| Poverty is a pressing yet overlooked sociopolitical issue in the United States. Poverty
experiences include social and economic barriers limiting access and increasing mental health
illnesses (Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Poverty is problematic due to the impact on society-at-large,
including physical and social implications, such as lack of employment, inadequate housing,
food disparities, and increased health conditions and treatment availability (Clark et al., 2020;
Manstead, 2018). In addition to these health and social concerns, individuals living in poverty
experience higher rates of mental health and addiction concerns, such as depression, anxiety,
schizophrenia, and substance use (Hodgkinson et al., 2017). Given these health-related, societal,
and mental health impacts, counselors are uniquely positioned to provide emotional,
psychological, and social support for individuals experiencing poverty. The potential for
unethical practice can increase without appropriate training (Jiggins & Asempapa, 2016). My
research study utilized Q-Methodology to explore expert opinions of poverty-related training.
Results were informed by a 36 statement Q-sort, participants' demographic information, and
open-ended questionnaires. I determined one factor grouping and one exploratory factor from the
information gathered: participants who valued relationship and poverty-related competency and
participants who called specific poverty-related training in counselor education. Results from this
study help establish the further need for a unified approach to poverty-related training.
Key words: Poverty, counselor education, practitioner |