The term “resilient” is often used to describe a person, species or object that has a considerable level of toughness and adaptability, able to take hits and bounce back from them. Resiliency works similarly; it is determined by both the built-in nature of the object itself and the object’s ability to withstand external and environmental pressures. However, unlike an object that is made by human hands or plants and animals which are well-understood by science, resiliency in people is a complex affair that is affected at all levels of interaction. Children and teenagers are some of the most vulnerable and valuable people in Collier County and the U.S. as a whole. All young people face a degree of challenge and adversity, but some face more than others. Their degree of resilience will also be different, based on how the child is raised and supported by family, friends, schools, and the community at large (Cahill et al., 2014). Resiliency in people is strongly linked to their mental health and well-being, as well as how a person grows up (Cahill et al., 2014). Therefore, children and teenagers who have a higher level of resiliency are more likely to be mentally and emotionally well, and less likely to suffer from social and psychological problems (Cahill et al., 2014).
In an effort to build resilience in children and middle schoolers in Collier County, ResilientU, a community-based organization dedicated to building resiliency by looking at it as a multi-level issue, is working with families, teachers, and community leaders to empower young people and create a more supportive space for them. ResilientU has trained social workers, educators, researchers, and pediatric health experts that work with youths, families, teachers, and local politicians by educating them on the adverse experiences that children may face, how to build resilience through skills training, and the positive effects of improving resilience at an individual and societal level. Additionally, the company seeks to maintain resilience through empowering young people to take a proactive role in their lives and to encourage adults in Collier to institute policy changes in schools and the community that creates a safer and more caring environment for children and teenagers. We are dedicated to intervening at each social level the child lives in. We base individual behavioral changes in children and parents on the Individual-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model; relationship development and intervention will based on social cognitive theory (SCT), tackling learned and observed behaviors and decreasing social stigma surround ACEs and trauma; community intervention will occur via community-based participatory research (CBPR) on ACEs and why the occur, along with using the Community-Building Resiliency (CBR) Model as a means of action (Ellis & Dietz, 2017); and finally on a societal level via policy advocacy and raising awareness on the disparities of ACEs experienced by Black and Hispanic children.
References:
Cahill, H., Beadle, S., Farrelly, A., Forster, R., & Smith, K. (2014). Building resilience in children and young people. Youth Research Centre, Melbourne Graduate School of Education, University of Melbourne, pp. 1-53. https://www.education.vic.gov....iliencelitreview.pdf.
Ellis, W. R., & Dietz, W. H. (2017). A new framework for addressing adverse childhood and community experiences: The Building Community Resilience Model. Academic Pediatrics, 17(7), 86–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.12.011.
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