Poverty and Mental Health

1. Presentation by: Greg Bogucki, Gabrielle Hindley, Justin Woo Poverty and Mental Health

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. Vancouver Eastside Primary Research

6. Vancouver Eastside Primary Research Downtown Vancouver Government Housing Complexes

7. Characteristics of Good Mental Health • Building fulfilling relationships • Sense of meaning and purpose • Dealing with stress and overcoming obstacles • Enjoyment of life

8. Solution Mentorship Program • 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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