1. Focus:
Solution to Ending
Poverty/Welfare for
Single Mothers
By: LaKesha M. Griffin

2. While keeping in mind….

3. 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.

4. Approaches to the
Conceptualization of Poverty
• Deprivation
• Inequality
• Lack of Human
Capital
• Exploitation
• Structure
• Culture

5. 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)

6. 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)

7. 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)

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

9. 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

10. 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).

12. Statistics….
There were 10.3 million
single mothers living with
children younger than 18
in 2012.
(U.S. Census Bureau News, 2013)

14. 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).

15. The key to ending Poverty….

16. 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.

17. 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.

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.

22. Possible Ethical Issues….
• Confidentiality
Participants 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.

23. 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.

24. Content of Group Meetings

25. Week 1
The 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.

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

27. 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.

28. Week 2
The 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.

29. GED
High School Diploma
Higher
Education

30. Week 3
The 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.

31. Federal Student
Aid/FAFSA
Budget

32. Week 4
The 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.

33. Resume
Writing
Interview
Skills

34. 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.

35. Vision
Dental
HUD
Section 8

36. 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.

37. 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.

38. 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.

39. 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.

41. 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.

42. 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/cb13f
f-11_mothers.pdf