The Bartholomew J. Lawson Foundation for Children, a US based 501(c)(3), created REACH Grenada in 2008 as a principle program to specifically improve the health and wellbeing of Grenada's most vulnerable youth. reachwithin is a multi-faceted program developed to improve the lives of formerly maltreated children living in residential care facilities in Grenada. The program teaches valuable skills to support children in leading empowered lives and overcoming adversity, reachwithin is a 12 session, group experience for children that builds resilience and promotes positive relationships through the development of self-regulation, emotional literacy and social skills.

In 2013 the name REACH Grenada was changed to reachwithin due to program interest from other Caribbean islands.

Dedication

This manual is dedicated to the inspiring children, staff and directors of Grenada's children's homes who have participated in our youth program and inspired its growth and evolution. Thank you for allowing us to participate in your lives.

We would like to thank Bart, Mackenzie and Katia Lawson for their shining example of resilience and for their participation in building reachwithin.

Disclaimer

The exercises and information in this manual are meant to be tools but not treatment or assessments for mental or emotional conditions. If you suspect that a participant in your group is experiencing a clinical condition such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, please consult with a doctor, mental health specialist or child protection professional.

Not all exercises are suitable for everyone. Please adjust to your level and the level of your class. To reduce the risk of injury, never force or strain; always listen to your body and watch your participants. If you or people in your class experience pain or discomfort during this exercise, stop immediately and consult a doctor. The instruction presented is a guide and a suggestion. It is neither a prescription nor a substitute for medical advice.

Overview

About this manual

This manual is a workbook guide for youth program facilitators and caregivers taking part in a reachwithin training program. In this manual you will find information about working with at-risk youth, a review of yoga basics, a rationale for the program's model, as well as teaching instructions, lesson plans and resources for leading a reachwithin youth program at your site or in your community. This manual should be used in conjunction with attending a reachwithin training workshop where the material is explored in greater detail and skills for facilitators are practiced and discussed.

Use the manual, experience and knowledge you gain from a reachwithin training workshop as a framework to create your own program that you can adjust to meet the specific needs of your setting, population, and resources.

Ask yourself:

• What do I hope to get out of reading this manual?

• What will be helpful about this program for the children I work with?

Population Overview: Vulnerable and At-Risk Youth

reachwithin was created to help youth in residential care facilities develop skills and draw on internal resources to build strength and overall wellbeing. You may find it helpful to use this manual with a wide range of vulnerable or at-risk youth, including survivors of trauma. reachwithin can be delivered in care facilities, community centers, and schools.

Who are at-risk youth?

"At-risk" youth, also called "vulnerable" youth, is a broad category. The term includes children who are living in difficult circumstances that threaten healthy growth and development. Vulnerable youth include: children separated from their caregivers (due to illness, death, incarceration or maltreatment), children experiencing abuse or neglect, children who have experienced other trauma (including domestic or community violence, war or natural disasters), children who become homeless or "street" children, and children growing up in poverty or witnessing violence.

Children can be extremely resilient. Being resilient means having the ability to appropriately manage or recover from difficulties and/or challenges in life. With more and more negative experiences, however, one's adaptive resources can become overwhelmed. This is more likely to lead to unhealthy outcomes or chronic problems. Working with new at-risk youth or those who have not had a chance to receive adequate intervention(s), you may see some or all of the following negative outcomes becoming established: low self-esteem, relationship and attachment difficulties, drug use, age-inappropriate sexual behaviors, aggression, mental health difficulties and/or behavioral issues .

You can promote health and decrease the likelihood of negative outcomes by promoting adaptive management (coping) techniques and supporting children in using their natural strengths and internal resources.

Ask yourself:

• What does it mean for children in my community to be vulnerable?

• In my job or community, what experiences lead to children being at-risk?

• What sort of strengths and natural coping resources did I draw on as a child?

• What coping skills do I see the children I work with using? Are they adaptive or maladaptive?

Understanding Types of Vulnerable Youth

Children living outside the home:

In the best of circumstances "home" (however that is defined in the child's culture, including living with biologic parents) provides children with a sense of safety, caring support, and attention that allows them to grow, know themselves and engage in healthy relationship development. Living outside of the "home" often involves frequent changes of residence, disruptions in safety, security, learning, as well as less attention and less consistent long term healthy relationships. This is especially the case for youth in child welfare systems who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

You may see problems in physical growth and/or emotional development among children in the aforementioned circumstances. In the child welfare system, five times as many children are observed to have developmental, emotional or behavioral problems as compared to other children in the community (Caulsen et al., 1998; Landsverk et al., 2009). For example, an assessment in the Caribbean found that over 60% of children living in group foster homes showed significant emotional or behavioral difficulties, and over 80% had experienced trauma (REACH Grenada, 2011). So what is it about being away...