Focus:Solution to Ending

Poverty/Welfare for Single Mothers

By: LaKesha M. Griffin

While keeping in mind….

What is Poverty?

• Poverty is the lack of essential needs such as food, water, clothing, and shelter.

*Poverty is a social construct that is not absolute.

Approaches to the Conceptualization of Poverty

• Deprivation

• Inequality

• Lack of Human Capital

• Exploitation

• Structure

• Culture

Department of Health and Human Services

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.

(HHS.gov, 2014)

The mission of the Department of Health and Human Services is to help provide the building blocks that Americans need to live healthy, successful lives.

(HHS.gov, 2014)

The Department is responsible for more than 300 programs, covering a wide spectrum of activities. Some of these highlights include: • Medicare and Medicaid• Financial Assistance and Services for Low-Income Families• Improving Maternal and Infant Health• Head Start• Preventing Child Abuse and Domestic Violence• Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Treatment and

Prevention• Medical and Social Science Research• Preventing Outbreaks of Infectious Disease• Immunization Services• Food and Drug Safety

(HHS.gov, 2014)

Group Proposal:

The implementation of a psychoeducational group to increase the self-sufficiency of uneducated/unemployed single mothers.

Psychoeducational Groups

These groups feature the presentation and discussion of factual information and skill building through the use of planned skill-building exercises (Corey, 2012).

Purpose of Psychoeducational Groups:

• Imparting Information

• Sharing Common Experiences

• Teaching People How to Solve Problems

• Offering Support

• Helping People Learn How to Create their own Support Systems

The most common structural problem in single-parent families is the same as in most two-parent families: an overburdened mother enmeshed with her children and disengaged from adult relationships (Nichols, 2014).

• In working with single-parent families, therapists should keep in mind that supporting the parent’s care of her children and helping her find more satisfaction in her own life are reciprocal achievements (Nichols, 2014).

Statistics….

There were 10.3 million single mothers living with children younger than 18 in 2012.

(U.S. Census Bureau News, 2013)

Research….

• Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 prohibits states from using federal welfare funds to support families after 60 months of benefit receipt; about one-quarter of states have imposed even shorter time limits (Blank & Kovak, 2008).

The key to ending Poverty….

Purpose of Group:

• To increase the self-sufficiency of all participants by providing them with an opportunity to further their education, a thorough understanding of the employment process, assistance with gaining employment, and addressing issues with housing, finances, and healthcare.

Structure of the Group

• All meetings will be held at the Memphis Area Career Center which is conveniently located in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, near the main bus terminal.

• The group will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays each week for approximately 4 hours each day.

• Each group will be closed and consist of only 10 to 15 participants.

Non-Profit Organization

• There will be no cost to group participants.

• All costs incurred for this group will be sponsored by a non-profit organization that share the common concern of fighting to alleviate poverty.

A non-profit organization receives funding through donations from individuals, foundations, and other corporations.

Supplies

• Group Therapy Table (Round)

• Chairs

• Paper/Pencils

• Folders

• Dry Erase Board/Markers

• Structured Manual that includes each psychoeducation topic and also the sequence of group sessions.

Criteria for Group Leaders

• All group leaders will be women from various cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

• To facilitate a group all leaders must show evidence of completing a group counseling course according to their educational transcripts.

• Qualifications for leaders can also be met through their field placements or length of work experience.

Recruitment of Participants

• All participants must be referred by their local Department of Human Service (DHS) office.

• They must be currently unemployed and receiving some source of financial benefits from the government.

Possible Ethical Issues….

• ConfidentialityParticipants of the group will be mandated to sign a confidentiality agreement in which they will agree to maintain the anonymity of other members and to keep all group discussions confidential.

Possible Barriers

• The lack of childcare

• The lack of transportation

Solutions• A referral to a childcare

agency that is funded by the Department of Human Services (DHS)or possible onsite childcare will be provided by licensed child care workers.

• Participants will be given bus passes or gas cards to ensure a reliable means of transportation to group meetings.

Content of Group Meetings

Week 1The first group meeting will be an orientation for all participants.

Objective:• Participants with participate in an ice breaker activity.• Participants will become familiar with the structure of

the group and leaders will assess the needs of their clients.

• Participants will discuss the rules, goals, and objectives of the group.

• Participants will complete a Question & Answer (Q & A) Assessment.

• Participants will sign a confidentiality agreement and a contract stating that they have read and agree to the terms of the group.

Icebreakers can play an important role in helping people integrate and connect with one another in a group environment.

Q & A Assessment

This assessment is composed of questions that are related to topics concerning the participant’s self esteem, education goals, finances, housing, healthcare costs, and their search for employment. Participants answer questions by checking if they strongly agree, disagree, agree, or strongly agree. Scoring for the Q & A Assessment will mimic the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale.

*The assessment is used to determine the needs of each participant.

Week 2The group will explore the many educational opportunities that are available to participants.

Objective:• Participants will attend informational sessions

given by local technology centers, community colleges, and universities.

• Participants will gain the knowledge that is needed to understand the admission and application process.

• Participants will discuss their educational goals establish a plan to achieve their goals.

GEDHigh School Diploma

Higher Education

Week 3The group will address participants financial issues and discuss other available resources.

Objective:• Participants will acquire information on available

assistance and grant programs that are funded by the government.

• Participants will be provided with assistance from a financial advisor at a local bank in constructing a personal budget and savings plan.

• Participants will discuss their financial goals construct a plan to reach set goals.

Federal Student Aid/FAFSA

Budget

Week 4The group will discuss the employment process.

Objective:• Participants will be educated on proper resume writing

skills, interview skills, and business etiquette.• Participants will be administered an assessment to

determine their field of interest.• Participants will meet with a representative from the

Memphis Area Career Center to assist with their search for employment.

• The participants will discuss their future employment goals and their plans to achieve these goals.

Resume Writing

Interview Skills

Week 5

The group will address participant housing and healthcare issues.

Objective:

• Participants will determine their eligibility for section 8, HUD, or subsidized housing.

• Participants will also apply and determine their eligibility for various health care programs.

VisionDental

HUDSection 8

Week 6

Participants will begin incorporating the lessons that they have learned into their daily lives.

• Participants will reflect upon discussions from previous group sessions.

• Participants will review set goals and the plans that they created towards achieving particular goals.

• Participants will be given another Q & A Assessment to assess their progress towards reaching their goals.

Group Evaluation

• The initial Q & A Assessment that was given as a pre-test will also be administered as a post-test.

• The results of the post-test will be compared to the results of the pre-test to determine the participant’s progression of accomplishing the objectives of the group.

Termination

• Participants will be sent a termination questionnaire by mail in 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after group sessions have ended.

*The questionnaire will be used to monitor each participant’s progression of meeting their goals and to monitor the achieved objectives of group sessions.

Fear or Anxiety….

• If any participant voices or appears to present signs of fear or anxiety, an individualized meeting will be set up with that particular group member to discuss and assess their progress towards meeting their goals.

References• Atkins, R. (2010). Mental Health in Family Medicine.

Self-efficacy and the promotion of health, 155-168.• Blank, R. M., & Kovak, B. K. (2008, April). National

Poverty Center. Helping Disconnected Single Mothers.• Brown, G. W., & Moran, P. M. (1997). Psychological

Medicine. Single mothers, poverty and depression, 21-33.

• Corey, G. (2012). In Theory and Practice of Group Counseling, Eighth Edition (pp. 32-33). Brooks /Cole Cengage Learning.

• Edin, K., & Lein, L. (1997). American Sociological Review. Welfare, Work, and Single Mothers' Economic Survival Strategies, 253-266.

contd.• HHS.gov. (2014, March 10). Retrieved from U.S.

Department of Health & Human Services: http://www.hhs.gov/about/

• Nichols, M. P. (2014). The Essentials of Family Therapy.Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

• Robbins, L. R., & McFadden, J. R. (2003). Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Education. SINGLE MOTHERS: THE IMPACT OF WORK ON HOME AND THE IMPACT OF HOME ON WORK, 1-10.

• U.S. Census Bureau News. (2013, April 3). Retrieved from Profile America Facts for Features: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/pdf/cb13ff-11_mothers.pdf