I. Introduction and purpose

II. Eleven skills and attitudes that can increase resilience.

III. So how prepared are you to deal with a disaster? Take your own inventory.

IV. Posttraumatic Growth? The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. Have the bad things that have happened in your life made you a stronger person?

V. Some things to do before disaster strikes.

1. Learn to be an effective communicator.
2. Learn to practice gratitude.
3. Become a better problem solver.
4. Learn to calm down: The art of self-regulation.
5. How Do Others Cope?
6. Develop a plan for building your resilience.
7. Develop Smart Goals

VI. Some things to unlearn before a disaster.

1. Change your thinking: Don’t be a catastrophic thinker.
2. Stop being a pessimist: Examine the way you explain events in your life.
3. Learn to avoid thinking traps.
4. Plan to be resilient

VII. Take an inventory of what you will need for a Go-Kit or Ready-Kit and make one.

VIII. Make a plan

1. Assess and Question
2. Unique Needs

IX. The Hurricane Simulation

X. Other Resources

1. For Organizations & Communities
   1. Scenerio Planning PowerPoint
2. For Small Businesses
3. For Families
4. For Teens
5. For Educators
6. Read More About Resiliency
7. More Web Links

XI. Apply what you have learned: The Hurricane Simulation.

XII. Credits and Use of This Program

BEING RESILIENT

X. Resources For Resilient Teens

Growing up, like the rest of life, can have its problems. Children and young people have their struggles and conflicts with friends and family and their disappointments and frustrations. The death or serious illness of a family member, divorce, their parent losing a job, all of these are stressors that impact all family members. In addition to these stressors, 911, Katrina and the Great Recession can take their toll on our youth.

Research shows that most young people can work through these problems, even the more traumatic ones, and adapt well over time. The key is resilience. The skills and the attitudes that make resilient children can be learned. Developing and maintaining these skills and attitudes is an ongoing process.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has created a number of resources for parents and teachers to assist them in teaching the “Fourth R”: Resilience.

The materials that have been created focus on strategies to help kids to over-come adversity, to “work well, play well, love well and expect well.” They also provide some tips for handling traumatic events in the news and for helping your child to handle life’s problems. There are even some tips for teacher resilience.

To connect with these resources, follow these links:

Resilience Guide for Parents and Teachers
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/resilience.aspx

Kids Resilience Fact Sheet
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/tfk-stress-busters.pdf

Communications Tips for Parents
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/communication-parents.aspx

Identifying Signs of Stress in Your Children and Teens
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-children.aspx
Download PDF of this article

Wartime Stress and Teens
The United States has been involved in war overseas for 10 years. Children have family members or friends and classmates with family serving in the military. Resilience will help them cope with stress.
http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/war-teens.aspx