What is Bridges Out of Poverty?

Getting Ahead Participants from Workshop #3

Bridges Out of Poverty is a national framework developed by Ruby K. Payne, Phillip DeVol and Terie Dreussi Smith for understanding poverty and how financial status affects individuals. Getting Ahead is a workshop developed for people in poverty to investigate the impact that poverty has had on them and to create a plan for becoming self sufficient – their "future story". "Bridges" is designed to not only help families out of poverty, but to initiate changes in the community that result in eliminating barriers to economic stability. For more information about the national framework click here. 

Bridges Out of Poverty Seminars for Professionals & Community Organizations

• The Bridges Out of Poverty seminar provides community members with mental models for understanding economic class and key lessons in working with individuals from poverty.
• Topics include increasing awareness of the differences in economic cultures and how those differences affect opportunities for success. 
• Seminars are based on the book Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities, a collaboration between Ruby K. Payne, Phillip DeVol, and Terie Dreussi Smith. 
• Seminars are designed for businesses, community organizations, law enforcement, counselors, health care and social service providers.

With funding from the Aetna Foundation, we have been able to bring the Bridges framework to Greater Hartford. Bridges Out of Poverty seminars are facilitated by Dr. Katie Martin, who received formal training on this framework. The seminars provide community organizations with mental models for understanding economic class and key lessons on working with individuals in poverty. To date, Dr. Martin has conducted seminars at Foodshare, Connecticut Association for Human Services, and St. Francis - Center for Health Equity.