The High Cost of Poverty: Advocating for the Silent Population
Conference Strand
Social Change, Leadership, and Advocacy
Abstract
Poverty is a primary contributor to both health and social problems. Current literature indicates poverty is linked to increased risk of mental illness, drug use, imprisonment rates, school dropout rates, teenage birth rates, and myriad other issues. It is the goal of this presentation to emphasize the need for advocacy and community education in order to better serve this population.
Evidence
Current research estimates that more than 45 million individuals in the United States live in poverty. There are 35 states in which the childhood poverty rate is estimated at 20% and 15 states where the number increases to 25% (Berliner, 2013). Poverty has been linked to an increase in mental illness, increased drug use, increased infant mortality rates, increased incarceration, decreased well being, higher school dropout rates, and ongoing segregation in housing and school systems (Berliner, 2009; Wilkinson & Pickett, 2009; Reardon, 2011; Condron, 2011).
Berliner, D. C. (2013). Inequality, poverty, and the socialization of America's youth for the responsibilities of citizenship. Theory Into Practice, 52(3), 203-209.
Berliner, D. C., Arizona State University, E. U., & University of Colorado at Boulder, E. C. (2009). Poverty and potential: Out-of-school factors and school success. Education Policy Research Unit.
Condron, D. J. (2011). Egalitarianism and educational excellence: Compatible G]goals for affluent societies?. Educational Researcher, (2) 47.
Reardon, S. F. (2012). The widening academic achievement gap between the rich and the poor: New evidence and possible explanations. AASL Hotlinks, 10(10), 1.
Wilkinson, R. G., & Pickett, K. (2010). The spirit level : why greater equality makes societies stronger. New York : Bloomsbury Press, 2010.
Format
Individual Presentations
Biographical Sketch
Charles DeVon Mills, MA, LAPC, LAMFT is currently pursuing his PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA. He is both an educator and a clinician, working in a private practice group. DeVon has served underprivileged populations through his clinical practice and is consistently involved in community advocacy for those living in poverty.
Location
Room 212
Start Date
2-17-2017 4:00 PM
End Date
2-17-2017 5:15 PM
Recommended Citation
Mills, Charles DeVon, "The High Cost of Poverty: Advocating for the Silent Population" (2017). National Cross-Cultural Counseling and Education Conference for Research, Action, and Change. 12.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/ccec/2017/2017/12
The High Cost of Poverty: Advocating for the Silent Population
Room 212
Poverty is a primary contributor to both health and social problems. Current literature indicates poverty is linked to increased risk of mental illness, drug use, imprisonment rates, school dropout rates, teenage birth rates, and myriad other issues. It is the goal of this presentation to emphasize the need for advocacy and community education in order to better serve this population.
Description
There is an ever-increasing need for advocacy surrounding the underprivileged in America. Poverty is consistently linked to both educative and mental health issues. Thus, the impetus exists for both educators and mental health clinicians to become more involved in the cause of bringing awareness to the implications poverty. This session will highlight common misperceptions about poverty, provide examples of effective methods of advocacy, and underscore the importance of not engaging in ineffective approaches. It is improbable that society will ever eradicate poverty as a whole. However, there is power to enact change through partial solutions, which will be a key factor of discussion in the presentation. The session will also work to foster open conversation among participants that will provide ideas and inspiration for others to join in advocating for those trapped in the cycle of poverty.