PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
Children and young people with mental illness need to build capabilities and strengths toward personal development. The Mentor supports the young person to develop mental toughness including:
- Confidence to make things happen
- Resilience to push past barriers
- Flexibility and the ability to adapt
- Discipline to maintain routine and effort for compliance o Focus of attention and effort in a positive direction
A key goal of the program is to help the young person develop strategies to overcome risk of harm or problem behaviours, the young person is empowered to develop mental toughness to overcome the future barriers and challenges.
Children and young people with mental illness need to be able to identify risk factors and triggers to risk behaviour and implement strategies to address and reduce the risk of risk behaviours continuing. The Mentor supports the young person to modify disempowering personal values, beliefs and attitudes, and build protective factors comprising:
- Anger management and pro-social behaviour
- Social and problem solving skills
- Trauma resolution and stress reduction
- Coping skills for daily stressors and living
- Healthy Mind and Body
Whilst risk mitigation is an essential component to overcome risk of harm or behaviours the Mentor and Support Program is a strengths based approach therefore the focus of the program is to equip the young person with the knowledge, skills and resources necessary for personal development.
Coping Skills
Children and young people with risk of harm or behaviours may be living alone, some for the for the first time. Learning how to cope with the stressors of living on top of reducing risk behaviour can be a daunting task. Mentors help the young person to develop practical living skills including:
- Financial management including budgeting, banking and bill payment
- Meal preparation and grocery shopping
- Personal and environmental hygiene
- Self-reliance and personal security
- Practical skills for daily living
The Mentor helps the young person to develop coping skills for daily living and managing life stressors. The young person learns how to manage themselves toward personal development.