Learning Objectives:
How to foster the resilience of our community’s children, teens and young adults through engagement,
awareness and self-care/coping strategies.
Learning Goals for Breakout Groups:
1. How do you apply the principles of resilience: Engagement, Awareness and SelfCare/Coping Strategies as a means of preventing psychological hardship?
2. How do you apply these principles of resilience to manage an adverse situation?
Methods:
Lecture: Outline the principles of fostering resilience.
Breakout Groups: Review a vignette that allows for practical discussion of how to enhance
resilience.
Vignette:
Sarah, a 13-year-old girl, is bullied on Facebook, in the classroom and on the way home
from school by a small group of peers who call her various names and make false
accusations about her behavior. She becomes more isolated and distant, noting to some
friends and her siblings that she feels desperate, alluding to “calling it quits.” But, she does
not reveal the extent of her bullying in detail except to one friend, nor does she reveal what
she may be contemplating.
Sarah’s friend holds the secret and knows how serious her situation is, but does not tell
others for fear of betraying her trust. Sarah is frequently tardy to school, has some decline in
grades and does not participate as much in her community soccer team.
Her mood and behavior change are noticed by her coach, teacher and the educational
leaders at Temple. Her parents hear about her change through school and Temple, but when
they ask her what is bothering her, she is evasive. They decide not to look through her room
or journal, speak with her friends or examine her iPhone and Facebook page for fear of
*visit www.mghclaycenter.org/beth-avodah to download the documents reviewed this evening*
being too intrusive. They do reach out to the Rabbi and school teacher, but neither can
provide any details as to what may be causing Sarah’s change.
The adults as well as Sarah are aware that there is stress in her life. Her mom and dad talk
with each other about it with great concern, and even consider talking with her guidance
counselor. They also consider how Sarah has been faring in terms of her decline in social,
religious, academic and athletic life, and note that she has not been getting enough sleep. In
short, she is not doing well on all fronts.
One day, her mom receives a call at work that Sarah never arrived at school. When her
mom returns home, she finds a note from Sarah saying that she took some Tylenol to “put
an end to things.” She rushes Sarah to the local emergency department where it’s discovered
that Sarah had taken eight Extra Strength Tylenol. While she is medically stable, she is
diagnosed with possible clinical depression by the doctor who treats her.
Questions for Discussion:
For the questions below, please consider how we could better implement the principles of
resilience for Sarah, her parents and the community.
1. What is your general response to the scenario illustrated above?
2. How can Sarah, her parents and the community (school, friends, Temple) utilize
engagement, awareness and self-care/coping strategies to prevent or respond to this
kind of serious event?
3. Are there lessons we can all learn about how to prevent and cope with adversity in
our own life, as well as with other kinds of problems? How can these lessons help us
to become more resilient?
*visit www.mghclaycenter.org/beth-avodah to download the documents reviewed this evening*