Empower our clients to overcome the cognitive effects of poverty, addiction and trauma,

to equip them with the tools to successfully navigate their chosen

education and career paths, fostering relationships with staff and clients

that embody the transformational nature of the calling and purpose of the Rescue Mission.

The purpose of the Challenge Learning Program is to:

Nancy Olsten, EdD

Education Director

What is the problem this program exists to solve?

Poverty, addiction and trauma all impact brain functioning

Cognitive impairment includes:

• Lack of awareness of learning strategies

• Poor schemas for problem solving

• Inability to connect past experience with

current learning

These make it difficult for clients to

attain and retain employment.

How did this become a problem in the first place?

POVERTY ADDICTION

ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (ACEs)

Linguistic development

Executive functions

Psycho-social development

Lower Academic Achievement

Linguistic development

Executive functions

Psycho-social development

Lower Academic Achievement

Executive functions

Social relationships

Employability

What is our strategy?

Greater self-awareness

Mastery

Choice

Relationship

“Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma,

tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.” (American Psychological Association)

Resilience can be learned.

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Women

Men

WOMEN’S RECOVERY PROGRAM

MEN’S RECOVERY PROGRAM

Why have we chosen this as our strategy?

ACE Scores: General Population Compared to NLP and WNLP Clients

March, 2015

What are the projected

outcomes?

How will know if we

have achieved them?

• Self awareness

• Use external supports for executive function

• Mastery of English, math and computers

• Team Skills & Presentation Skills

• Successful transition to next step

on career path

Berkeley Deficits in Executive Functioning

Scale -Pre and Post Test

Classroom assessments

Pre and Post Test Asessments; CASAS Tests

Peer Assessment Tools and Rubrics

WABERS longitudinal data matching

In program documentation

of goals and progress

References

POVERTY:

Jensen, E. (2009). Teaching with poverty in mind: What being poor does to kids’ brains and what schools can do about it. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Baydar, N., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Furstenberg, F. F. (1993). Early warning signs of functional illiteracy: Predictors in childhood and adolescence. Child Development, 64(3), 815-829. Retrieved from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1131220

Smith, J. R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Klebanov, P. (1997). Consequences of living in poverty for young children’s cognitive and verbal ability and early school achievement In G. J. Duncan, & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Consequences of growing up poor (pp. 132-189). New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Noble, K. G., Norman, M., & Farah, M. J. (2005). Neurocognitive correlates of socioeconomic status in kindergarten children. Developmental Science, 8(1), 74-87. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2005.00394.

ACEs:

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University (2011). Building the Brain’s “Air Traffic Control” System: How Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function: Working Paper No. 11. Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu

Anda, R. F., Felitti, V. J., Bremner, J. D., Walker, J. D., Whitfiled, C., Perry, B. D., Dube, S. R., & Giles, W. H. (2006). The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology. European Archives of Psychiatry & Clinical Neuroscience, (256), 174-186. Published online. Doi: 10.1007/s00406-005-0624-4

References, cont.

ADDICTION:

Fred Nyberg (2012). Cognitive Impairments in Drug Addicts, Brain Damage - Bridging Between Basic

Research and Clinics, Dr. Alina Gonzalez-Quevedo (Ed.), ISBN: 978-953-51-0375-2, InTech, Available from:

http://www.intechopen.com/books/brain-damage-bridging-between-basic-research-and-clinics/cognitiveimpairments-in-drug-addicts

Gould, T. J. (2010). Addiction and cognition. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, December.

RESILIENCE:

Babcock, Beth. Using brain science to create new pathways out of poverty. TedxBeaconStreet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHIq-8J2K0Q

Longhi, D., & Porter, L. (2010). Effects of higher community capacity among young adults: Fewer adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), higher social/emotional support and better health. Washington State Family Policy Council. Retrieved April 24, 2014 from http://thehealthcenterww.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ACEsCommunityCapacity_11-3-10.pdf

Logan-Greene, P., Green, S., Nurius, P. S., & Longhi, D. (2014). Distinct contributions of adverse childhood experiences and resilience resources: A cohort analysis of adult physical and mental health. Social Work in Health Care, 53(8), 776-797. doi:10.1080/00981389.944251