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RESILIENCE PROJECT CONTINUES TO BUILD MOMENTUM
APA Grassroots Network to Promote Public Education Messages
The American Psychological Association (APA), in partnership with the Discovery Health Channel, has developed a new public education initiative about resilience, entitled The Road to Resilience. Since its August 2002 debut at APA's Annual Convention in Chicago, practitioners nationwide have initiated community outreach activities, engaging the public in messages about resilience and how to build resilience in our daily lives.
The public education initiative includes a documentary about resilience co-produced by APA and Discovery Health. The documentary, entitled Aftermath - The Road to Resilience aired on Discovery Health on August 29, 2002 and again on September 11, 2002 during prime-time television. The program and a related brochure titled "The Road to Resilience" are key elements of a grassroots involvement kit that is being provided to APA members to conduct community outreach.
APA members can obtain a copy of the resilience toolkit by calling the Campaign Services Bureau at 1-877-274-8787, ext. (for calls outside of the U.S. call 310-274-8787, ext. 135).
With the help of grassroots outreach materials, members are asked to engage the community in discussion forums, conduct media outreach and participate in other public outreach activities in support of the national campaign.
The concept for the public outreach focus on resilience came as a result of focus group discussions held shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Participants in Indianapolis, Los Angeles and Baltimore revealed a strong interest in learning how to become resilient.
The brochure includes 10 steps toward building resilience and describes changes that may accompany an individual's journey toward building resilience, whether dealing with a job loss, serious illness, a traumatic event or other hardship. The public may obtain a free copy of the brochure by logging on to the APA consumer web site at www.helping.apa.org or by calling toll-free 1.800.964.2000. |
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| The Road to Resilience campaign is a component of APA's award-winning "Talk to Someone Who Can Help"; public education campaign. Launched in 1996, "Talk to Someone Who Can Help" has been used to successfully mobilize thousands of psychologists across the nation and throughout Canada in grassroots activities from discussion forums to media outreach, all with the same goal of educating the public about the value of psychology. |
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| The Nevada State Psychological Association, as participants in the American Psychological Association's Public Education Campaign efforts, is pleased to provide three free informational forums to interested organizations. |
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| WARNING SIGNS FOR TEENS: The American Psychological Association forged a partnership with music television to get important information to the nation's youth about warning signs of violent behavior. The warning signs program reaches out to teen audiences. The program includes a 30-minute MTV documentary on youth and violence, a warning signs guide on violence prevention, and a discussion led by a psychologist on the topic of violence. The discussion materials and warning signs guide are aimed at teenagers and young adults and include information about the warning signs of potentially violent behavior and what to do when recognizing these signs in peers. |
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| WARNING SIGNS FOR PARENTS: Launched after the Warning Signs for Teens program, a Warning Signs for Parents program involves the same 30-minute MTV documentary and warning signs guides on violence prevention. The discussion, which is led by a psychologist, focuses on recognizing the warning signs of violent behavior in our youth and strategies for promoting communication between adults and young people. |
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| These first two types of forums have been held in Nevada for the last three years for various organizations including churches, Boys and Girls Clubs, and recreational centers. |
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| RESILIENCE: The third free public education forum offered by the Nevada State Psychological Association is entitled, "Road to Resilience." The American Psychological Association developed the resilience campaign after a series of post September 11 focus groups, which found that people yearned for guidance on how to cope with life's uncertainties. Though the idea was sparked by the terrorist attacks, the campaign focuses not only on these types of traumatic events but about any setbacks or hardships experienced in our lives. This presentation includes a documentary, which was co-produced by the American Psychological Association and the Discovery Health Channel. It is followed by a discussion led by a psychologist that focuses on common experiences following traumatic events or other of life's setbacks and strategies for building resilience in one's adjustment. |
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| The Nevada State Psychological Association has begun to present the resilience program for various community groups at churches, libraries, and hospitals. |
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| Anyone who would like more information about these three programs or anyone interested in scheduling a presentation is encouraged to contact the Nevada State Psychological Association at 702-454-0050 or the State Public Education Coordinator, Michelle Carro, Ph.D., at 702-876-1977 or the co-Public Education Coordinator, Joanne Lippert, Ph.D., at 1-775-786-9931. |
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| Members of the public are also encouraged to obtain more information on the American Psychological Association's consumer website www.helping.apa.org or by calling the APA's toll-free number, 1-800-964-2000. |
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| Psychologists! Check out the December issue of the APA Monitor wherein, on page 52, there is a feature article on the new resilience campaign. Kits for all three forums (Warning Signs for Youths, Warning Signs for Parents, and The Road to Resilience) are available free of charge to APA members. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact Michelle Carro, Ph.D. at 702-876-1977 for more information on how to obtain the presentation materials and how to become more involved in the Nevada State Psychological Association Public Education Campaign efforts. |
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| Michelle G. Carro, Ph.D. |
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