Understanding How Poverty Impacts System Involved Youth

Nola Kesia Brantley & Withelma TiOra “T” Ortiz Walker Pettigrew

Training Description

Growing up in poverty can have lasting impacts on system-involved youth and their families so it’s essential for social service providers, caregivers, parents, and natural support people working with system-involved youth to understand how their socioeconomic upbringing impacts their ability to understand poverty and the challenges to get out of it. This is crucial for providers, caregivers, and natural support people to understand that many system-involved youth live in or near poverty, with some youth living in communities plagued by poverty. The trainers will discuss strategies for more effectively engaging individuals and families in poverty and ways to empower them.

Learning Objectives

· Participants will be able to explain how their socioeconomic upbringing impacts their efforts to support system-involved youth.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 1 way poverty can impact system-involved youth emotional health and at least 1 way poverty can impact system-involved youth physical performance.

· Participants will be able to identify at least 1 strategy to support system-involved youth in

poverty.

Agenda

11:00-11:15am  Welcome and introduction

11:15-11:30am  Defining Poverty

11:30-11:45am  Why do we tend to avoid talking about poverty

11:45am-12:00pm  Exploring our personal socio-economic background

12:00-12:15pm  Society’s view of people living in poverty

12:15-12:30pm  Stigmas of poverty

12:30-1:00pm  Lunch Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

1:00-1:15pm  Poverty in the USA

1:15-1:30pm  The cost of poverty

1:30-1:45pm  Poverty in California

1:45-2:00pm  Child poverty in the USA

2:00-2:15pm  Child poverty in California

2:15-2:30pm  Being Poor

2:30-2:45pm  The impact of being poor: homelessness

2:45-3:00pm  The emotional impact of being poor

3:00-3:15pm  Break (CE hours will not be offered for this time)

3:15-3:30pm  Getting out of poverty

3:30-3:45pm  What can we do?

3:45-4:00pm  Questions & Answers

Meet Our Trainer

Nola Kesia Brantley, CEO & Founder of Nola Brantley Speaks has become nationally recognized as a powerful Survivor voice for the issue of child sex trafficking through her moving and information packed public speaking. Her hard work and perpetual vigilance has brought both focus and concrete resources to this chronically underserved and largely unrecognized population of victimized youth. Nola’s approach aims to be holistic!

T Ortiz, A.K.A. Withelma “T” Ortiz Walker Pettigrew, is an international Anti-Trafficking Activist and Foster Youth Advocate. Beginning her work in Oakland as an Inaugural WestCoast Children's Clinic Y.A.P. advocate and a co-collaborator and leader during the inception of M.I.S.S.S.E.Y, advocating for Measure Y funding, and keynoting Alameda County's first HEAT conference. T is a leading force in advocating for the civil and social rights of all people, with specialized expertise in highlighting the intersectionality between the child welfare system and domestic child sex trafficking. Her Federal work was vital in the passing of The Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act and The JVTA (Justice For Victims of Trafficking Act). In 2021, she was Honored by NCMEC (National Center for Missing & Exploited Children) as a “Hero Award” Recipient. In 2020, she was awarded “The Last Girl Award'' from Apne Aap International (India). In 2014, she was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the world”, a TIME Magazine “30 under 30” in 2013, and a GLAMOUR Magazine “Woman of the Year '' in 2011. Her work has influenced many organizations including The United Nations, Google, The U.S. Congress, The White House, The American Bar Association, The Aspen Institute, and The Johns Hopkins Institution. Notably, she has led a TEDx talk on Exploring Sexuality after Trauma. She has successfully petitioned the Associated Press to utilize practices conscious of survivor trauma and circumstance with her #NoSuchThingAsAChildProstitute Campaign. T is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Morgan State University holding a degree in Strategic Communications.

This course meets the qualifications for (4.25) BBS CE hours for LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCCs, and LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.