October 11, 2024
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) has selected Juliann Li Verdugo, a second-year Ph.D. student at the University of Washington School of Social Work, as one of its 2024 Health Policy Research Scholars (HPRS). HPRS is a leadership development program for doctoral students from historically marginalized backgrounds who can connect their lived experiences to their research and the advancement of health equity. Among the 40 scholars in the 2024 cohort, Li Verdugo is the sole selection from Washington state.
“It’s very encouraging that the gaps I’ve noticed and the work I’m doing feel nationally recognized,” says Li Verdugo. “I’m excited to learn from others at HPRS, which will support the work I’m passionate about and help me better collaborate with communities in my research.”
The RWJF is the largest U.S. philanthropic organization dedicated exclusively to health, and is renowned for its contributions to health care access, public health initiatives, health equity and systemic change. Its notable achievements include the development of the 911 emergency system, efforts to reduce tobacco use and lowering rates of teenage pregnancies.
The HPRS fellowship program helps scholars establish and strengthen professional ties to public health and policy leaders, and provides training in health equity, the policy process, leadership, communication, implementation and dissemination. It also grants an annual award of up to $30,000 for up to four years or until the scholar completes their doctoral program.
Li Verdugo’s Research and Practice
Li Verdugo completed a bachelor’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of California, San Diego and a master’s in social work from the University of Michigan, before working as a licensed clinical social worker in Southeast Michigan for three years. As a clinical social worker, she primarily served Latin American, Asian and immigrant populations, and adults with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and their loved ones.
“Working in outpatient and community mental health settings, I saw how psychosis, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses are compounded by intersectional stigma,” says Li Verdugo. “That stigma is multiplied when dealing with economic hardship or not having basic needs met, particularly for racially and ethnically marginalized clients. I’m interested in how we can culturally tailor existing mental health interventions to better meet the needs of individuals in these specific communities who aren’t being reached or maybe aren’t able to stay in treatment.”
Some of her clients spent years waiting to see a therapist who spoke their language. Others were worried about the employment or social consequences of receiving care for their mental health conditions. Many who were starting treatment for the first time disclosed they delayed seeking treatment due to a lack of knowledge about available services, which treatments were covered by insurance or how to begin the process.
The gaps in care Li Verdugo observed as a clinician and researcher led her to explore how expanded and culturally responsive services, such as peer support and holistic approaches to well-being, could encourage the use of services for individuals who may not want or benefit from existing treatments, such as psychotropic medications and traditional psychotherapy services.
“I consistently observed how systems were failing my clients,” says Li Verdugo. “That’s why I became interested in working upstream and better understanding how practice, research and policy can inform equity efforts.”
Santino Camacho Nears Completion of HPRS
As Li Verdugo’s journey in the program begins, Santino Camacho, a 5th-year Ph.D. candidate at the UW SSW, is currently completing his fourth and final year as a RWJF Health Policy Research Scholar. A proud member of the Chamoru community from Guåhan (Guam), Camacho’s journey through academia and research has been driven by a deep commitment to amplify the voices of Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NH/PI) communities.
Camacho’s academic journey has been firmly rooted at the University of Washington, where he first earned a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in public health (MPH). Growing up in the village of Tamuneng, Guåhan, Camacho saw the need for health research in his community, but was told on more than occasion that his community was “too small” to conduct research on.
While pursuing his MPH, Camacho participated in a health research training trip to Aotearoa (New Zealand) as part of the Māhina program, which was administered by the Indigenous Wellness Research Institute (IWRI). In the program, Camacho and other UW scholars collaborated with faculty at the University of Auckland to conduct public health research on LGBTQIA+ Māori student success and retention within the University of Auckland’s Māori and Pacific Admission Scheme and to support the development of more rainbow Māori and Pacific Islander healthcare professionals. The experience helped Camacho clarify how he could achieve his research goals, and advocate for better health and wellness outcomes for NH/PI communities. He has since become a board member at The United Territories of Pacific Islanders Association of Washington, a non-profit that supports the health and well-being of queer and trans Pacific Islander people in Washington state.
Camacho cites the HPRS as an instrumental force in his professional growth, offering financial support, mentorship and invaluable connections with other scholars of color.
“This program has been amazing at connecting me with other indigenous, Pacific Islander and scholars of color and giving me space to learn and think about how research and policy intersect,” says Camacho.
The insights gained from the program are directly contributing to several of Camacho’s ongoing projects. Currently, Camacho is working on a funded policy project under the mentorship of Dean Michael Spencer and Max Halvorson at the Social Development Research Group (SDRG).
This project is in collaboration with the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, and focuses on the educational success and well-being of NH/PI K-12 students in Washington. The report generated from this work will provide critical data for policymakers to create meaningful change for students. As the community engagement liaison on the project, Camacho is responsible for ensuring that the project’s outcomes are grounded in the lived experiences of the NH/PI community.
“My goal is to bring our NH/PI community’s voices to spaces where they haven’t been before, or where they’ve historically been ignored. In doing so I hope to build our community power in these spaces to generate more meaningful and actionable research, data and tools to improve our collective well-being,” says Camacho.