A StrengthBased Approach To Assessing and Building Resiliency in High Risk Youth

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A Strength-Based Approach To Assessing and
Building Resiliency in High Risk Youth

• Presenter
• Wayne Hammond, Ph.D.
• Resiliency Canada
• November 21, 2006

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• If we think we are fragile and broken, we will
  live a fragile, broken life. If we believe we
  are strong and wise, we will live with enthusiasm
  and courage. The way we name ourselves colors
  the way we live. Who we are is in our own eyes.
  We must be careful how we name ourselves.
• Wayne Muller

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From Deficit to Resiliency

• The Deficit/Risk Model
• Historically, the social and behavioural sciences
  have followed a problem-focused approach to
  studying human and social development.
• As a result, the helping community has been
  preoccupied with the deficit or at-risk paradigm
  for understanding and serving children in trouble
  and their families.

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Deficit Thinking

• Specialty Diagnosis Reaction
• Education Disruptive Reprimand, suspend, expel
• Social Work Dysfunctional Intake, manage,
  discharge
• Corrections Delinquent Adjudicate, punish,
  incarcerate
• Behaviourism Disordered Assess,
  conditioning, time out
• Medicine Diseased Diagnose, drug, hospitalize
• Psychopathology Disturbed Test, treat, restrain

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• A deficit model assumes certain knowable norms
  for youth/family behaviour and interaction.
  Whatever deviates from these norms is assumed to
  be defective. Interventions then focus on fixing
  that which is in need of repair, inadvertently
  reinforcing a focus on dysfunction.
• (Madsen, 1999, p. 22-23)

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Labels given to High-Risk Youth

• Community
• Loser
• Ungrateful
• Brat
• Dangerous
• Victim
• Drop-Out
• Delinquent
• Thief

• Professionals
• Conduct Disordered
• Reactive Disorder
• A.D.H.D.
• Depressed
• Suicidal
• Borderline
• Antisocial
• Emotionally Disturbed
• Resistant
• Lacking Impulse Control

• Youth
• Leader
• Tough
• Gang member
• Reliable
• Faithful
• Committed
• Sexy
• Survivor
• Stud
• Street Smart
• Helper
• Fighter

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Problem Solving Mind Set

• We often find it difficult to see the positive
  side of a situation
• It is easier to focus on the cants as opposed
  to the cans.
• Problem solvers look for patterns, such as broken
  homes, dysfunctional neighborhoods, and poverty,
  to explain difficulties
• We assume that youth experiencing similar
  patterns will also exhibit similar difficulties
• As a result, problem solvers may see problems
  even where they may not exist

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Challenges of Deficit/At-Risk Model

• Tends to label youth
• Focused on reducing risk
• Labels limit options and exploring of innate
  resources
• Ignores potential resulting from adversity
• Leads to prescribed programming
• May or may not include a focus on relationship
  building and earning of trust by care provider
• Intervention tends to be linear not ecological
• Does not clearly show cause versus effect
• No common philosophy of service provision

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• Assumptions can be like blinkers on a horse
  they keep us from straying from the road, but
  they block our view of other routes and
  possibilities along the roadside
• Armand Eisen

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Doing What It takes to Survive
Given their current level and response to stress
(change), youth always use their best
problem-solving strategies to get their needs
met, even if these strategies are dysfunctional.
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Pain-Based Behaviour (Bendtro)

• Pain is a very powerful motivator that permeates
  emotions, thinking, and behaviour
• Painful emotions include inner states such as
  fear, anger, sadness, disgust, hopelessness,
  helplessness, guilt, hatred, and shame.
• Painful thinking may include distressing
  thought processes such as worry, anxiety,
  distrust, pessimism, blame, vengefulness, denial,
  and unconstructive rationalization
• Pain-based behaviour puts painful emotions and
  thinking into action as an attempt to escape from
  pain

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• For kids in pain, life is a daily struggle to
  handle distress and disruption, and they often
  use counterproductive coping strategies.
• All behaviours serve some purpose
• Sam prevents the pain of rejection by keeping
  people at a distance
• Joe avoids the pain of failure by giving up
  efforts to succeed
• Maria fights the pain of powerlessness by defiant
  rebellion
• Ron overrides the pain of conscience by calloused
  thinking
• Ruth medicates her loneliness with alcohol and
  drugs

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Understanding the Triune Brain

• All of us have a triune brain specializing in
  three different tasks
• 1) The Survival Brain is the most primitive part
  of the brain and connects directly to the spinal
  cord and operates biological functions of
  internal organs like the lungs and heart. The
  survival brain also executes flight-or-fight
  reactions

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• 2) The Emotional Brain, wraps around the survival
  brain and generates positive and negative
  emotions. The emotional brain is where value is
  attributed right and wrong. This part of brain
  also conditions and stores emotional memories.
  Emotions that motivate and prepare the brain and
  body for action.
• 3) The Logical Brain is the centre for logic.
  Language and reasoning it also plays a role in
  regulating emotion

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Understanding the Tit-for-Tat Rule

• A youths brain is hard-wired to react to
  positive or negative emotions.
• Friendliness usually invites friendliness, while
  hostility evokes hostility.
• At the first sign of danger or disrespect, we are
  biologically programmed to stop being friendly
  and react with freeze, fight, or flight
  behaviour.
• As a result, the Tit-for-Tat rules works against
  those who work with youth based upon If you
  respect me, Ill respect you.

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• Effective work with youth in pain, then, becomes
  a double struggle
• it demands that we work hard to respond to the
  message of a youths emotional reaction,
• rather than be sucked into our own negative
  emotional reaction to the angry form the message
  may take.

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Embracing Change

• Most youth want to be successful, but just do not
  have the experiential templates to meet their
  needs constructively
• Youth will accept our invitations to change when
  what we offer replaces their current conventional
  pursuits in a meaningful way
• Alternative invitations must be chosen, not
  required no evidence that interventions that
  try to force youth to stop behaviours work
• Values and behaviour of youth always change in
  the context of relationships not programs

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Barriers to Effective Change

• Attitude of the Care Providers If it was not
  for us professionals, our youth would do well in
  care
• Erroneous assumptions and expectations
• Challenging maladaptive behaviours out of context
• The need to change youth with an agenda that is
  control oriented as opposed to invitational
• Fear of chaos
• The need to Label

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Why is Change so Difficult?

• Lack of confidence in ability to make change
• Do I have the skills?
• Can I really do this?
• Lack of understanding of what is needed to change
• Lack of involvement with meaningful relationships
• Cannot see personal benefits of the change
• Whats wrong with the way things are?
• Who will support me? - Expectations of others

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• Change does not come from special powers from
  professionals
• Change happens when a person uses their inherent
  strengths and resources and are supported by
  relationships that take your innate goodness as a
  given
• Change happens when you create a plan that is
  tailored to the persons ideas and therefore
  inspires the hope necessary for action

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The Four Common Factors of Positive Change
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Critical Components of Change

• An analysis of 40 years of research found the
  best predictor of successful change are two
  factors
• 1) engagement in meaningful relationships
• 2) engagement in meaningful activities
• 83 of change involves these two factors
• 17 is a result of technique

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• Nurturing these two essential factors for
  change is accomplished by
• The ability to
• Engage in a respectful and youth focused manner
• See with unconditional positive regard and
  ability to make positive change
• Establish meaningful starting points - Exploring
  and agreeing on goals the youth is truly invested
  in
• Exploring and agreeing on ways to reach those
  goals
• See intervention as a collaborative process
• Regularly ask for feedback and adapt

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Assumptions About Change

• People can change they have the resources to
  alter their life circumstances and resolve
  problems
• People change when their ready and change always
  occurs within a system of perceptions and
  relationships
• We are more likely to help people change their
  behaviour when we focus on what is strong in them
  and not what is wrong with them
• We are more likely to help people change their
  behaviour when our conversations focus on what
  people would like for themselves their
  preferences, hopes, and intentions

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• Change does not come from special powers from
  professionals
• Change happens when a person uses their inherent
  strengths and resources and are supported by
  relationships that take your innate goodness as a
  given
• Change happens when you create a plan that is
  tailored to the persons ideas and therefore
  inspires the hope necessary for action

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• Alcoholics Anonymous defines insanity as doing
  the same thing over and over, but expecting
  different results.

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A New Approach

• Focus on what is strong in people and not what is
  wrong with them
• Focus on people as resources and less on them as
  absorbing resources
• Focus on what people would like for themselves
  (their preferences, hopes, and intentions) not
  what we think they need
• Focus on what is important and less on what we
  think is urgent

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• To see all individuals as at promise rather
  than at risk is a fundamental shift that means
  facilitating rather than fixing, pointing to
  health rather than dysfunction, turning away from
  limiting labels and diagnosis to wholeness and
  well-being.

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The Strength-Based Model

• As opposed to emphasizing problems,
  vulnerabilities, and deficits, those embracing a
  strength-based perspective hold the belief that
  children, youth and their families have
  strengths, resources and the ability to recover
  from adversities.
• The strength-based paradigm offers a different
  language to describe childrens and families
  difficulties and struggles.

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Problem-Based Thinking

• Focuses on understanding fixed problem patterns
  in youths lives
• Elicits detailed descriptions of problems and
  youth is categorized by the problems
• Focuses on whats wrong and whats not
  working
• Interprets and highlights the times that youth
  resist or are
• inconsistent in their responses
• Negative experiences are seen as damaging the
  lives of youth and predict later pathology
• Focus of intervention as something provided by
  an expert

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• Strength-Based
• Focuses on understanding how change occurs in
  the youth and what positive possibilities are
  open to them
• Elicits detailed descriptions of goals and
  preferred futures
• Youth is seen as more than the problem, with
  unique talents and strengths and a personal story
  to be told
• Focuses on identifying whats right and
  whats working
• Negative Experiences are not necessarily
  predictive of pathology as it may weaken or
  strengthen the youth
• Interventions are always a collaborative
  endeavor client is the expert of their own
  lives care giver informs and nurtures the
  change process

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Resiliency Adjustment / Adaptation Model
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Definition of Resiliency

• Ann Masten (2001) resilience as good outcomes
  in spite of serious threats to adaptation or
  development (p. 228)
• Lifton (1994) identified resiliency as the human
  capacity of all individuals to transform and
  change, no matter what their risks it is an
  innate self-righting mechanism.

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The Resilient Child

• Definition of Resiliency
• an ability to spring back and adapt to lifes
  challenges
• an attitude of hope and optimism.

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• Resiliency is not one particular thing
• What we call resilience is turning out to be an
  interactive and systemic phenomenon, the product
  of complex relationships of inner and outer helps
  throughout a persons life span.
• (Greens Conrad)

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View of Resiliency

• Resiliency
• Functional Non-Functional
• Points to Consider
• - developmental
• - story of youth
• - fluidity
• - role of risk
• - balance between intrinsic/extrinsic

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• To nurture resilient potential effectively, you
  need to explain and amplify the past and present
  strengths of the vulnerable, clarifying the
  adaptive strategies that keep them farther from
  the bottom rather than focusing on why they are
  not closer to the top.
• Gina OConnell Higgins

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Examples of Protective Factors

• Internal Protective Factors
• Gives of self in service of others and/or a cause
• Uses life skills, including good decision making,
  assertiveness, impulse control, and problem
  solving
• Sociability - ability to be a friend and form
  positive relationships
• Sense of humour
• Internal locus of control
• Autonomy independence good sense of self-worth
• Positive view of personal future
• Capacity for and connection to learning
• Self-motivation and flexibility
• Personal competence feels they are good at
  something

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• External Protective Factors (characteristics of
  families, schools/role environment, communities,
  and peers)
• Promotes close bonds
• Values and encourages learning
• Uses high-warmth, low-criticism style of
  interaction
• Sets and enforces clear boundaries (rules, norms,
  and laws)
• Encourages supportive relationships with many
  caring others
• Promotes sharing of responsibilities, service to
  others required helpfulness
• Provides access to resources for meeting basic
  needs of housing, employment/schooling, health
  care, and recreation
• Expresses high and realistic expectations for
  success
• Encourages prosocial development of values and
  life skills
• Provides leadership, decision making, and other
  opportunities for meaningful participation
• Appreciates and affirms the unique talents of
  person

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Youth Resiliency Model
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Extrinsic Components of Youth Resiliency
Community
Family
School Culture
Peer
Learning at School
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Intrinsic Components of Youth Resiliency
Empowerment
Social Sensitivity
Self-control
Cultural Sensitivity
Self-Concept
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Sample Resiliency Profile
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Youth Resiliency Versus Risk Behaviours (N
2290)
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Resiliency and Tobacco Use
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Resiliency and Alcohol Use
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Resiliency and Marijuana Use
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Resiliency and Gambling
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Resiliency and Destructive Behaviour
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Youth Resiliency Versus Prosocial Behaviours (N
2290)
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Resiliency and Volunteering
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Challenge Model of Resiliency Identified For
Specific At-Risk Behaviours
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Resiliency Pattern
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• A Resiliency Approach
• The core of strength-based resilient prevention
  is paying attention to what works and identifying
  strengths rather than deficits in the youth.
• It focuses on what is important and not what is
  urgent
• It takes a whole community practicing a
  strength-based philosophy when working with youth
  at all levels of implementation of preventative
  interventions
• Needs to be process and relationship oriented
  with less dependency on techniques and
  professionals.
• Strength-based practice is about partnering in
  order to help youth identify and use their own
  strengths and resources to overcome obstacles and
  live empowered lives.

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Principles of Resilience

• Belonging need to engage and build trust
• Building Capacity recognize strengths and
  passion
• Independence promote ability to creatively
  draw upon internal and external
  resources
• Purpose nurture belief that my life has
  meaning

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Characteristics of Resiliency-Based Practice

• A focus on language Language is not innocent
  (Anderson, 1996)
• A focus on story Stories of self guide how
  people act, think, feel, and make sense of their
  past and present lives
• A focus on strengths, abilities, and resources
  a firm and committed belief that all people of
  all ages, and all families possess ability,
  competence, and other special qualities
  regardless of their life experience or current
  situation

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• 4. A focus on collaboration acknowledging that
  people have a view of their current situation,
  its potential solutions and ideas about how the
  change process should unfold
• 5. A focus on relationship walking with as
  opposed to dictating

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Role of Mentoring Relationships

• Research clearly indicates that the most
  significant and preventative influence on youth
  is adult mentors.
• Characteristics of successful mentorship
• Sufficient intensity
• Duration of the relationship
• Developmental focused as opposed to prescribed
• Youth centred and participatory focused

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Statistical Support for Mentoring

• Making an difference An impact study of Big
  Brother/Big Sisters (1995)
• Children and youth with mentors (as opposed to
  those without)
• 46 less engagement in substance use 70 less
  difference for African American
• 33 less reduction in violent behaviour
• 50 less reduction in school truancy
• significant improvement in school performance
  and interactions with parents

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• To nurture resilient potential effectively, you
  need to explain and amplify the past and present
  strengths of the vulnerable, clarifying the
  adaptive strategies that keep them farther from
  the bottom rather than focusing on why they are
  not closer to the top.
• Gina OConnell Higgins

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Proposing an Integrated Model That is
Strength-Based

• Seeks to understand the crucial variables
  contributing to individual resilience and
  well-functioning families
• Provides a common language and prevention
  philosophy
• Resiliency provides a conceptual map to guide
  prevention efforts
• Prevention strategies are client-driven and
  relationship focused
• Engages distressed people with respect and
  compassion
• Affirms the reparative potential in people and
  seeks to enhance strengths as opposed to deficits

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• If we want to change the situation, we first
  have to change ourselves.
• Stephen Covey

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It is not enough to institute best-practice
strategies. Their success depends on the quality
of the relationships surrounding them,
invitations offered through them and ongoing
opportunities for participation.  
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• What we want to achieve in our work with young
  people is to find and strengthen the positive and
  healthy elements, no matter how deeply they are
  hidden. We enthusiastically believe in the
  existence of those elements even in the seemingly
  worst of our adolescents.
• Karl Wilker