Children and youth are experiencing a mental health crisis. The Surgeon General has declared that the pandemic has had a devastating effect on youth mental health. Children and youth have unprecedented levels of anxiety, exacerbated by COVID-19, masking, threats of wildfires and other climate disasters, evacuations, parental unemployment, and stress. The CDC reported a 50 percent increase in teenage girls being admitted to emergency rooms for suicide attempts in 2020. Children and families need support for their resilience and mental health like never before.
Our research, corroborated by other experts, has shown that schools are most effective in promoting SEL and mental health for students when adults have the resilience skills to pass on to children. Because of the importance of adult resilience in effectively mitigating trauma and improving the mental health of children, we created We Are Resilient™ to effectively support adults serving children. When the adults are versed in We Are Resilient™ and are practicing and modeling the approach themselves, they can more effectively coach the children and youth in their lives.
We Are Resilient’ combines a set of universal mental health promotion skills, which boost resilience and decrease anxiety, into one framework. Rather than addressing mental health challenges one at a time, we address all of the interconnected elements together. We have successfully integrated social and emotional learning (SEL) Positive Behavioral Interventions Support (PBIS), restorative justice, and trauma-Informed practices to foster prosocial behavior and mental health.
The We Are Resilient approach provides simple, practical research-based skills to promote mental wellbeing at an individual and organizational level. The approach first helps us identify our own Protective and Cultural Patterns, which are formed through early experiences and can limit our ability to use our Resilience Skills. Though these Protective and Cultural Patterns can be perceived as negative, they can enable us to move through moments of hardship. Understanding why and how we react to situations is important. Then we explore 16 simple, effective, research-based skills for Centering, Connecting, and Collaborating. Using this holistic approach, we teach children, teachers, administrators, parents, and those at community-based organizations serving schools how to manage their stress, improve relationships, strengthen relationships and experience more happiness. We Are Resilient creates a supportive school, home, and community climate of caring collaboration that boosts resilience and reduces youth anxiety.
We are a leader in providing people with the tools they need to create systemic change from the inside out. With proven training in schools, healthcare clinics, families, and organizations, we help whole communities to foster wellness together. Participants report, “Through the training, we were able to identify our own self-destructive thought patterns and learn how to prevent or manage life’s hardships better.” “Becoming aware has helped me take more proactive steps to mitigate non-productive thinking.” The We Are Resilient approach helps people thrive.