Strengthening Connections: The Whole Child, Family, School and Community Conference April 20, 2010

1. Strengthening Connections: The Whole Child, Family, School and Community Conference April 20, 2010 Presenter: Lee Rush

2. What is the Upper Bucks HCHY Coalition? • A continuation of a process that started in 1982- “another step in the process” • A group that is focused on “What matters to kids, not what’s the matter with kids” • Part of a national network of over 600 communities using this framework of asset development • Part of a statewide network of over 125 communities funded through the Communities That Cares (CTC) initiative • Part of a countywide network called Bucks Promise for Youth and Communities

3. Mission Statement“To promote positive youth development by providing information, supporting programs and strengthening community relationships that build assets to help youth stay healthy, safe and drug-free.”

6. HCHY is using the “Communities That Care” (CTC) framework to look at two simultaneous processes: • Reducing risk factors in four domains • Family • Community • School • Individual • Increasing protective factors by • Providing opportunities for involvement • Teaching skill development to youths • Recognizing them for who they are, not what they do

7. Risks (Problems) Protections (Strengths) Resilience ChartName a young person (ages 5-20) you are concerned about:______________________________

8. Protective Factors “Protective factors .. moderate, buffer, insulate against and thereby mitigate the impact of risk on…. behavior development.”Richard Jessor, Ph.D. • Include: • Individual Characteristics • Bonding • Healthy beliefs and clear standards

9. The Risk/Protective Factor Approach is SIMPLE: Identify the factors that increase risk; At the same time, identify factors that buffer individuals from the risk; Then, find ways to increase the protection.

10. Resilience Resilience can be defined as: “the capacity to spring back, rebound, successfully adapt in the face of adversity, and develop social and academic competence despite exposure to severe stress.. Or simply the stress of today’s world.” Nan Henderson & Mike Milstein

11. How does the Resiliency Approach fit? • Werner and Smith’s follow-up of 700 Hawaiian children determined that by age 32 or 40, only 1 in 6 “was doing poorly”; • These findings confound a core belief of many risk-focused social scientist; • Resilience research suggests risk factors are predictive for only 20% to 40% of a given high-risk population; “Resiliency: What We Have Learned”, Bonnie Bernard, WestEd, 2004, p.8

12. How does the Resiliency Approach fit? (continued) • “Protective factors” appear to predict positive outcome in 50% to 80% of a high-risk population; • Werner and Smith believe “buffers” [protective factors] have a more profound impact of children growing up in adverse populations than do specific risk factor or stressful life events. “Resiliency: What We Have Learned”, Bonnie Bernard, WestEd, 2004, p.8

13. Categories of Resilience • Social Competence • Problem Solving • Autonomy • Sense of Purpose Source: Fostering Resiliency in Kids, B. Bernard, Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, Portland, OR, 1991

14. It has been proven through accepted academic research that it is possible to strategically put in place specific programs to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors, however programs are usually, if not always, implemented by professionals, organizations, non-profit institutions like hospitals, schools or police departments. This is only part of the solution to create a healthy community. The most essential element in healthy communities is……………..

15. Relationships!

16. Asset Building- Shifting Perspectives From To Problem Focus Youth as problems Reactive Blaming Professionals Crisis management Competition Despair Positive focus Youth as resources Proactive behavior Claiming responsibility Everyone Vision building Cooperation Hope

17. One of the most powerful ways to build relationships with and between youth and adults, across all generations in all sectors is to build assets. What are assets?

18. The Developmental Asset Framework

19. Upper Bucks Youth Survey • Local data includes 8th, 10th and 12th graders surveyed in the fall of 2009, (n=2,773) • This is the fourth time UBHCHY has conducted the largest youth survey in Upper Bucks county.

20. Changes from Baseline to Current • 33 out of 40 asset categories have increased • 3 asset categories have decreased • 4 asset categories have remained the same • The total number of assets possessed by Upper Bucks youth has increased from 17.5 to 19.1 • The total percentage of students possessing more than 20 assets has increased from 34% to 43%

21. External Assets

22. External Assets

23. Internal Assets

25. Trending Data- Change in Asset Level from (2002-2010)

26. The Gap in Assets Among Upper Bucks Youth (2002-2010)

27. Trending Data Percent of Youth with > 20 Assets (2002-2010)

28. The Power of Assets to Protect

29. The Power of Assets to Promote

30. Current Prevalence Rates of Alcohol Use

31. Prior 30-Day Alcohol Use National Data

32. Prior 30-Day Alcohol Use

33. Prior Two-Week Binge Drinking

34. Prior Two-Week Binge Drinking

35. The Ninth Grade Effect Source: Outside the Classroom, 2005

36. Age of Onset

37. Source: Grant and Dawson J. Substance Abuse (1997)

38. Initiation of Drinking Social Drinking Alcoholic Drinking Extent of Influence Environmental (familial and non familial) Personality/Temperament Pharmacological effects of ethanol Ethanol Pharmacology: Initiation and Continuation of Drinking

39. Interventions That Foster Resiliency • Engage youth in acts of required helpfulness • Be an optimistic, caring leader / counselor / facilitator • Provide more intensive interventions for those most vulnerable • Focus on assessing protective factors, competencies, strengths, and sources of environmental support in addition to assessing weakness, deficits, and risks

40. More Interventions That Foster Resiliency • Assure that caring connections continue once a young person leaves your classroom / office / support group / program • Avoid referring to child as “high risk”; always use the terminology “from high risk environments” if identification is needed • Provide bonding similar to an extended family • Encourage participation

41. Upper Bucks HCHY Goals • Conduct youth surveys every other year ending in an even number • Increase level of developmental assets to 21 by 2012 • Reduce alcohol and other drug use by 10% in all categories by 2012 • Continue to offer Upper Bucks Middle school opportunities to implement Social Norms campaigns in 2009-2010 and beyond. • Enhance website and create online newsletter in 2010-2011 • Sponsor a community-wide Rx Drug “take-back” day in November 2010 • Initiate stronger connections with parent organizations in Upper Bucks, (PTO’s, PTA’s, etc.)

42. Relationships!Relationships!Relationships!

43. For more information: Lee Rush Community Mobilizer Upper Bucks Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Coalition 215.538.4799 www.justcommunity.com