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.
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
(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.
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
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
Culturally Specific Needs
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
Anti-racism curriculum/certification
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.
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
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