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"All I Know Is That We Failed": The Experiences of Human Service Workers Supporting the Health of Unaccompanied Minors.

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Title: "All I Know Is That We Failed": The Experiences of Human Service Workers Supporting the Health of Unaccompanied Minors.
Authors: Clark, Diana (AUTHOR), Roth, Benjamin (AUTHOR), Doering-White, John (AUTHOR), Grace, Breanne (AUTHOR), Darrow, Jessica (AUTHOR)
Source: Health & Social Work. May2026, Vol. 51 Issue 2, p147-154. 8p.
Subjects: Immigrants, Health services accessibility, Work, Medical care for teenagers, Children's health, United States. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Research funding, Mental health services, Qualitative research, Adolescent health, Mental health, At-risk people, Interviewing, Child health services, Judgment sampling, Foster home care, Transitional care, Sound recordings, Thematic analysis, Attitudes of medical personnel, Frontline personnel, Medical coding, Medical needs assessment, Children's dental care, Data analysis software, Needs assessment, Custody of children, Psychosocial factors, Health facility employees, Experiential learning, Children
Geographic Terms: United States
Abstract: Unaccompanied children (UC) in the United States represent a vulnerable migrant population because they are under age 18, traveling without a parent or guardian, and apprehended by the United States Border Patrol after a dangerous journey. Many have experienced various forms of trauma prior to and while migrating, so the weeks (and, in some cases, months) they are in government-contracted programs and shelters are a critical opportunity to assess their health and mental health needs and to intervene as needed. This article examines how staff members working at government-contracted agencies address UC health and mental needs. Drawing from 65 in-depth interviews with human service workers at these agencies, the authors identify how staff navigate and influence UC access to care. The findings reveal how frontline staff shape UC access to medical, dental, and mental health services, often improvising within a complex system of policy constraints and limited resources. Staff described using strategies such as reframing medical needs to secure authorization for treatment, building and maintaining fragile provider networks, and adapting to persistent barriers in insurance and funding. These insights underscore the importance of policies that strengthen continuity of care and support staff discretion in advocating for UC health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Health & Social Work is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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  Data: "All I Know Is That We Failed": The Experiences of Human Service Workers Supporting the Health of Unaccompanied Minors.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Immigrants%22">Immigrants</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+services+accessibility%22">Health services accessibility</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Work%22">Work</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+care+for+teenagers%22">Medical care for teenagers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children's+health%22">Children's health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22United+States%2E+Dept%2E+of+Health+%26+Human+Services%22">United States. Dept. of Health & Human Services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+funding%22">Research funding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+health+services%22">Mental health services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Qualitative+research%22">Qualitative research</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Adolescent+health%22">Adolescent health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mental+health%22">Mental health</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22At-risk+people%22">At-risk people</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Interviewing%22">Interviewing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Child+health+services%22">Child health services</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Judgment+sampling%22">Judgment sampling</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foster+home+care%22">Foster home care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Transitional+care%22">Transitional care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Sound+recordings%22">Sound recordings</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Thematic+analysis%22">Thematic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Attitudes+of+medical+personnel%22">Attitudes of medical personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Frontline+personnel%22">Frontline personnel</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+coding%22">Medical coding</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+needs+assessment%22">Medical needs assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children's+dental+care%22">Children's dental care</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Data+analysis+software%22">Data analysis software</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Needs+assessment%22">Needs assessment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Custody+of+children%22">Custody of children</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychosocial+factors%22">Psychosocial factors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Health+facility+employees%22">Health facility employees</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experiential+learning%22">Experiential learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Children%22">Children</searchLink>
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  Data: Unaccompanied children (UC) in the United States represent a vulnerable migrant population because they are under age 18, traveling without a parent or guardian, and apprehended by the United States Border Patrol after a dangerous journey. Many have experienced various forms of trauma prior to and while migrating, so the weeks (and, in some cases, months) they are in government-contracted programs and shelters are a critical opportunity to assess their health and mental health needs and to intervene as needed. This article examines how staff members working at government-contracted agencies address UC health and mental needs. Drawing from 65 in-depth interviews with human service workers at these agencies, the authors identify how staff navigate and influence UC access to care. The findings reveal how frontline staff shape UC access to medical, dental, and mental health services, often improvising within a complex system of policy constraints and limited resources. Staff described using strategies such as reframing medical needs to secure authorization for treatment, building and maintaining fragile provider networks, and adapting to persistent barriers in insurance and funding. These insights underscore the importance of policies that strengthen continuity of care and support staff discretion in advocating for UC health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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  Data: <i>Copyright of Health & Social Work is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=193721128
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1093/hsw/hlag015
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 8
        StartPage: 147
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Immigrants
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health services accessibility
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Work
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical care for teenagers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children's health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States. Dept. of Health & Human Services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research funding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental health services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Qualitative research
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Adolescent health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mental health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: At-risk people
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Interviewing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child health services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Judgment sampling
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foster home care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Transitional care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Sound recordings
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Thematic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Attitudes of medical personnel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Frontline personnel
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical coding
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical needs assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children's dental care
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Data analysis software
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Needs assessment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Custody of children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychosocial factors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health facility employees
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Experiential learning
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Children
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: United States
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: "All I Know Is That We Failed": The Experiences of Human Service Workers Supporting the Health of Unaccompanied Minors.
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            NameFull: Roth, Benjamin
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            – D: 01
              M: 05
              Text: May2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 51
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            – TitleFull: Health & Social Work
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