Tools to Support System Involved Youth in Building Healthy Friendships

Ursula Elsa

Training Description

Marginalized youth are facing an extraordinary amount of stress and in this time of great uncertainty when youth are facing a global pandemic, climate change, an uprising, systematic racism, and virtual distance learning, their stressors are greater than ever. This mindfulness based training will offer youth workers culturally relevant and engaging tools, practices, and strategies for supporting marginalized youth in building healthy friendships. We will explore trauma informed mindfulness and activities to support youth in development of emotional self-regulation, healthy boundaries and consent, and empathy building. Participants will receive guidance and tangible practices to support facilitation of mindfulness and compassion in a virtual setting for at risk youth, foster youth, and system involved youth.

Learning Objective

• Explore and understand how mindfulness and self compassion practices can be supportive and culturally relevant for at risk youth
• Engage in at least 1 culturally relevant activity to support youth in building their emotional awareness and literacy
• Explore at least 1 activity for supporting youth in empathy building through storytelling
• Learn at least 1 boundaries and consent activity and applications for youth
• Learn at least 2 mindfulness activities and practices to help youth and families reduce stress and anxiety

Agenda 

11:00am-11:30am Welcome, Housekeeping, Intros and Mindfulness Practice

11:30am-11:45am Introduction to Mindfulness for Youth 

11:45am-12:15pm Activity 1: Using Mindfulness to Develop Emotional Awareness and Literacy 

12:15pm-1:15pm Activities 2 and 3: Mindfulness and Compassion + Boundaries and Consent 

1:15pm-2:00pm Lunch (CEUs will not be issued for this time)

2:00pm-2:30pm Activity 4: Empathy building + Role Plays 

2:30pm-3:00pm Closing and Feedback

Meet Our Trainer

Ursula Elsa (she/they) was born and raised in the beautiful land of the Bay Area, Ohlone Territory. She has been teaching mindfulness and nature connection to youth in the Bay Area for over 6 years and is currently leading rites of passage work for Gaia Passages. Ursula is passionate about creating programming for LGBTQI+ and neurodiverse communities. She is also a trained doula and an advocate of parent’s rights in the birth community. Ursula has been developing curriculum at the intersection of mindfulness, social emotional development and nature connection to support organizations and families that she collaborates with.

This course meets the qualifications for (3.25) BBS CEUs for LCSWs and MFTs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences & is provided by Fred Finch Youth Center, CAMFT Provider #045295.