On Wednesday, February 5, 2020, The Counseling Psychology PsyD Program sponsored a talk as part of their First Annual Social Justice Speaker Series. The event was held at Holy Family University Newtown Campus. Aimee Della Porta presented on the topic, “At-Risk Youth.”
Della Porta serves as the Clinical Coordinator of the Covenant House located in Philadelphia, PA. Della Porta shared her extensive expertise in working with at risk youth given her background as a clinical social worker.
The audience consisted of counseling psychology doctoral students and campus community members from Holy Family. The audience was intensely engaged in the presentation and asked many relevant questions.
Della Porta stated, “When youth come to the Covenant House, they are met with absolute respect and unconditional love.”
The programs for at risk youth age 21 and younger at Covenant House focus on individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences, such as homelessness, rejection from their families, and aging out of the foster care system. At the Covenant House, the employees are dedicated to build a relationship with each of the residents to ensure success.
According to their website, The Covenant House of Pennsylvania provides “an array of services for homeless young people, including a first-class clinic, staff to help with going to college and finding a job, and one-to-one support to help young people plan, stay on track, and achieve their goals.”
The main idea of the Counseling Psychology Social Justice Speaker Series is to have doctoral students increase their ability to work with community based causes and the organizations that address them.
Upcoming talks in the speaker series include:
2/19/20: Mental Illness with Nicholas Emeigh from the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Bucks County
2/26/20: Women’s Empowerment with Jessica Barth from Voices in Action
3/11/20: LGBTQIAA+ with David Moore from Pennsylvania Equality
3/18/20: Islamophobia with Ahmet Tekelioglu from the Coalition on American Islamic Relations
4/1/20: Homelessness with Anthony Medwid from Bethesda Project
By Caitlin Wickham and Kyle Adams.
Caitlin Wickham is a freshman Psychology major in her second semester. Kyle Adams is a freshman Criminal Justice major in his second semester.
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