Developing an Evidence-Informed Haze-To-Care Referral Pathway for Families in South Sumatra: A Public Health Social...

Public health advisories for peatland-fire haze identify exposure yet leave unclear which families need service support. This study developed and pilot-tested the Brief Haze-to-Care Program, an evidence-informed public health social work pathway linking education, family risk screening, safety planning, referral navigation, and follow-up in South Sumatra, Indonesia. Referral completion was the primary outcome.

From October 2025 to March 2026, a participatory intervention-development and pilot-feasibility design was used in three haze-affected communities with 60 families, 12 community welfare actors, and 6 social service practitioners or social work-informed experts. Data came from program records, interviews, focus groups, and field notes.

Program reach was high. Of 60 families, 95.0% attended the education session, 91.7% completed screening, and mean implementation fidelity was 91.0%. Among families receiving referral navigation, 75.9% completed at least one documented referral contact within 3 months. Qualitative findings showed that the pathway made family vulnerability visible, clarified referral decisions, and supported bounded service-navigation roles for community welfare actors.

High reach, fidelity, and referral completion support further testing. Referral gaps identify service coordination and follow-up as priorities for refinement. The Brief Haze-to-Care Program offers a feasible, evidence-informed referral pathway for public health social work in ecological-disaster contexts.