Rainbow Days Training
Connects
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Virtual Summer Symposium
June 3rd - August 12th, 2021
Use the code FLASH15 to save 15%
Hurry! Offer won't last!
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Beginning June 3rd through August 12th, we will be hosting a series of 17 virtual workshops led by subject matter experts in prevention, resiliency, education and other topics salient to your work with children, youth, adults, families and communities.
All workshops will be held from 10am-12pm CDT. Two (2) CEHs are available for each workshop.
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Kickoff Speaker
Nan Henderson, M.S.W., Ph.D.
We are honored to announce Nan Henderson, M.S.W., Ph.D. as the kickoff speaker for the 2021 Summer Symposium!
Dr. Henderson's workshop, "Unlocking the Power of the Amazing Human Capacity for Resiliency: Research-Based Strategies," will officially launch this year's Summer Symposium on June 3rd.
As president of Resiliency In Action, Dr. Henderson has pioneered the dissemination and application of resiliency research since 1990. She has trained and consulted on the topic of fostering resiliency in 45 states in the U.S. and several other countries. Her articles and books on fostering resiliency include The Resiliency Workbook: Bounce Back Stronger, Smarter and with Real Self-Esteem, the best-selling book on “resiliency” on Amazon for several years. She has been on the faculty of six colleges and universities and has also directed citywide, districtwide and statewide prevention programs.
Join us as we welcome Nan!
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May 25th - The Disease of Addiction
Gyna Juarez, MPA, ACPS
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Virtual CBSG Program Facilitator Training
Kids’ Connection, Youth Connection, and Kids’ Connection, Too (collectively known as the CBSG® Program ) are unique, interactive, multi-cultural curriculum-based prevention interventions that teach high-risk children and youth ages 4-17 a set of essential life skills: skills to help them learn how to cope with difficult family situations (which include Adverse Childhood Experiences), resist negative peer pressure, set and achieve goals, and refuse alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs.
This training is designed to fully prepare schools, community-based organizations, churches, juvenile justice divisions, volunteers, and other youth service professionals to fully implement the CBSG Program with fidelity.
Those completing this training will receive their choice one of the CBSG Program Facilitator manuals:
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Kids’ Connection for ages 4-12 in Schools and Communities
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Youth Connection for ages 10-17 in Schools and Communities
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Kids’ Connection, Too for Ages 4-15 in Homeless & Domestic Violence Shelters, Group Homes & Other Transitional Living Environments
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I WILL: Responsible Decision Making |
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I will make healthy, responsible decisions. |
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“Our life stories are written one day and chapter at a time by the decisions we make.”
~ Cathey Brown
“It is in the moments of decision that your destiny is shaped.”
~ Tony Robbins
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Healthy, Responsible Decision Making Defined:
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“The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on consideration of ethical standards, safety concerns, social norms, the realistic evaluation of consequences of various actions, and the well-being of self and others.” Minnesota Department of Education (MN DOE). The MN DOE has developed a chart outlining benchmarks, sample activities, and related academic standards by grade levels, found here.
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“The ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety concerns, and social norms.” CASEL
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“Our youth make critical decisions every day. Each decision students make has consequences that can affect their entire lives. Responsible decision making is not just about avoiding negative consequences. SEL’s responsible decision-making model teaches students self-awareness and how to consider family and friends, their community, and their world.” Positive Action
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“Responsible decision making is the ability to make constructive choices about personal behavior and social interactions based on ethical standards, safety, and social norms. It is the realistic evaluation of various actions, a consideration of well-being for oneself and others, and the ability to problem solve and make healthy, productive decisions.” CBSG® Program
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Personal Reflection:
There is an expression we often use or hear: “Hindsight is 20/20.” As we mature, we have the benefit of looking back on our life stories and seeing things more clearly than when we were in the present moment. We can better understand the significance of decisions we made.
Healthy, responsible decision making is a critical life skill which can be taught beginning at a very young age. It is a skill which continues to develop and improve with maturity and practice.
I remember when my daughter, Catherine, was around 3, reading in a parenting book to begin teaching young children about making decisions by offering them two choices. Do you want to wear the pink or blue shirt; do you want corn or green beans, etc. I also remember the wisdom in the reminder to only offer the choices acceptable to me as the parent! Of course, for both the parent and the growing child the choices become more complex, with increasingly significant consequences.
I encourage you to take a moment and reflect upon some of your significant life decisions and how the results of those decisions have shaped your life story. When I have done this exercise, I have identified decisions I made which had negative consequences giving me the opportunity “to learn the hard way.” I have seen when what seemed to be an insignificant choice at the time subsequently had life-long implications. I recall the process I went through in those BIG life choices including breaking it down into smaller components, gathering and analyzing data, weighing the pros and cons, seeking the counsel of others, imagining my life several years from then, etc. Reflections such as these give us insight into the impact our decisions have on others and vice versa, unintended consequences of our decisions, as well as times when we practiced a thoughtful process versus reacting or impulsively choosing.
I believe it is important for those of us who influence the growth and development of children and youth to take responsibility and time for this kind of introspection. Helping children and youth learn steps in healthy, responsible decision making is a responsibility we cannot take lightly.
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The CBSG Program I WILL Domain Core Components:
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Critical and Creative Thinking: In our rapidly changing technological world, more information is available more quickly than ever before. This abundance of information makes critical thinking skills more important than ever. The saying “It’s on the internet so it must be true,” could not be further from the truth. Being able to separate fact from fiction, analyze and evaluate information, ask questions, and think creatively are important skills in the decision-making process.
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Identifying and Solving Problems: Encountering problems in life is inevitable. Effective problem-solving is a characteristic of resiliency and can help us resist negative peer-pressure, an issue no matter our age! The identification and naming/acceptance of a problem is the first step. And numerous models exist outlining specific steps to solutions. Steps which can be learned, practiced, and refined!
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Analyzing Situations: The ability to filter information and apply logic comes with maturity. A step-by-step approach allowing complex issues to be broken down into smaller components, is an important skill for all ages in multiple settings.
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Understanding Positive and Negative Consequences: Often, when considering consequences, we think of them as being negative or bad. The truth is that consequences can also be positive favorable, or good. And what we often forget to consider is the unintended consequences of decisions. Many decisions have the likelihood of all three types of consequences, making the process not as black and white as we might hope. In these times we need to ask, “is it worth the risk” and realizing in some instances a level of risk is necessary for movement forward.
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Ethical Responsibility: We do not live in isolation. Our actions impact others and we have a responsibility to others and our communities. Ethical behaviors include respect for others, responsibility for doing our part, taking turns, playing by the rules, and good citizenship. (In my elementary school days, we received a citizenship grade in addition to our academic grades. Every 6 weeks someone from our class was selected to receive the “Best Citizen Award”). The CBSG Program’s Group Promises and Behaviors of Respect are an example of our responsibility to one another.
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Self-Care Practices: Responsible decision-making includes making healthy decisions about our personal physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. This includes not using substances that can impair our health and cloud our judgment. For children and youth this includes not using alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. Healthy decisions also include paying attention to sleep habits, diet, and physical activities. And it is a good practice to identify and practice what can be called “vaccinations for the soul” such as hobbies, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, boundary setting, and recognizing what is personally life giving.
In the Curricula:
In Kids’ Connection and Youth Connection there are several Sessions which address healthy and responsible decision making in various ways. Session 6: Making Healthy Choices, is the session focused on the topic. Related sessions include Session 3: Feelings; Session 4: Handling Anger; Session 5: Dreams and Goal Setting; Session 8: Resisting Negative Peer Pressure; Session 10: Celebration & Commitment; and Additional Sessions: Chemical Dependency and Changes & Challenges. In Kids’ Connection, Too Unit IV: I WILL is focused on making healthy, responsible decisions.
Summary:
Some of the many benefits gained from learning how to make healthy, responsible decisions include:
- Recognizing each of us has the freedom to make choices and as we age and mature the decisions we make become more complex
- Understanding everyone makes choices every day and all our choices have consequences
- Identifying the differences between positive (healthy) consequences and negative (unhealthy) consequences
- Understanding most of their peers want to make healthy choices and have chosen not to use alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
- Recognizing the use of alcohol, tobacco and other drugs is never a healthy choice for children and youth
- Identifying healthy ways to take care of ourselves
- Identifying “risky” behaviors and ways to avoid them
- Identifying ways to resist negative peer pressure
Cathey Brown, CBSG® Program Developer
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Major Message Infographic |
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