Plocica, Lindberg, Torstenson Public Policy Memo (1).docx.pdf
This policy memo, co-authored for a course on policy analysis, explores the disproportionate mental health challenges faced by incarcerated women in the U.S. Drawing on public health and criminal justice research, the paper recommends passage of the Women in Criminal Justice Reform Act (H.R. 2954), which would implement trauma-informed, gender-responsive practices in sentencing, prison care, and reentry support. This memo inspired my work for my senior project, as we went through the policy analysis process for this issue.
This white paper examines the disproportionately high rates of firearm suicide in rural Minnesota, and it identifies key contributors such as limited mental health access, social stigma, political mistrust, and occupational stress in agricultural communities. This paper compares Minnesota to other states and proposes targeted interventions, like adapting New Hampshire’s Gun Shop Project, to educate firearm owners and improve community mental health literacy.
This memo examines whether a religiously affiliated charter school can receive public funding without violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. It analyzes the school’s feasibility using the Lemon, Endorsement, and Coercion Tests from key Supreme Court cases, concluding that such a school could be lawful if designed with strict separation between secular education and optional religious expression.
In this paper, I reflect on my experience shadowing three professionals at MyHealth, a nonprofit clinic serving teens and young adults in Hopkins, Minnesota. I observed how social workers and health educators provide both clinical services and community outreach across programs focused on reproductive health, education, and mental health. This experience highlighted the importance of trauma-informed care, youth empowerment, and the intersection of micro and macro social work in health settings.