In this talk I will describe an integrated theoretical framework developed to guide research and intervention on ways to promote resilience in children in poverty. According to the Adaptation to Poverty-related Stress (APRS) framework, because poverty-related stress is chronic and uncontrollable, and stems from structural societal problems, resilience to poverty-related stress will require an expanded menu of skills and resources for coping that goes beyond the usual approaches (e.g., cognitive restructuring). The framework emphasizes collaborative coping, and the need to build strengths to support such coping—identified targets include social class and ethnic identity development, social justice education, and collective empowerment. I will describe my new intervention, the Building a Strong Identity and Coping Skills program (BaSICS), which was developed using the APRS to prevent anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress and protect the HPA and SAM from (further) damage. Early results from a randomized clinical efficacy trial of BaSICS will also be presented.
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