Format

Workshop

Frank KrosFollow

First Presenter's Institution

Kros Learning Group

Second Presenter's Institution

NA

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Strand #1

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Health: Mental & Physical Health

Relevance

The stresses of COVID-19 interventions, social injustice, natural disasters and enduring unpredictability have changed how adults effectively connect with and meet the needs of youth. Yes, we will be together again in schools and programs but our youth will present differently. Adults will need to quickly become experts in helping youth navigate moderate to severe (traumatic) stress and teach youth how to maintain and increase her/his personal resilience. These emotional and social needs must be addressed first and helping adults will benefit from the practical, no cost and immediately applicable strategies offered in this workshop.

Brief Program Description

The social isolation, economic stress, resource barriers, and enduring uncertainties of the COVID-19 interventions created a “perfect storm” for youth anxiety, depression, grief and trauma. To meet these unprecedented needs, adults can step-up to this new normal by boosting their youth resilience building skills. This workshop will show you how with practical, effective and immediately applicable tools. Learn seven (7) new strategies to support youth through the grief process; effectively manage significant stress; recover from trauma and build her/his personal resilience.

Summary

The social isolation, economic stress, resource barriers, and enduring uncertainties of the COVID-19 interventions have created a “perfect storm” for youth anxiety, depression, grief and trauma. In addition, racial injustice, educational inequity, limited resources and reduced access to services have created barriers to youth getting the support and guidance they need in these extraordinarily stressful times. Moreover, many of the adults previously providing support to youth have themselves been overwhelmed personally and professionally resulting in unmet emotional and social needs by youth at levels not previously experienced in this generation. To meet these unprecedented needs, adults can step-up to this new normal by boosting their youth resilience building skills. This workshop will demonstrate how with practical, effective and immediately applicable tools.

This presentation meets the urgent need for efficient, practical and effective tools for equipping adults to meet the needs youth will bring when we regather in programs, services, schools and on the streets. Learn how to dramatically increase student resilience by implementing these resilience-building tools so that youth can heal, grow, learn, and thrive. In this presentation, we’ll add to your toolbox by providing concrete strategies for building resilience in the complex post COVID19 context. These tools will show you how to reconnect, calm, provide clear direction, manage boundaries, and instill hope with the youth you serve.

Participants will learn seven (7) specific strategies. First, the presentation will teach multiple tools for supporting youth through the grief process. Almost every youth is grieving over the scores of losses experienced related to COVID-19. Not just losses related to lives but losses in social contact, routines, opportunities, relationships and rites of passage. For many adults, it has been awhile since they honed their skills on supporting adolescents through the grief process and these tools will show them how to do so effectively. Second, participants will learn strategies for how to teach youth to manage anxiety and depression, the two most common mental health conditions in adolescents both before and during the pandemic. Finally, participants will acquire tools to support youth who have experienced trauma and may be reluctant to engage in services/

Evidence

Primary resources for this presentation:

Ginsburg, K. & Jablow, M. (2015) Building resilience in children and youth (3d ed.). American Academy of Pediatrics. Elk Grove, IL.

Southwick, S.M. & Charney, D.S. (2018) Resilience: The science of mastering life's greatest challenges (2d ed.). Cambridge University Press. Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Van Der Kolk, B. (2014) The body keeps the score: Brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Publishing, New York, NY.

Bonura, K.B. (2017) How to make stress work for you. The Teaching Company. Chantilly, VA.

Sweeton, J. (2019) The trauma treatment toolbox. PESI Publishing & Media. Eau Claire, WI.

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will gain skill in identifying the symptoms of stress, anxiety, trauma and grief in youth as restrictions are eased and increased adult-to-youth clive engagement emerges.

2. Participants will understand the trait of resilience as a healthy response to adversity and an effective antidote to anxiety, stress, trauma and grief.

3. Participants will learn seven (7) specific tools that can immediately be used to help youth relieve stress and build resilience.

4. Participants will learn strategies at the micro, mezzo and macro levels to boost youth resilience and contribute to a resilience enhancing service culture.

Biographical Sketch

Frank Kros, MSW, JD is a career child advocate with more than 30 years of experience with children, youth and families. Frank has served as a childcare worker, child abuse investigator, children’s home administrator, consultant, professor, attorney, writer and speaker. In April 2019, Frank started his own professional development, coaching and consulting agency, the Kros Learning Group (KLG). Prior to opening KLG, Frank served as president of the Transformation Education Institute, Director of the National At-Risk Education Network, and Executive Vice President of the TranZed Alliance, a multi-service children’s organization headquartered in Maryland. Frank is a worldwide speaker. He has presented nearly 1,500 workshops in 44 U.S. states and in 8 foreign countries. His engaging presentations focus on “Helping Adults Help Kids” through an understanding of neuroscience and its practical application to everyday work with children and youth. He was awarded a Maryland Governor’s Citation for his presentations on suicide and the adolescent brain. In recognition of his presentations on childhood trauma, Frank was also the recipient of the 2019 Advocate of the Year Award from the Maryland State Council on Child Abuse and Neglect and Maryland Essentials for Childhood. He is a member of an elite group trained on the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study and added the title of “Master ACEs Trainer” to his bio in 2018. Frank also co-authored the books Creating the Upside Down Organization: Transforming Staff to Save Troubled Children (2005) and The Upside Down Organization: Reinventing Group Care (2008).

Keyword Descriptors

Grief, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Strategies, Practical, Engagement

Presentation Year

2021

Start Date

3-10-2021 1:40 PM

End Date

3-10-2021 2:40 PM

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Mar 10th, 1:40 PM Mar 10th, 2:40 PM

Together Yet Different: Youth Resilience Building Srtategies Post-Pandemic

The social isolation, economic stress, resource barriers, and enduring uncertainties of the COVID-19 interventions created a “perfect storm” for youth anxiety, depression, grief and trauma. To meet these unprecedented needs, adults can step-up to this new normal by boosting their youth resilience building skills. This workshop will show you how with practical, effective and immediately applicable tools. Learn seven (7) new strategies to support youth through the grief process; effectively manage significant stress; recover from trauma and build her/his personal resilience.