Honest, Open, Proud- High School
Facilitator Training Agenda
Detailed
The Program
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Introduction of Trainers
The Goal of HOP-HS and Program Background
o The evidence for how stigma is reduced clearly points to people
getting to know people living in recovery with mental health
challenges. Youth who face challenges encounter many situations
where they need to decide if and what to say about their experiences.
The ethics of our work lead us to be sure that people living with
mental health challenges are supported to make careful decisions
about how they talk about their challenges and recovery. While it can
be empowering to share one’s story in an advocacy role, there are
many facets to such a decision that is best explored proactively.
o Our goal is to provide a safe environment for youth to explore the
story they have been telling themselves about their mental health
challenges and consider what the costs and benefits are of disclosing
their experiences in their daily life settings. We also discuss strategies
for disclosing most effectively should they decide to do so.
Background: Patrick Corrigan, international stigma researcher, developed
the adult version of Honest, Open, Proud over a 10 year time frame. It is an
evidenced based program and is used in many countries. WISE (Wisconsin
Initiative for Stigma Elimination) used a community participatory design
process to develop the high school version of this program.
Introduction of participants (use icebreaker that could be used with youth)
Walk Through Binder
Language Choices – It was decided that it was developmentally appropriate to use
the term “mental health challenges” when working with youth since many are in
early stages of facing challenges that may or may not later receive a diagnosis of
mental illness. The pilots of this program included youth with and without a specific
diagnosed mental illness and the mix was effective.
Setting the Scene
o Ground Rules Discussion
o Absences (what agreements does the group want to set regarding any
absences of their peers),
o Touch (how will the facilitator offer supportive touch- always asking before
touching),
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o Safe space for calming (if a youth feels a need to take a break from the group
process, where is a safe space that someone from the group can check up if
concnerned?), etc.
o Mandated Reporting (use words in handout to explain your role as a
mandated reporter)
Lessons 1-5 Overview and Participation in Curriculum Activities
o From perspective of a youth (use personas from the Disclosure Decision
Game – session 3)
o You can give four hours to a pretty thorough experience of the curriculum
Booster Session
LUNCH (this will fall at some place during the participation in the actual lessons)
Facilitator Guidance
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Facilitator roles (handout- Best and Worst Facilitator Practices) – depending on the
level of experience of the people you are training- spend time walking through the
handout with discussion of how the items play out in this program.
Role of young adult co-facilitators (handout- What sections of the program can be
led by a young adult with less experience) Also discuss how and where to recruit
young adult co-facilitator and parameters to put on their participation such as how
much of their own story and thought to add into discussions.
Icebreakers and grounding ideas (handout)- stress that every session should begin
with an icebreaker and end with grounding.
Adolescent development and trauma informed approaches (handout- Comments on
Trauma)
o Brainstorm what they can say about teen developmental norms. Ask how a
facilitator’s actions are informed by each- what does a facilitator do as a
result of this knowledge? Example: knowing that peer opinions are
influential, a facilitator may ask people to write their ideas down first before
sharing in order to allow for individual thought.
o How does a facilitator decrease the authority gap without losing the sense of
being the one to offer consistency and safety?
o Walk through the trauma handout relating it to the youth that will likely
choose to be a part of this program and what facilitators can do to create a
trauma informed environment.
Guiding to language of resilience – brainstorm or use ideas from the first lesson that
they did earlier to get a list of hurtful self-attitudes. Practice changing the
statements to helpful self-attitudes. Focus on not forcing “happy thoughts” that are
not relevant to the youth’s experience. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT SECTION.
Difficult disclosures – role play a few examples of tough disclosure experiences such
a uncontrolled crying or anger. Discuss the facilitator role and highlight the need for
a co-facilitator and connections to resources at the organization.
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Checklist for facilitators (handout)
Systems + protocols + resources in your community
o Mandated reporting
o Parent permissions – if needed, use the format that the organization uses for
other programs.
o Person to refer to within the organization- need name and reliable contact
number to use during the times of the sessions.
Recruiting Organizations and Youth (handouts-flyers)
Facilitator Reporting Requirements (handout) – the only requirement we ask
facilitators to do is to send that one form at the end of a full HOP program. Please
reinforce that they adhere to this request.