When welfare reform occurred in Illinois in the 90’s, I participated on one of the seven community task force projects set up to develop a system of “new” welfare strategies involving a collaboration of social service and business leaders, Public Aid, and DCFS. Business men volunteered their time to be part of the solution. Each month I listened to welfare myths propagate through the well-meaning (but impossible) solutions offered by corporate leaders. After a few of these meetings, I decided to provide a corporate briefing of sorts, with a few families actual earning and budget sheets. Each report included the family demographics, access to transportation, child status, daycare needs, other support systems, etc. I will never forget the look on one of their faces when he stated “I don’t understand, it isn’t sustainable to live like this.” Exactly. UBI will be no different if it is developed as a subsidy. A systems approach is the solution to this dilemma.





This UBI+ framework I am proposing is grounded in research and my 25 years of experience working with those either in poverty or struggling to keep above the poverty line. My social work experience includes developing and managing programs to address addiction, homelessness, self-sufficiency, welfare to work, food scarcity, sexual and domestic violence, mental health issues, child abuse, and family resiliency. People not wanting to work if they receive UBI is a myth. The reasons for clients I knew not working ranged from the lack of systems supporting actualization of the American work ethic to varying degrees of mental health issues and traumatic experiences preventing success in traditional work situations. Honestly, I never met a person happy to be on welfare or disability. “Lazy” is a myth people perpetuate from ignorance or the learned behavior of “blaming the victim.”





I attended a conference where the facilitator called the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders





One study, The Adult Childhood Experiences Study (ACES) examines the impact of trauma on individuals. ACES researchers sampled over 17,000 people for their conclusions. While trauma knows no boundaries, complications of poverty and inequity compound the impact of a persons ACES. When we acknowledge our inadequacy in dealing with childhood traumas, we can begin to treat previous trauma and prevent future trauma. A study in Tennessee in 2017 estimated the economic impact of ACES cost the state $5 billion a year. This number only includes direct medical costs and lost work productivity in employee absenteeism. UBI+ is the beginning of significantly decreasing these costs.





Content source: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention





(Review my prior post on for more information on "work" definitions). UBI+’s focus is rooted in support for Self-Efficacy based upon the capacity of the person. A segment of our population will always need more structure and services than the average American. Vulnerable and marginalized populations will not automatically experience enriched lives with a $1000 increase in their income each month. This segment’s goal of ‘work’ looks completely different than mainstream society’s definition of work.(Review my prior post on “The Future of Universal Basic Income from a Social Work Perspective” for more information on "work" definitions).





UBI+ is rooted in two principles. The first principle is the development of systems supporting the Social Determinants of Health. The Social Determinants of Health areas expand to include researched based programs shown to improve quality of life minimizing costs to society. The second principle is the mandated participation of work programs for those not working over 20 hours a week. Based upon the reduction of traditional work situations due to automation or incapacity, the definition of “work” is expanded to envelope many forms of productive situations in society. Social determinants of health support systems and a redefining of work will start the development of a successful system in the wake of automation and address the need for work options of marginalized populations.





Social Determinants of Health needed to support effectiveness of UBI+





The goal of adding $1,000** of income to support Americans would only be successful with the following systems in place. Social determinants of health provide a map to the key resources needed for all people to flourish. Substantial research (see end of article for supporting research) validates the positive impact on individuals each of these support systems provide. These programs would significantly decrease the prevalence of ACES impacting our youth. Healthier Americans leads to a healthier America physically, emotionally, behaviorally, and economically.





1. Universal Healthcare

2. Universal Childcare with Early Childhood Learning programs and sick childcare areas

3. Adequate food subsidies and programs for lowest 20% of American Households

4. Quality education for every child

5. Transportation access developed and subsidized for low income

6. Affordable housing options or supplements (Enhanced HUD, section 8, subsidized housing) for everyone

7. Enhanced workforce development and placement programs

8. Minimum wage $15 plus increase based upon standard of living in the area

9. Internet accessibility and technology for everyone

10. Student loans subsidized for those making under 200K a year and working full time

11. Student loan forgiveness for anyone on disability or working in a nonprofit organization, healthcare, or education









Self-efficacy Work Pursuit Options





Individuals not working must pursue alternative measures for “work.” Some individuals will able to be re-trained, but others may always need alternative forms of work due to their circumstances. This area addresses the issue some will have with giving $1,000** to people who do not “work.” If a person is not enrolled in an alternative non-paid labor, then they do not receive the UBI+ stipend. Alternative work options not only provide needed free services, they increase the self-efficacy and self-esteem of the participants and those who benefit from their "work."





Definition of Alternative Non-paid Labor examples include:





Volunteerism

Volunteering areas specified:

Building homes

Children/Adolescents

Child Sitter

Classroom Assistant

Colleges and Universities

Community Gardens

Elderly/Disabled

Emergency Situations

Environmental

Farms

Fundraising

Health Care

Libraries

Military service member/family support general

Military service transition support to new duty station Refugees/Migrants

Social Service Agencies





Education

Certificates to enhance career track

English as a second language teacher

Free Community College with educational supports

Trade Training and Apprenticeships

High School Diploma

Post-secondary education

Re-Skilling endeavors

Small Business education, apprenticeship, and development

Volunteer Training





Support Positions (Self and Others)

Caregiver for someone with a disability or chronic illness

Coordination of support groups/activities

Daycare support person

English as a second language practice companion

English as a second language trainer

Medical treatment requiring leave from a position but does not qualify for disability

Medical leave for a parent with a seriously ill/disabled child

Maternity Leave

Parenting responsibilities for children under school age

Social buddies for seniors

Social media trainer

Tutoring children and adolescents

Technology training/support

Translator of language for non-profits

Mental/Physical/Emotional Programs

Art/performance enhancing communities

Assertive Community Treatment Programs

Community exercise

Day programs for developmental disabilities, mental illness or disability

Emotional Support person

Social Support

Sports participation or coaching unpaid

Support group facilitator

Treatment for Domestic Violence, Trauma, Substance Abuse or Mental Illness





UBI+ can address the negative impact of automation, ACES, and social inequities to improve our standard of life in an economically feasible manner. Definitions and guidelines of alternative work situations will need to be developed. New infrastructure will replace or support existing government systems, but the New Deal in the 1930’s or The Affordable Care Act did much of the same. These system changes took decades, the ACA is still being evolved years later, but anything worth doing is worth our time and effort to do right. UBI may or may not be a future manifestation, but social determinants of health and changes in our workforce are a necessity for our future.



If you have any suggestions, resources, or alternatives on the functionality of UBI+, please share.





*Research articles about each Social Determinants of Health area

** $1,000 would a minimum amount, should be based upon area cost of living









Calandrillo, S. P. 1. stevecal@uw. ed., & Halperin, T. (2017). Making the Minimum Wage Work: An Examination of the Economic Impact of the Minimum Wage. Stanford Journal of Law, Business & Finance, 22(2), 147–187. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.chapman.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=ofm&AN=136555047&site=eds-live





Cavin, A. cavinai@miamioh. ed. (2019). A Right to Housing in the Suburbs: James v. Valtierra and the Campaign against Economic Discrimination. Journal of Urban History, 45(3), 427–451. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1177/0096144217712928





Cederbaum, J. A., Ross, A. M., Ruth, B. J., & Keefe, R. H. (2019). Public Health Social Work as a Unifying Framework for Social Work’s Grand Challenges. Social Work, 64(1), 9. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1093/sw/swy045





Elias, R. R., Jutte, D. P., & Moore, A. (2019). Exploring consensus across sectors for measuring the social determinants of health. SSM - Population Health, 7, 100395. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1016/j.ssmph.2019.100395





Forbes, M. K. 1. miri. forbes@mq. edu. a., Rapee, R. M. ., & Krueger, R. F. . (2019). Opportunities for the prevention of mental disorders by reducing general psychopathology in early childhood. Behaviour Research & Therapy, 119, 103411. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1016/j.brat.2019.103411





Galvani, A. P., Durham, D. P., Vermund, S. H., & Fitzpatrick, M. C. (2017). California Universal Health Care Bill: an economic stimulus and life-saving proposal. Lancet (London, England), 390(10106), 2012–2014. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)32148-7





Gassman, J., Norris-Tirrell, D., & Kofoot, K. (2018). Student Loan Debt and Its Impact on the Nonprofit Sector. Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership, (3), 240. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.chapman.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,uid&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.550167658&site=eds-live





Hill, H. D., & Romich, J. (2018). How will higher minimum wages affect family life and children’s well‐being? Child Development Perspectives, 12(2), 109–114. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1111/cdep.12270





Joo, Y. S., Magnuson, K., Duncan, G. J., Schindler, H. S., Yoshikawa, H., & Ziol-Guest, K. M. (2019). What works in early childhood education programs?: A meta–analysis of preschool enhancement programs. Early Education and Development. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1080/10409289.2019.1624146





Luckey, K. S. (2018). Affordable for whom? Introducing an improved measure for assessing impacts of transportation decisions on housing affordability for households with limited means. Research in Transportation Business & Management. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1016/j.rtbm.2018.04.003





Manoli, D. dsmanoli@austin. utexas. ed., & PATEL, A. ankur. patel@treasury. go. (2019). Long-Term Treatment Effects of Job Search Assistance and Training: A Summary of Recent Evidence. AEA Papers & Proceedings, 109, 340–343. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1257/pandp.20191048





Ortiz, S. E., & Johannes, B. L. (2018). Building the case for housing policy: Understanding public beliefs about housing affordability as a key social determinant of health. SSM - Population Health, 6, 63–71. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.08.008





Pew Research Center. (2019). Internet and technology fact sheets. https://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/





Salon, R. S., Boutot, N., Ozols, K., Keeton, B., & Steveley, J. (2019). New approaches to customized employment: Enhancing cross-system partnerships. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 50(3), 317–323. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.3233/JVR-191013





Schochet, O. N., & Johnson, A. D. (2019). The Impact of Child Care Subsidies on Mothers’ Education Outcomes. Journal of Family & Economic Issues, 40(3), 367–389. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1007/s10834-019-09628-0





Zhang, Q., & Kim, H. (2019). American Young Adults’ Debt and Psychological Distress. Journal of Family & Economic Issues, 40(1), 22–35. https://doi-org.libproxy.chapman.edu/10.1007/s10834-018-9605-4













Presidential hopeful, Andrew Yang, suggests a “Freedom Dividend” or UBI stipend. Yang's book “The War on Normal People: The Truth About America's Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future” outlines the inevitable need for UBI. In general, I agree with Yang's premise , but within his plan for funding, certain issues present themselves, a social worker understands, as problems. The people on welfare programs, food stamps, disability, etc. should not be exempt or recieve a reduction in this dividend. This post provides UBI recommendations enhancing Yang’s proposal for the most vulnerable of our population. I put forward a UBI+ (or Freedom Dividend Plus, if you will) framework shifting our definition of work and the value of individuals.(used by clinicians to diagnose mental illness for insurance companies), the book of the impact of trauma in the United States. Think about how many systems in our society are involved in the reaction of traumatic experiences.