1. PORTRAIT OF A JOB CORPS STUDENT “Where I Sit”

2. Valerie R. Cherry, PhD Lead Mental Health Specialist Humanitas, Inc.

3. The Typical Job Corps Student Has not completed high school Reads below the eighth-grade level upon entry Has never had a full-time job Is between 16 and 24 years old Is from an economically disadvantaged family 3

4. Job Corps Demographics 4

5. “Where I Sit” Socio-Cultural Factors Economic Status Race Gender Disability Geographic Location – Urban versus Rural 5

6. “Where I Sit” Socio-Cultural Factors Economic Status Race Gender Disability Geographic Location – Urban versus Rural 6

7. Hidden Barriers Perceptions Expectations Cultural Differences 7

8. Resiliency Everyone is born with the potential to develop these abilities!

9. What is Resilience? Ability to “bounce back” Adapting to hardships and setbacks in life Ability to recover, learn from, and developmentally mature when confronted with chronic or crisis adversity 9

10. The Importance of Resilience Reveals why some Job Corps students thrive while others do not Moves away from a one dimensional deficit or pathological model Improves education and personal outcomes and reduces risk behaviors Reduces staff burnout 10

11. The Importance of Resilience GOOD NEWS! – There are strategies that we can use to promote resilience among our Job Corps students – The power of ONE person to change the course of a young person’s life 11

12. Examples of Resilience Commitment Hope Courage Determination Sense of Humor Believing in Self Emotional Intelligence 12

13. Sources of Resilience for Job Corps Students I HAVE: (external supports) Role models, structure and rules, trusting relationships Example – Staff who model behavior, support me, and teach me I AM: (personal strengths) Lovable, loving, proud Example – Respectful of others and a person people can love I CAN: (social and interpersonal skills) Communicate, problem solve, manage feelings Example – Control myself and be an advocate for myself 13

14. Slide Show Courtesy of Troy Davidson, TEAP Specialist Wolf Creek Job Corps Center 14 http://animoto.com/play/aDMz1JttytlJ6jL6CS0rBA Song: “Don’t Laugh At Me” by Mark Wills

15. Building Resilience in Job Corps: System-Wide Create centers that promote: – Connectedness – Personal Value – Competency Understanding from “Where I Sit” – MEE Productions “Moving Beyond Survival Mode” 15