Resilience in Action:A Strength-Based Approach

Ken Ginsburg

Covenant House Pennsylvania

The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Objectives

1. Speaking the language of resilience

2. Eliminating shame, building confidence

3. Not undermining competence; Learning not to lecture

4. Managing stress without turning to the easy fix

Resilience

• The Ability To Overcome Adversity

• The Capacity to Bounce Back

ResilienceResilienceis ais a

MindsetMindset

Resilience is UnevenResilience is Uneven

Resilience

is

NOT

Invulnerability

A Reactive Mind May Find It Harder To be Resilient

Resilience

is

NOT

a character trait.

It is affected by supports and circumstances!!!

The Bottom Line of Resilience

• Young People will be more resilient if the

important adults in their lives believe in them

unconditionally and hold them to high

expectations

• Young People live up or down to the

expectations we set for them

This means our attitude matters . . .

Problem Free . . .

. . . is NOT Fully Prepared!

Karen Pittman

And . . . our attitude is assessed constantly by

watching our unintentional signals

Body Language

The 7 C’s of Resilience

Confidence

Competence

Connection

Character

Contribution

Coping

Control

(Little, 1993; Pittman et al., 2003; Eccles and Gootman , 2002; Roth and Brooks-Gunn 2003; Lerner, 2004; Ginsburg,

2006; Frankowski, Leader & Duncan, 2009)

Shifting Resilience

Theory into Action

The Bottom Line . . . again

• Young People will be more resilient if the

important adults in their lives believe in them

unconditionally and hold them to high

expectations

• Young People live up or down to the

expectations we set for them

Therefore, the importance of

Connection can not be overstated. . .

• Family

• School

• Community

• Role models

• Someone who sees the potential . . .

“I’m not trash”

The Five Steps of Behavioral Change

1. Awareness

2. Motivation

3. Skills

4. Trial and error

5. Maintenance

Who’s the Expert?

Confidence gets it started . . .

. . . and shame paralyzes all efforts

How can we help kids realize they hold the keys to their own healing?

Finding Competence . . . . . . Building Confidence

Learning Not to Undermine Competence

• Listening

• Letting young people make their own mistakes

• Knowing how to praise

• Knowing how to criticize

• Yet

Promoting Authentic Success

• Talking in a way young people understand

• Recognizing the cognitive development of adolescence

• No more lectures!!!!!!

Learning Not to Undermine Competence

Battlemind

The Importance of Skills

Control

The World Happens to Me

or

I control my Destiny

You Feel Awful!!!

Positive Coping

Strategies

Stress Discomfort

Negative Coping

Strategies

Relief

You Feel Awful!!!DiscomfortYou Feel Awful!!!Discomfort

Relief

You Feel Awful!!!

Positive Coping

Strategies

Stress Discomfort

Negative Coping

Strategies

Relief

You Feel Awful!!!DiscomfortYou Feel Awful!!!Discomfort

Relief

Coping

Engagement vs. Disengagement

Emotion Focused vs. Problem Focused

A Stress Management Plan for Teenagers

Stress Management : Tackling The Problem

1) Making the problem manageable

2) Active Avoidance

3) Let Some things go

Serenity Prayer

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the

difference

Stress Management : Taking Care of My Body

4)Exercise

o Fear

o Anger

Stress Management : Taking Care of My Body

5)Relaxation

6)Nutrition

Stress Management : Taking Care of My Body

7) Sleep

o Stimulation

o Cool Down

Exercise

Shower

o Release emotion

Stress Management : Managing Emotions

8) Instant Vacations

9) Releasing Emotions

The Worst thing is not to be

stressed . . . it is to be NUMB

The Tupperware Box

Stress Management Plan : Making the World Better

10) Contributing to the worldThe Protection of Contribution

Contribution to our centers as a road towardengagement

US

We are the rWe are the role modelsole models that ...that ...

Display resilience Display resilience

Choose to cope in healthy waysChoose to cope in healthy ways

Admit vulnerability and personal limitsAdmit vulnerability and personal limits

Reject stigmaReject stigma

See strength in seeking helpSee strength in seeking help

How do we define How do we define success?success?

To touch many lives over a To touch many lives over a lifetimelifetime of service and of service and connection with othersconnection with others

Burnout PreventionBurnout Prevention

Caring professionals Caring professionals are at are at

increased increased riskrisk because of the because of the

intensityintensity of their work and the of their work and the

emotional bondsemotional bonds they form they form with the people they serve.with the people they serve.

Serenity PrayerSerenity Prayer

Grant me the serenity to Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot accept the things I cannot change; courage to change change; courage to change

the things I can; and wisdom the things I can; and wisdom to know the differenceto know the difference

The The Worst thing Worst thing is not to be is not to be stressedstressed . . . it is to be . . . it is to be

NUMBNUMB

The best way of assuring The best way of assuring you will give a lifetime of you will give a lifetime of service is To take care of service is To take care of

yourself firstyourself first