Download - Poverty and Mental Health
Poverty and Mental Health
Presentation by: Greg Bogucki, Gabrielle Hindley, Justin Woo
Social Problem Research indicates a rise in the risk of mental
illness corresponds to low income families Trend displayed in all age groups Children living in low income families are at high
risk of developmental disorders, social disorders, and mental illnesses developing with age
What causes these trends? Lack of hope and recognition by
society of various serious mental illnesses
Difficulty maintaining jobs when mental illness goes untreated
Treatment by psychologists largely limited to a tertiary system
Effects of Poverty on Child Mental Health
Parenting skills affected by poverty thus reducing emotional support provided by parents to children
Environment in which impoverished children grow is often more hazardous to the child
Little hope for future
Vancouver EastsidePrimary Research
Vancouver EastsidePrimary Research
Downtown Vancouver Government Housing Complexes
Characteristics of Good Mental Health
Building fulfilling relationships
Sense of meaning and purpose
Dealing with stress and overcoming obstacles
Enjoyment of life
Solution
The community centre will include mentors to provide advice and support to children
Providing children with early support will reduce risks of developing mental illness
Mentors can assist children already suffering from poor mental health
Mentorship Program
What will the program include?
• Mentors meet weekly with each child and monthly group activities involving multiple children and mentors
• Group activities ideally allows children to interact with others in the program and in their community to form friendships (broadening their support network) and have fun in a safe environment.
• Being part of a group can promote social skills and increase tolerance for different groups
What will the program involve?• One on one assistance provided to adults to help
them find a stable and respectable job with special attention given to adults with mental illness and matching them into positions in which they can be successful
• Respectable jobs provide adults with income, a support network, and goal setting opportunities
• Gaining approval from adults in the community of our program will increase the enrolment of children in the mentorship program
What is the scope of this project?• The pilot project is intended to reach about 3000
children from low- cost housing complexes
• Project will extend over the entire city including downtown Vancouver, New Westminster, and Surrey
• All programs will have headquarters at a central office
Where will the money go?
• Initially money must go towards building a headquarter office (3 million)
• Hiring office administration and social workers will be the largest cost (6.3 million annually)
• A large portion of the staff will rely on community volunteers including registered psychologists and community leaders
Implementing the Solution • Door- to-door advertisement will be used to spread
the word about the programs offered
• Volunteers and administration will meet with parents to ensure the program is appropriate for the individual child
• To sustain the program, in the long term we will rely on private and government donation through fundraiser events