The Way The System Helps People In Poverty Can Be Improved By Measuring "Psychological Self-Sufficiency"

The Loyola University of Chicago released a study focusing on the relationship between Psychological Self-Sufficiency (PSS) and Economic Self-Sufficiency (ESS) with men enrolled in the Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) program (Hong et al., 2021). The TIP program is an evidence-based intervention framework developed by Dr. Philip Hong, Director of the Center for Research on Self-Sufficiency (CROSS) at the Loyola University of Chicago. The model can be used to combat a plethora of problems experienced by lower-income individuals. TIP uses a human-centered design to strengthen character, identity, and motivation that enhances grit, resilience, and executive functioning (Hong, 2016a; 2016b). TIP helps individuals overcome challenges that they may face when trying to climb the socioeconomic ladder (Hong et al., 2020). TIP can be implemented into different programs to produce many desirable outcomes (Hong et al., 2021a). The Loyola University of Chicago study used TIP as a fatherhood intervention program (Hong, 2020). The program's goal was to help the participants see the strength in their unique situations and empower them. Researchers believe that by empowering the fathers through TIP, they will connect their identities as men to their identity as fathers (Hong et al., 2021). Through this, the men will experience improvements in their ESS and other aspects of their lives.??

The study consisted of 324 men in three groups. A “General TIP” group consisting of 142 participants, a “Fatherhood TIP” group with 46 participants, and a “Non-TIP” group with 136 participants. The men are all from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, ages ranging from 18-71 years old with an average age in the upper 30’s, with a majority identifying as African American. 55.5% of the participants reported having some college education, 34.7% had at least a high school diploma, and less than 10% did not have a high school diploma. A majority of the participants (81.4%) were either living with family or friends or were homeless. Results show that age and race had a significant impact on a participant's ESS scores. It also shows that an increase in PSS contributes to a rise in ESS. Participants enrolled in the Fatherhood TIP, and General TIP had more significant effects of their PSS scores on their ESS scores than participants in the non-TIP group.

One of our partners, Howard Area Community Center (HACC) is a non-profit organization, based in Chicago that provides the tools and resources needed to empower individuals in underserved communities. They provide adult education, employment and reentry assistance services, early childhood education, food services, and other resources. Their focus is on empowering their clients, making them realize their strengths, and assisting them in their independence. HACC started as a food pantry in 1967 in the Northside neighborhood of Rogers Park in Chicago. Now, they have expanded into other resources and services. HACC now feeds 350 households each month through their food pantry, helps 250 domestic violence survivors through their emergency services, and teaches 250 through their adult education program.

Barriers to employment can be considered a mental health challenge because of all the things that are connected to having decent employment from having stable housing, being able to provide for oneself and family, and the sense of security that comes with having those things. With the lack of these basic needs, people are oftentimes plagued with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues that often lead to risky behaviors, health issues, and other mental health problems.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a well-known motivational theory in Psychology. It is a five-tier model of human needs. It goes from the most basic needs a person needs to function to more idealized needs such as esteem and self-actualization. At the bottom of the tier are physiological needs such as food, water, clothing, and shelter. The next stage is safety which can come from job security, this stage is followed by love and belongingness which can be provided by family, friends, mentors, and other support groups. The final tiers are esteem and self-actualization. The theory states to move up the hierarchy, one must meet the needs below. People in underserved communities often lack the most basic needs in the hierarchy. This makes it difficult for them to achieve higher needs in the hierarchy.

The clients we serve at RiseKit face a plethora of barriers that affect their chances of employment. Some of the most common include food insecurity, lack of secure housing, lack of access to professional wear, lack of access to transportation, criminal records, no mentorship, child care, and issues related to drugs. These issues within themselves are enough to cripple a person's chance in job opportunities and securing a job. As mentioned before, for people to move through different stages in their lives they have to have the basics covered; food, water, shelter, and a sense of security. If these needs are not met an individual cannot properly grow as a person. This can lead to individuals dealing with low self-esteem issues, lack of confidence in their abilities, and the roles they assume in the lives of others and themselves.

References

Hong, P. Y. P. (2016a). Learning to TIP: Introduction. Chicago, IL: Center for Research on Self-Sufficiency (CROSS) Loyola University Chicago.

Hong, P. Y. P. (2016b). Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP): A bottom-up practice in workforce development for low-income jobseekers. Environment and Social Psychology, 1, 93-104.

Hong, P. Y. P. (2020). TIP for Fatherhood. Chicgo, IL: TRANSFORM2P.Hong, P. Y. P., Choi, S., & Hong, R. (2020). A randomized controlled trial study of transforming impossible into possible (TIP) policy experiment in South Korea. Research on Social Work Practice, 30, 587-596.

Hong, P. Y. P., Kim, S. H., Marley, J., & Park, J. H. (2021a). Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) for SUD recovery: a promising practice innovation to combat the opioid crisis. Social Work in Health Care, 60, 509-528.

Hong, P. Y. P., Lewis, D., Park, J. H., Hong, R., & Davies, E. (2021b). Transforming Impossible into Possible (TIP) for Fatherhood: An Empowerment-Based Social Work Intervention. Research on Social Work Practice, 10497315211004743.