Kappa Alpha Theta And CASA Case Study

In Dr. Parson’s presentation, I learned that there are still many seniors with out dental insurance. This is sad because the population by 2030 is going to double and more will eventually need treatment done by a dentist. According to her presentation oral care is not a concern to the nursing home staff. Some families show up to brush their family members teeth. With the limited financial resources for dental care these patients have it is one of their barriers to getting treatment done if needed or even cleaning. Therefore, we as dental hygienist can help make a difference by going out to the community and offering dental care education to the nursing staff because they must first know how to take care of their oral health before taking care

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

On August 12th, Dr Bartoletti, a dentist from Sheridan, Montana, led Ryan Edens and several other students on a trip to one of the largest refugee camps in Uganda to deliver important dental care to refugees. Dr. Bartoletti leads a program called Montana Dental Outreach that is paired with the Carroll group called Carroll Outreach Team. The team

CASA of Northwest Arkansas’s mission states, “We provide quality volunteer representation for abused and neglected children in the court system.” By 2020, their goal is “to provide a CASA to every child who needs one,” and there is a plan that has already been put into action to achieve this strenuous goal. There needs to be 334 trained advocates, 11 full-time advocate supervisors, a $1.2 million operating budget and a 10% growth in children

She explains to me her home was filled with neglect and abuse. “My parents were heavily involved with drugs and alcohol throughout all of my young adult life. Through all of this, I got taken away from my parents and moved in with my Grandma and Grandpa. But because of all of the emotional stress and everything that was going on, I was awarded with a CASA.” Morgan told me her CASA was one of her favorite people; she got to know Morgan well and was able to make the right decision, letting Morgan live with her grandparents. Thirteen years later, Morgan and her younger brothers still live with their grandparents. She believes her CASA truly shaped the person she is today, “There is no way I would have been able to go to college, found a passion for helping children and no way I would of found a passion for education without my CASA. Without my CASA, I wouldn’t be the person I am.” I cannot imagine going through what Morgan did. However, it has made her become a stronger person. Evidently, CASA volunteers have made a large impact on many children, including a sorority sister of

Exposing myself to the field of dentistry through Pre-Dental Student’s Association, I found myself drawn to helping underserved areas and limiting socioeconomic differences from restricting individuals from pursuing dental care. Participating in numerous dental events and gaining experience at community clinics allowed me to help treat local neighborhood members with dire dental needs. Setting up events and allowing patients to receive teeth extractions and cavity fillings were several interventions which increased the pride patients took in their teeth and their outward experience. Flourishing their self-esteem, it allowed them to be more highly functioning members in the social matrix of today’s society. In making such a memorable, solid impact on human life it became evident that a career marked by providing critical and immediate help was indispensable to me and further deep-rooted my decision to practice dental

It is my pleasure to write this letter of recommendation for Bianca White for the Earl Warren Scholarship. Bianca works in the Americorps program at the Exchange Club Family Center in Memphis, Tennessee and works with the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) program as a child advocate. Bianca received 32 hours of CASA training where she learned about topics such as the Juvenile Court system, child abuse and neglect, the best interest principle, minimum sufficient level of care, proper child rearing practices, child abuse and neglect laws, understanding families, cultural competence, risk factors for child abuse and neglect, communication skills with children and families, investigation and interviewing skills, report writing, and testifying in court. Bianca was sworn in as an official officer of the court in August 2014. At that time, I was assigned as her CASA supervisor and Bianca was given her first case. Over the last 11 months, Bianca has worked on 5 cases and faithfully advocated for 13 abused and neglected children.

While still attending San Jose State, I sought out Health Trust of Santa Clara County to volunteer as an oral health educator. As an educator, I travel to tabling events and community centers throughout the South Bay to teach the importance of good oral hygiene and effective techniques to reduce cavities. While volunteering, I learned that communities often see dental procedures as expensive and optional. My experiences at Health Trust has helped me realized I want to be a

While many believe that dental care is relatively attainable for individuals across the United States, research proves otherwise. Especially for those thought to be the future of our nation: children. Often times, children that are most vulnerable and least likely to receive care are those who are in the direst need. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry reports that over 37% of children are not provided dental visits and 4.3 million children are living with severe unmet dental needs that can greatly affect development. Even more important, these rates greatly increase based on ethnicity, economic status, and location. This is not to say that all individuals ought to dedicate their lives to this cause, but rather that our population, especially parents, educate their children at an earlier age about disease preventative dental skills and that a heavier focus is put on alleviating this problem for minority communities.

Many young children are going without their teeth being seen by a dentist nevertheless, they are not being took care of. Why is this? Research shows this is due to the high cost of dental work. Families skip out on seeing the dentists because of the high cost, leaving them with painful aches and rotting teeth. There has been a major increase in dental related emergencies. The fact is the Number of visits to the ER for dental related issues are increasing more rapidly as well as painful decay, disease, and infections. In fact, dental issues are one of the top reasons for visiting the emergency room. It is simple, one who struggles to afford the cost, lives with the pain and discomfort of tooth decay and gum disease.

Access to care is one of the major issues facing our current healthcare model, and due to our increasing awareness of links between oral and systemic health, barriers must be removed as to provide access to quality oral healthcare in order to alleviate health disparities throughout our society. Directly, I aim to provide quality care to those with limited access by primarily practicing in a university clinic, community health center, or hospital that’s mission is to specifically serve those vulnerable and at-risk populations. I am also committed to continue to volunteer while in my program, and post completion, with vested community health organizations and their partners in order to impact those most affected by limited access, regardless

Dentistry has been an integral part of my identity for as long as I can remember, beginning in my father’s small dental clinic in Southwest Detroit. As soon as I could read, I would accompany my parents to work, performing peripheral jobs like filing charts or scrubbing graffiti from the outside walls. My responsibilities and passion for dentistry continued to grow into my teenage years, as I began calling patients into rooms, taking X-rays, and assisting with procedures. Inspired by my father’s compassion, I worked by his side as he performed free extractions and waived copays on Medicaid patients unable to pay for treatments.

One of the only two reasons that a person cannot receive said treatment is because there is no trained professional that is capable of giving the treatment. The geographic disparity exists most “The figures are stark: the average density of dentists to head of population in Africa is 1 to 150,000; in industrialized countries, the average is 1 to 5,000” (“High Risk” 1). There is no shortage of capable dentists in the world; there is only a shortage of capable dentists in the places that need them most. The problem continues to escalate as fewer dentists want to open general practices in the most desolate places in Africa. The problem escalates as the “…duties which traditionally have been performed by assisting personnel are now being carried out by the dentists themselves” (“WHO” 2). This fact only makes the problem of the lack of dentists worse. The few dentists there are in an area, some of them have to help the others because there are not any capable people of helping the dentists, thus slowing the process even further. The problems continue to snowball as “Health care in rural areas can suffer due to lack of expertise and trained professionals. Moreover, excessive workloads and long working hours for the remaining staff can lead to demoralization, burnout, and decline in the quality of care” (Parkash 3). Due to the shortage of capable dentists in rural areas and the massive

All children have a right to a home with loving people to care for them. But each year over 6,000 children are abused, neglected or abandoned by their families. Many are removed from their homes and placed in foster care or other out-of-home placements. Eventually, they end up in court. Their only “crime” is that they have been victims. This is where CASA comes into the picture. What do CASA volunteers do? CASA Volunteers are Court Appointed Special Advocates for children. They are trained community volunteers appointed by judges to speak up for children in the juvenile court system. CASA Volunteers are provided at least 32 hours of initial training to prepare them to become effective advocates. Trainings include information about what

In addition to the academic pursuits, I also volunteered for dental camps at rural outskirts in Maharashtra, providing dental care to the underprivileged. I was fortunate enough to be a participant of the 'Bring The Smile' campaign under the International College Of Dentists (India, Srilanka and Nepal section).