1. Resiliency in Children and Families An Approach To Thinking About Those Who Need Our Help

2. Resiliency in Children and Families In reading this you should learn:  The definition of Resiliency  The Protective/Risk Factors in the lives of students and families  A balanced approach to thinking about how to best help students and families in need.

3. Resiliency Exercise Describe things that were most helpful to you while you were growing up Describe the things that were somewhat helpful to you while growing up Describe challenges that you faced while growing up Place yourself here

4. Questions to Think About?  How many things were you able to list in your red and blue circles?  How did those things help you deal with the things in your green circle?  How does your circle compare to that of your KHUSA students?  Does anyone have absolutely nothing in the red and blue circles?

5. What is Resiliency?  Recognized as depending on both individual and group strengths and is highly influenced by supportive elements in the wider environment.  Represents capacities for coping with, adapting to, and overcoming adversities as well as competence in developmental tasks.

6. What Are Risk Factors?  Risk factors are those things that affect the ability and/or capacity of an individual or group to achieve a certain level of functioning in life which would be considered normal and desirable.

7. Protective Factors vs. Risk Factors For each Protective Factor the exact opposite is the Risk Factor Protective Factors Risk Factors

8. How do Risk/Protective Factors Interact?  Risk/Protective Factors are on a continuum…for instance a lot of education is a protective factor for finding and keeping a living wage job while little or no education is a risk factor for finding and keeping a living wage job.  We must ask ourselves how do we increase protective factors and reduce risk factors.

9. What Are The Risk/Protective Factors We Are Talking About?  These factors are organized in three groups  Individual factors  Family Factors  Community Factors

10. Individual Factors  Internal Locus of Control (The belief that you have a say in what happens to you)  Emotional Regulation

11. Individual Factors continued  Belief System  Self Efficacy (One’s belief that they have what it takes to succeed in a particular situation)

12. Individual Factors continued  Effective Coping Skills  Education Skills and Training

13. Individual Factors continued  Health  Temperament  Gender

14. Family Factors  Family Structure  Partner Relationship Stability

15. Family Factors continued  Family Cohesion  Parent Child Interaction

16. Family Factors continued  Stimulating Environment  Social Support

17. Family Factors continued  Family of Origin Influence  Stable and Adequate Income  Adequate Housing

18. Community Factors  Involvement in Community  Peer Acceptance

19. Community Factors continued  Supportive Mentors  Safe Neighborhoods

20. Community Factors continued  Access to quality schools and childcare  Access to quality health care

21. How Can I Use This Information?  Recognize every child has risk and protective factors. Our work should be to enhance or encourage protective factors while at the same time helping to reduce risk facotrs.  We can be advocates for students to receive additional supports beyond what we can provide. Are their other opportunities you can make a family aware of?

22. Case Study…  Pick out the risks and strengths in the following story.  Anthony is a 8 year old male who lives with his grandparents in a four story apartment building. Everyday he walks a short distance to school with his 13 year old brother and 6 year old sister. Each walk to school comes with a different adventure. Traffic and bullies are just a few to name. At school he listens in class and respects his teacher, but still struggles with reading. Most days are a routine for Anthony, but Thursdays are special. Thursdays at lunch his KIDS HOPE USA mentor Ms. Susie comes and visits. Since Ms. Susie has started visiting Anthony he is even more attentive, comes to school almost everyday, and is improving in reading.

23. Risks Factors  What Risk Factors Did you find? Gender (Males are more at risk than females) Education Skills and Training Adequate Housing Family Structure Parent Child Interactions Others…

24. Positive Factors  What Strengths did you find? Family Structure Adequate Housing Family Structure Family of Origin Influence Education and Training Skills Supportive Mentors Access to quality education Others…

25. Can You…  Define Resiliency?  Identify some of the Protective/Risk Factors in the lives of students and families?  Think in a balanced way (appreciating both strengths and challenges) about how to best help students and families in need?