givers of color are not meeting their needs. While, budgets are already stretched thin when it comes to providing "traditional" support, it is underserved populations who suffer the most. Magana is making an effort to bridge that gap. |
| Sandra Magana The impact of culture on care giving by Laura Salinger |
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| Sandy Magana |
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