March 29, 2024

Talk to Explore Poverty & Mental Health

St. Mary’s County Health Department/St. Mary’s College of Maryland graphic

The St. Mary’s County Health Department and St. Mary’s College of Maryland will host a discussion on the connections between poverty and mental illness from 4:30 to 5:45 pm Monday, February 3, 2020, in St. Mary’s Hall at the college.

The talk will feature guest speaker Annie Harper, a cultural anthropologist working in Yale University’s Department of Psychiatry.  She researches how people with mental illness, including those with incarceration histories, cope with poverty and financial difficulties, and how to support them in this area.

She is interested in addressing the social determinants of mental health, with a particular focus on understanding how the financial services and retail industries could better serve low income people generally, and people with mental illness and incarceration histories in particular. She was director of a National Institute of Mental Health-funded mixed methods research study exploring the financial difficulties of low-income people with serious mental illness, and testing recovery oriented support interventions that maximize autonomy and independent management of finances.

She has followed that up with research funded by the Social Security Administration exploring ways to improve and build on the representative payee program, and by the Fahs-Beck foundation to understand the financial services needs of the reentry population.

To be discussed:

  • Why access to safe and affordable financial services is crucial for good financial health.
  • Interventions and support that can be provided to help people with mental illness achieve better financial health.

This open discussion will focus on finances, banking, and why they matter for mental health equity.

This event is open to all students, staff and faculty, public health professionals, clinicians, and community members who would like to learn more on this public health issue.

St. Mary’s Hall is at 47458 Trinity Church Road in St. Mary’s City.

Click here for more information and to register.

For more information and one-click access to a full list of resources available at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, visit its Leader member page.

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