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The Resilience Academy offers programmes for secondary school students aimed at equipping them with emotional resilience tools.
Skills training programmes aim to increase protective factors such as coping skills, problem solving, decision making, and cognitive skills. While these programmes don’t directly target suicide, by targeting risk factors and giving youth important skills, the goal is to prevent the development of suicidal behaviour.
We aim to equip young people with the skills and knowledge to support themselves not just now but long into the future.
Key Aims:
Enhancing protective factors,
Developing coping skills,
Increasing self efficacy,
Increase awareness of supports,
Encouraging help seeking behaviour,
Reducing Stigma
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Background
The National Suicide Research Foundation (2017) has declared that the roll-out of evidence-based mental health awareness programmes in Irish schools should be undertaken as a matter of priority in order to develop mental health literacy, promote positive mental health, and prevent suicide in adolescents.
The Resilience Academy offers such programmes.
The Resilience Academy was originally developed in response to a 163% increase in people under the age of 18 presenting due to suicide or self-harm between 2011 and 2016 (Pieta House, 2016).
Resilience Academy programmes are in line with recommendations in relation to the development of school-based suicide prevention programmes (Surgenor, Quinn, & Hughes, 2016). In addition, the content was informed by in-house psychotherapists, interviews with school staff, focus groups with students, and input from industry experts in areas such as body image, cyberbullying, occupational stress, and LGBTQIA+ issues.
Service Demands
This is a demand-led service, meaning that schools request our Resilience Academy programmes. Schools are the experts in issues that affect their students – they understand the importance of mental health education for young people – however, many are not in the position to facilitate this type of education in-house.
How are we funding the Resilience Academy?
The roll-out of the Resilience Academy is reliant on donations and contributions from voluntary sources. We are asking schools that are receiving the Resilience Academy to consider supporting us with a fundraiser or donation. This will allow us to sustain the Resilience Academy and reach more students.
Resilience Academy programmes include:
Road to Resilience Programme
The Road to Resilience Programme is delivered through a combination of:
teacher (as the facilitator)
recorded video messages from Resilience Academy Facilitators (within the presentations)
a workbook for the students
The teacher will be the main person delivering the content with the support of a designated Resilience Academy Facilitator. This programme is for Junior Cycle groups.
Each module is designed to be delivered in one class period, with approximately 35 minutes for the presentation and activities and 5 minutes allowed for set up. Students are signposted to helpful services for all topics covered throughout the programme.
The Road to Resilience Programme is delivered over four modules:
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Teacher Support
The Road to Resilience Programme includes a session, ‘Nurturing Your Resilience’, for school staff which incorporates both signposting and wellbeing interventions for teachers. This presentation is delivered by Pieta’s Clinical Team and is available on the Road to Resilience online portal.
Before delivering the Road to Resilience Programme to students, teachers receive all necessary content, materials and contact details for their designated Resilience Academy Facilitator.
The Resilience Academy Facilitators are available to support teachers throughout the delivery of the programme.
The Road to Resilience Programme applications is now closed for 22/23.
Building Resilience ‘An Introductory Workshop’
Building Resilience ‘An Introductory Workshop’ is a 35-minute standalone workshop for all post-primary school students where we share six ways for young people to build their resilience.
During this workshop, we share the services and supports that are available to students and give the students an insight into the work we do in the Resilience Academy.
What is Covered in the Workshop?
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Teacher Support
When schools sign up for Building Resilience ‘An Introductory Workshop’, they receive a link to our online portal where they can access and download:
a recorded presentation from Resilience Academy Facilitators for teachers to share with students
worksheets with student activities
teacher information booklet
Schools will also receive contact details for their designated Resilience Academy Facilitator.
The Resilience Academy Facilitators are available to support teachers delivering the workshop.
Our Building Resilience - An Introductory Workshop applications are now closed for 2022/23.
The application forms for the Road to Resilience Programme and the Building Resilience - An Introductory Workshop are now closed for 2022/23.
The School consent form must be completed by the school Principal before the Resilience Academy can deliver a programme or course to your school.
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