overviewprogrammingWe are on an incredible journey. We have fostered newrelationships with youth serving organizations across theprovince, across the county and most importantly, refocusedour partnerships with local youth. We are challengingourselves by asking tough questions about our programsand services through a program evaluation project, we arechallenging ourselves every time we seek out funding for newservices and we are challenging ourselves by accepting thecall to empower youth to be fully engaged in our organizationto take us in new directions that support the needs of youngpeople in our community.Sarnia-Lambton <strong>Rebound</strong> is committed to supporting youngpeople in reaching their full potential in life. Adolescence isan essential developmental stage in which interpersonal skillsare honed and youth learn how to successfully manage thechallenges and responsibilities of adulthood. It is a time oftransitioning from the family unit to the peer group. A teen’sskill at negotiating relationship issues, particularly with parents,peers and dating partners, most often determines whether ornot a young person engages in risky behaviours. Research byWolfe, Jaffe and Crooks tells us that relationships with family,peers and community are at critical levels during this periodand that these relationships have the power to act as strongprotective factors against upcoming challenges (Wolfe, Jaffeand Crooks, 2006).peer pressures and in working through family issues• other social service agencies serving young people whocould benefit from social skill development and support• judges, lawyers and probation officers• police who use the program as a community responseto youth crime or as an extra-judicial measure under theYouth Criminal Justice ActOur services are easily accessible and responsive tocommunity needs and identified gaps in service at the locallevel. <strong>Rebound</strong> staff are actively involved in many communitybased committees, we sit at a variety of planning andprogram development tables and we intentionally work toengage youth through our Youth Advisory Committee in orderto ensure that our programming is current and responsive.By working with the Ontario Centre of Excellence in Child andYouth Mental Health, we have undertaken a comprehensiveprogram evaluation review in an effort to ensure programoutcomes are on target for youth who participate in ourservices.Research has identified the elements of effective services.These elements include:It is a time of tremendous peer pressure and expectations.Prevention and early intervention strategies that aim to prepareyouth for adolescent experimentation and engagementin risky behaviours must take this stage of developmentinto account and focus on building strong relationship skills,and other social skills such as communication, goal- setting,respect for self and responsibility.At Sarnia Lambton <strong>Rebound</strong> we view the tween and teenyears as a potential time of risk for any young person. Werecognize that youth will be faced with many challengingdecisions that they will have to make. Our goal is to ensurethat youth know that they are not alone in this decision makingprocess and that there are many concerned adults who arehappy to offer their support and experiences. Ultimately, westrive to foster an environment where youth feel empoweredto make choices that are right for them and that they areresilient in the face of challenging times.We see a wide variety of children and adolescents at ouragency. Referrals to our programs come from a variety ofsources such as:• parents/guardians concerned about the pressures facingtheir child• teachers and school administrators working with youngpeople who are struggling in one or more aspects of theirschool life• young people themselves wishing to gain skills in resisting• programming that is based on areas such as antisocialattitudes, values, beliefs, substance use, antisocial peerassociations, school failure, dysfunctional parenting• programming that is tailored such that there is lessintensive service for lower risk youth• programs that are delivered in a community setting andactively involve youth and their family• programs that are structured and focus on concretebehavioural goals and are skill based• programs that build on the strengths of youth and family• programs that are offered in a timely and realistic manner• individuals delivering the programs are selected with care,represent pro-social role models and provide meaningfulsupportAt Sarnia-Lambton <strong>Rebound</strong>, we are committed to developingour services and programs on evidence- informed principles.To that end, we stay current with the literature and researchand work very hard to ensure that our programs and servicesare designed and delivered in the most effective manner.The <strong>Rebound</strong> team strives to ensure our programs evolve withchanging needs, utilizing evaluation methods that reflectbest practice standards in measuring, monitoring and revisingprograms to ensure targeted outcomes are achieved.12
Thanks to:United Way ofSarnia-LambtonLife ChoicesThe Life Choices Program is for youthbetween the ages of 12 and 17 who may beexperiencing difficulties at home, at school orin the community.Youth are divided into two age groups andmeet on different nights depending uponwhether they are in elementary or secondaryschool.Each group is split into smaller groupsof four to five youth and two volunteer“table” coaches. These smallergroups stay together throughout theentire 10-week program.Group sessions for Life Choicesare held one night a week for 10consecutive weeks. Each session’stopics are chosen by staff afterconsultation with the participatingyouth and their parents/guardians.Topics can include: communication, decisionmaking,goal-setting, assertiveness, integrity,peer relationships, conflict resolution and manyothers.75 youthserved out of3 locations:Sarnia, Forest,Petrolia.Each session uses a variety of techniques toenhance the learning environment. Theseinclude role-plays, small group discussion, largegroup exercises, video clips and guest speakers.It is our commitment that each young person inthe program is able to understandthe major points of each lesson,to gain skills by practising lessonsduring each session, and toensure that each youth is able toapply the skills learned in variouslife situations.Recently, we have developeda new lesson on tolerance. Withbullying & disrespectful behaviourbeing such a growing concernwithin our community this lessonhelps youth understand and most importantly,respect peoples’ differences. Our commitmentto making a difference in the lives of youngpeople lead us to continuously seek to improveand update our sessions.participantquotesAge 15: “I think this course made me grow up and figure out how toavoid bad decisions.”Age 16: “I set short term goals for myself more often to help reachthose bigger goals.”Parent: “She is taking school more seriously and has even quit smoking,thank you!”13
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