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Denese M. Neu, PhD
Professional Bio
Denese M. Neu founded and operates HHS Planning & Consulting. While pursuing her degrees, she worked in the health and human services industry. She resigned from a C level executive position with an international dialysis provider to complete her dissertation. That research examined the challenges of dialysis access for New Orleans" low-income, minority patients.
Her experience as a social worker and administrator working with a variety of government programs and vulnerable populations helped her recognize many gaps between urban policy and service-delivery design. This fueled her desire to start a business to bring interdisciplinary expertise to urban planning, public policy and health care initiatives.
Her clientele range from grassroots community-based organizations to the federal government. In recent years, her work has focused on the heritage and human needs components for successful and sustainable community development efforts.
Based in Chicago, she remains active with the recovery of New Orleans, which is the city she considers home. She is a graduate of the University of New Orleans and serves on the alumni board of directors.
Project Description
The project probed the question: Has the community development industry failed to fully invest in distressed areas and disadvantaged populations by disregarding the mental health needs from their community-building mission because policy and program barriers exist?
The project examined community development policy and strategies for mental health intervention among disadvantaged populations. The white paper presented summative findings and recommendations and a list of additional research questions for the RWJF"s vulnerable populations team. Using qualitative methods, the project: 1) conducted policy analysis to identify barriers to holistic community development; 2) reviewed the national community development training programs to determine if/how they address psychological health impediments to successful homeownership and community building; 3) reviewed community development corporation data to identify trends among those that have incorporated traditional/non-traditional mental health services; and 4) examined and evaluated how selected programs address or avoid these issues at the local level.
Findings
Community development and building continues to have a too narrow focus on real estate, access to housing and economic development. This is not to say that these are not important issues for building healthy communities. While there is a stronger conversation about the components of what a health community truly is, there are many gaps between industrial silos. This project revealed that the disconnection between community based mental-health initiatives and community development is more succinct than I originally thought. One of the greatest challenges of conducting this work was my frustration of not finding interconnection despite the dialogue and dedication.
Within the industry, the phrase "mental health" almost always provokes a response associated with "mental illness." The language becomes a barrier, as unfortunately, mental illness continues to carry a social stigma that creates a boundary between community development and training policy programs. Conversations about mental health become conflated with mental illness -- in conjunction with social stigmatization " which is then superimposed on dialogue about community development and mental health. What this disconnect reveals is that training is not adequate within the community development field to deal with the mental health obstacles that arise. Furthermore, community development agency staff do not recognize the direct manifestations of mental health barriers upon residents" ability to work toward self-sufficiency.
Project Updates
I developed a training session to address the findings; evaluated project segments to draft shorter publishable articles; and pitched findings as a story to the media.
Why I Applied to New Connections
As a consultant, I saw empirical evidence of the disconnection between research and implementation throughout my work. I learned about New Connections early on, and applied for the first round of funding. My hope was to collect real-time evidence of how health-care disparities issues were being addressed by the New Orleans post-disaster planning process. Although I was unfunded in that round, I was invited to attend the first symposium. The value of being in a room of emerging scholars doing interesting, interdisciplinary work kept me applying for the clinics. I reapplied in round three because it gave me an opportunity to probe mental health issues that were not being recognized by the community development industry.
What New Connections Means for my Career
The New Connections program supported me in collecting evidence, but it has also helped keep me motivated to continue working with and for vulnerable populations. Additionally, being affiliated with this network of scholars has helped me more fully develop my ideas outside the academic world. Lastly, being a part of this program has provided me with a greater level of professional confidence for communicating my ideas and delivering material in the field.
Research Interests
Social Planning and Infrastructure; Social Policy; Population Issues; Place-Based Culture; Vulnerable Populations; Public-Private Partnerships; Community-Based Programs; Health Impact Assessment; Community Needs Assessment; Disaster Recovery; Location Analysis; Geo-Linked Public Policy; Accessibility; Nonprofit Efficacy; Innovative Programs Serving Population Needs; Service Delivery Design
Discipline(s)
Urban Studies
Populations Served
Low and moderate income residents in affordable housing communities.
Publications
I developed a training session to address the findings; evaluated project segments to draft shorter publishable articles; and pitched findings as a story to the media.
Other Personal Links
www.hhsplanning.com http://www.linkedin.com/pub/denese-neu-ph-d/3/135/9b2