November 2017
Trans4ming News
Is There Hope?
I recently had the marvelous opportunity to travel to Washington State (yes, fall had started!) to train community members from Cle Elum, Roslyn, Wahluke, Yakima and Kittitas County to implement the CBSG Program’s   Kids’ Connection and Youth Connection adaptations. My hotel was in the town of Cle Elum, population 1,949. The training took place in the town of Roslyn, Washington, population 927. Do you know what else took place in Roslyn, WA? The quaint and quirky main street was used in the opening credits and other scenes of CBS’s 1990’s comedy-drama Northern Exposure .

For those of you old enough to remember this TV Show, there was a moose that, on occasion, walked through the streets of the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska. As you envision this moose, with his enormous flattened antlers, meandering around town, please allow me a moment to relate that moose to the reality of legalized recreational marijuana. Consider “Be the moose.” If you can wrap your brain around the moose being recreational marijuana and recreational marijuana being the controlling force, you might just get my picture. Marijuana can be the controlling force in a user’s life.

During one of our training conversations, legalized recreational marijuana was brought up as an excuse given by youth for using. First of all, in the states which have legalized recreational use, only adults over the age of 21 can purchase and possess. Secondly, just because it’s been legalized for recreational use doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. I will never forget the faces of the training participants. Each face told stories without uttering a single word. “It’s just so sad.” “What kind of example are we setting for our children and youth?” “I have higher expectations for the children and youth I serve.” And even some, “Well, it’s all around them so they are going to use.” As we continue to face legalization of recreational marijuana, is there hope that the children and youth we serve will choose not to use?

The facts are important. We have known for some time that marijuana use causes memory loss in youth under the age of 24 whose brains are still developing, which is critical information. New research from the National Institute of Drug Abuse ( NIDA ), part of the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ), and Columbia University suggests that marijuana use is associated with an increased risk of prescription opioid misuse and use disorders. With our nation in an opioid epidemic that information is staggering. Perhaps this link will be the “second-hand smoke” of legalized recreational marijuana use.

 Times have really changed. In 2011, when I first trained in Washington, recreational marijuana had not yet been legalized. There were plenty of tobacco stores and many are still in business. However, now, in a 3.5 mile radius of Cle Elum and Roslyn, there are 3 stores selling all types of cannabis strains, concentrates, edibles, oils, and waxes. 

I see a question draped on the antlers of our moose… “Is there hope?” And, the answer is… “Absolutely!” Let’s encourage the children and youth we serve by sharing the Major Messages of the CBSG Program which are based on resiliency and protective factors research:



I AM likeable, capable, unique, and valued
I CAN treat others the way I want to be treated
I HAVE strengths, capabilities, and people who care about me
I WILL make healthy choices and be alcohol, tobacco, and drug free
I BELIEVE I have a purpose

These messages are just the beginning of hope. With the help of caring facilitators, like amazing folks in the Roslyn, WA training, we can make a difference one CBSG group at a time.

Kathy Daley
Consulting Trainer
Training Calendar
Please share the news with others about becoming a trained Facilitator of Rainbow Days' CBSG Program !

Friday, December 8, 2017
CBSG Program Facilitator Training
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

SPECIAL PRICE!!
$195 per person (Manual included)
BUT
Register by this Friday, November 17 for the Early Bird Special - just $175 per person! Use promo code EARLYBIRD at checkout and be sure to click the "Apply" button to the right of entry box.
The Art of Facilitation
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
In this 3-hour workshop, participants will be given the opportunity to explore their personal facilitation skills, identify areas that need enhancement, and even acquire new skills. Participants will be able to: (1) understand the core components of a facilitator’s job; (2) understand and utilize the Six Learning Principles from Sharon Bowman’s book Using Brain Science to Make Teaching Stick; (3) write a work-related mission statement to help them continue to be effective facilitators.
 
$60 per person

Classroom Management
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm
This 3-hour workshop includes an overview of classroom management techniques and strategies; key information gathered from certified classroom educators; diversionary discipline interventions that empower students and model problem solving; and ways to balance respect, motivation and discipline. The process will be a mix of information and informal practice. Participants will be able to: (1) understand the key behaviors for facilitators; (2) understand that youth’s behaviors are a symptom of something going on in their lives; (3) understand the ACE Study, and its effects on behavior; (4) understand and utilize principles of how to de-escalate hot topics.
 
$60 per person

Register for both for $100 Art of Facilitation & Classroom Management and SAVE!
We Want to Hear from YOU! 
Have you been facilitating the CBSG Program with children and/or youth and have some success stories you would be willing to share? We would love to hear your stories of the lives you are changing for the better!!

Please email Sandi McFarland and you might see your story in a future Trans4ming News newsletter!

Please remember to not share specific details or names. A Permission to Print form will be sent to individuals whose stories have been chosen.
The Trans4m Center | 214.887.0726 | trans4mcenter.org
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