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Environmental Health in Migrant Worker Housing

By Erika Barraza, B.S. Alumna '04

For the past three years I have been working in Immokalee for the Collier County Health Department as an Environmental Specialist. It is an exciting job, where no two days are the same.

Most of my time is spent on the field conducting inspections of schools and childcares (including their kitchens), foster homes, mobile home parks, and migrant farmworker houses. Each program has its own objective, but overall the main goal is to protect the health of a population.

Before arriving to this side of the peninsula, I lived in Gainesville, where I received a bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from the University of Florida in the summer of 2004. My major always fascinated me, and its comprehensive program of applied and human sciences convinced me that I would be well prepared for the professional path I decided to take. It has opened doors for me, even before arriving to the finish line.

As a student, I had the honor to be an undergrad lab assistant at the Ecosystem Ecology Lab of Dr. Michelle C. Mack, under the supervision of Jennie DeMarco. For a couple of weeks during the summer, I had the opportunity to help with field sample collection and lab work in Alaska, where Dr. Mack conducts some of her research. Following graduation I became part of the staff, and continued working there for about a year. It was a great experience. I will always be thankful and proud to have met and worked with such a knowledgeable group of scientists.

Today I continue to be in the environmental field, but now following the Collier County Health Department's vision: "to promote, protect and improve the health of all people in Collier County". An interesting side of my job is being part of the Quality in Action team of CCHD. Last year, as part of this group, I was asked to identify a problem area that could be improved with an action plan. Since this is a rural primarily agricultural area, where I work every day, it is not surprising why I decided to focus on the Migrant Farmworker Housing Program, the largest program of the Environmental Health Division of Immokalee.

The Migrant Farmworker Housing program protects the health and safety of the migrant farmworker, and helps minimize the transmission of communicable diseases by reducing the number of workers exposed to an unsanitary environment by conducting routing housing inspections during periods of occupancy. During an inspection, we ensure that owners and operators comply with the housing standards. These standards include, but are not limited to hot water, overcrowding, sound floors and walls, refrigerator temperature, proper ventilation, and wastewater disposal. However, we had noted on a report that a number of frequent violations were tenant related: lack of sanitation in kitchens and restrooms, and poor cleaning around the premises. At the same time, these caused even more violations, such as vector infestation, which I believe affects everyone, migrant farmworker or not.

This is how I initiated the Migrant Farmworker Hygiene Educational plan, to improve the housekeeping practices and personal hygiene habits of the migrant farmworker. With the support of my supervisor and an impressive, outgoing group of co-workers we took this plan into action. Once a unit is identified, it is targeted by conducting a one-to-one hygiene educational talk, providing basic cleaning products, demonstrating their proper use, and following up with no previous notice.

On occasions the "intervention" is incomplete, usually due to their migratory habits or when tenants do not get along. However, most of the time, it's considered a successful story. The sanitary conditions improve greatly in all sections of the house: kitchens, restrooms, and surrounding areas of the premise.

Making a difference in someone's life is one of the greatest perks I find in environmental health and as an employee of the Health Department. I think there is still much more to do, and a lot more to learn from this community. But so far, it has been a very rewarding experience.