Social Emotional Assistance

Objective

The Social-Emotional objective of Bridge Builders is to eliminate barriers to success by assisting with identifying and mitigating crises, promoting social justice, and enhancing social functioning so that adolescents in grades 6-12 may be better equipped to cope with the many challenges they encounter in life following high school graduation.

Measurable Goals

· Provide effective tools for managing stress and emotions
· Increase Individual accountability among participants
· Promote and increase self-advocacy
· Provide effective tools to improve participant communication skills
· Model appropriate boundaries
· Provide psychosocial education that leads to positive change
· Increase participant self-esteem and confidence

Participant Guidelines:

· Appropriate and respectable volumes
· No food or drinks during in-person participation forums
· No plagiarism
· Respect the confidentiality of other participants
· Practice appropriate boundaries
· Minimum of 1x a week face to face check-in with Advisor
· Minimum of 3.5 hours a week of after-school curriculum participation on any outlet

 

Program Features

The Social-Emotional component of the program will consist of different activities and lessons to build rapport and provide psycho-education to participants. Subjects to address the former program goals will follow.
In efforts to provide effective tools for managing stress and emotions, an array of coping skills will be routinely taught, demonstrated, and modeled throughout the program. Coping skills will consist of exercise, effective breathing techniques, increasing positive affirmations, coloring, music, and many more. It is the belief that providing psycho-social education, eliminating the stigma around mental health, and increasing emotional and mental health awareness will lead to an increase in participant self-esteem, confidence, and overall positive change. Thus, providing an opportunity to model and educate on effective communication. Additionally, at all times participants will be privy to experiencing professional and supportive support and counseling services, as appropriate boundaries, respect for confidentiality, and respect for client self-determination will be modeled. In efforts to promote and increase self-advocacy, participants will be held accountable for all of their actions, assistance will be provided for identifying problem behaviors, problematic relationships, and assistance will be provided for identifying tools and resources to mitigate barriers to the participant reaching self-actualization.
Participants will receive education and support on handling setbacks and failure; effects of media on behavior, Music Therapy and identifying music as a psychological and physical stimulus, attaining goals, and much more. The focus will be on eliminating barriers to success and replacing them with positive habits. Using a person-centered, strength-based approach the participants will learn the tools and skills necessary to better manage stress and emotions. Thus, positively improving their quality of life.