Uplifting youth through a Skills Enrichment Programme.
The STEP-UPP® group for adolescents provides skills for navigating the emotionally difficult situations and stressors that accompany adolescence.
It is a program for developing the management of emotions, interpersonal, and decision-making skills. Adolescents may face numerous social, developmental, and academic pressures, including peer rejection, low self-confidence, confusion about self, impulsive behaviour, involvement in drugs and alcohol, and issues related to intimacy and sexual relationships. The group is designed for young adults from Grade 8 to Grade 12.
Its aim is to help adolescents develop their own toolboxes of effective behavioural strategies, or what we call “life development skills” strategies. They can use these skills to solve problems well into their adulthood, such as completion of their schooling and continuing onto university, maintaining important relationships, or keeping important jobs. STEP-UPP will help adolescents to acquire and practice these skills before making life choices that may have detrimental consequences. We are hoping that STEP-UPP will provide the tools and the strategies for helping adolescents to manage difficult and emotional situations and to make better decisions when they are experiencing emotional distress.
The stressors adolescents experience range from mild to severe in significance. It is rare that an adolescent will escape this developmental stage without experiencing any stressful life events or emotional struggles. Problems that typically have a mild impact on academic and social functioning include feeling anxious about asking someone out on a date, skipping a class, managing a workload, or breaking curfew for the first time. Severe problems (which happen less frequently) may include self-harming, suicidal behaviour, substance abuse, family conflict/aggression, or being arrested. These are typically either causes or results of intense emotional pain and dysregulation, and they are likely to have a significant impact on an adolescent’s social and academic functioning.
STEP-UPP® is based on the skills training component of Dialectical Behaviour Therapy(DBT), an empirically supported psychological treatment for adults and adolescents with problems caused by pervasive emotion dysregulation. STEP-UPP is not a therapy program. Rather, it is the skills training component of DBT modified for students from grade 8 to grade 12. We believe that all adolescents, not just those who have difficulties regulating their emotions and behaviours, can benefit from the STEP-UPP group. The group incorporates social–emotional learning, which focuses on helping adolescents acquire and practice the skills they need for successfully navigating stressful life events; coping with emotional dysregulation; and developing/ maintaining an important family, peer, school, and relationships.
Why STEP-UPP?
Adolescence, in general, can be an emotionally difficult time for many youths, and according to the American Psychiatric Association (2014), the onset of most mental health disorders occurs during this time. Instead of waiting until symptoms become unmanageable and are interfering with school, social relationships, and/ or emotional control, we believe that focusing on the acquisition and practice of skills for emotion management and decision making will be beneficial for all adolescents. Instead of using a reactionary approach, we believe in using a proactive approach. “Catch them before they fall”. Unfortunately, most schools do not offer courses on coping with stress or decision making, and yet the need for such skills and abilities is continuing to grow among this young adult population and thus STEP-UPP was created to meet this need.
Why STEP-UPP? First, it teaches emotion management strategies, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills at the individual level. Thus the program does not require the involvement of broader systems, such as family or community.
Second, adolescents are taught skills with a high degree of specificity and with explicit definitions, which are geared toward issues and stressors that adolescents often face. Many of the skills are identified by mnemonics representing the specific skills that are to be used; these mnemonics enhance a students’ ability to recall the skills and practice them when appropriate.
Third, the skills taught in STEP-UPP are drawn from DBT, which is based on Linehan’s (1993, 2015a) biosocial theory of pervasive emotional dysregulation. According to this theory, a vulnerable biology coupled with an “invalidating environment” (i.e., lack of support or outright hindrance or mistreatment by family, peers, and/or teachers/coaches) can result in problems in four key areas:
1. The Emotion Regulation module teaches skills for decreasing unpleasant, distressing emotions and increasing positive emotions.
2. The Mindfulness module teaches skills for increasing self-awareness, becoming less judgmental, and gaining control of one’s attention.
3. The Distress Tolerance module teaches skills for making distress endurable so that an upsetting situation is not made worse by impulsive action.
4. The Interpersonal Effectiveness module teaches skills for asking for something or saying no to another person while maintaining a good relationship and one’s self-respect.
Testimonials
PreviousComing out from a major depressive episode and a 21-day treatment in a clinic close to the end of the 2016 year, I was highly motivated to openly address mental health issues and stigmas attached to mental health with my family and was also concerned how it would impact my 17-year-old daughter. I'd heard about Step-Up at a school meeting and enrolled her. Since attending the program, I am so pleased that she seems to be grasping the concepts and I can see her trying to apply these on a daily basis. One of the most important things which we now constantly try to consciously exercise is validation, ensuring that we offer and receive it. I find the notes and exercises very thought provoking and it keeps conversations in our household flowing and ongoing. As a parent, we are always striving to ensure our children are equipped with the necessary skills to make sound decisions and to take calculated risks. I believe that the Step-up program opens up those doors and is a good start!
Nicole
“Thank you for the effort you all put in to making this programme a success. I think my daughter definitely benefited from it. I think a possible addition to the course might be something to keep the parents more informed. Shaye chatted with me on the drive home about what was covered but I think maybe two or three group sessions with parents to keep them practiced on the skills they need to bring into the relationship with their teens would be useful. We all know we need to listen, to try to understand, to validate, and the rest, but we also feel tired, stressed or sick, and then slip up on these essential aspects of our relationships. Sometimes we need to be reminded. And we also need validation, understanding, and to be heard, and sometimes we need to remind our youngsters of that.”
Deidre
“The biggest hurdle for Kate with Step-Up was her age. Not in terms of understanding the concepts or contributing, but socially she battled with 'fitting in', feeling accepted and relating to older teenagers who had had very different experiences to her. Having said that, this got easier over time and she got a lot out of being with people who had more understanding of the some of the issues she is battling with. She seemed to find the focus of the program on concrete skills and tools to improve her understanding and her experience of life very useful. I think the program has contributed a lot to her understanding of herself and others - emotions and behaviours - but like all of us I think she is finding it more difficult to implement. But I can certainly think of quite a few examples where she has tried to put what she has learnt into practice. I think the DBT program has a lot of value to teach all of us, and especially all young people, and not just those who are 'vulnerable'. Cost and length of program and weekly sessions all worked well for us.”
Bridget
Adolescence, in general, can be an emotionally difficult time for many youths, and according to the American Psychiatric Association (2014), the onset of most mental health disorders occurs during this time. Instead of waiting until symptoms become unmanageable and are interfering with school, social relationships, and/ or emotional control, we believe that focusing on the acquisition and practice of skills for emotion management and decision making will be beneficial for all adolescents. Instead of using a reactionary approach, we believe in using a proactive approach. “Catch them before they fall”. Unfortunately, most schools do not offer courses on coping with stress or decision making, and yet the need for such skills and abilities is continuing to grow among this young adult population and thus STEP-UPP was created to meet this need.
Schools are places where adolescents experience some significant stressors; however, schools can also offer positive support and assistance to students who are struggling. The educational setting offers numerous opportunities for students in the step-up programme to practice their acquired skills. School-related factors such as bullying, punitive discipline, and peer rejection exacerbate mental health problems. Its aim is to help adolescents develop their own toolboxes of effective behavioural strategies, or what we call “life development skills" strategies
The four main areas in which teens typically develop problems (difficulty managing emotions, confusion about self/distraction, impulsive behaviours, and interpersonal problems)—and the four DBT skills modules that can address the problems (Emotion Regulation, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Effectiveness, respectively).
1. Difficulty managing emotions. Adolescents often experience intense and rapidly changing emotions, which can lead to impulsive, emotion-based behaviours. Sometimes teens don’t even
recognise their emotions or the physical sensations that go along with them. The skills in the Emotion Regulation module firstly addresses the recognition and naming of emotions, and then how to decrease these unpleasant emotions and increase positive emotions.
2. Confusion about self/distraction. Adolescence is a time when students are developing who they are, what they like, their values, and their goals. Peer pressure, social media, and other environmental pressures can make it difficult for teenagers to understand themselves. It is also a time when distraction and loss of focus are problems. Confusion about the self and distraction can be improved by using the skills taught in the Mindfulness module (again, often referred to as “core” mindfulness skills to emphasise their importance). These skills increase self-awareness and control of attention.
These skills are necessary for making centred, grounded decisions about the self, as well as focusing the mind (on classwork or other activities).
3. Impulsiveness. Teens can engage in a variety of problematic impulsive behaviours—ranging from truanting, drug use, and consumption of alcohol to risky unprotected sexual behaviours, self-injurious behaviours (e.g., cutting, burning, or hitting oneself), and suicidal behaviours. Sometimes impulsive behaviours function as an escape from painful emotions. The skills taught in the Distress Tolerance module help to make emotional distress more endurable so that students do not act impulsively and exacerbate the situation.
4. Interpersonal problems. Many people struggle with how to ask others for things they want, say no to things they don’t want, build and maintain long-term relationships, and maintain self-respect during interpersonal interactions. The three primary sets of skills in the Interpersonal Effectiveness module are strategies for increasing success in each of these difficult areas.
The ultimate goals of STEP-UPP are for students to learn the skills (skill acquisition) and to be able to apply them to their lives outside the classroom (skill generalisation). Thus STEP-UPP® focuses on helping students learn different skills, while also providing structured opportunities for students to practice those skills. Skill acquisition and generalisation are the main foci of the STEP-UPP programme. STEP-UPP is a peer driven skills group.
Skill acquisition in STEP-UPP is a two-part process: instruction and skill practice. The lessons are designed to teach students the underlying reasons for the skills, such as why our bodies and minds react the way they do under certain circumstances. Students are given information about emotions and their emotional reactions and are taught that they can change those reactions or reduce the intensity of the reactions through specific coping strategies.
The majority of time during each lesson is spent on helping students understanding what the skill (or skills) being taught is, the rationale behind the skill, examples of the skill, and when to implement the skill. This part of the lesson uses examples and involves student participation in order to ensure that the skill is properly understood.
The homework is assigned after each lesson and promotes generalization by requiring practice of the taught skills in environments outside the STEP-UPP programme. As with most other skills, students will need to practice these skills over and over again to gain proficiency and confidence in using them. We expect that some skills will work better for some students than for others. Thus each module contains multiple skills that can be used for the same purpose. Students are encouraged to try all the skills and choose those that work best for them. It is highly likely that students attending the same STEP-UPP programme will choose to implement different skills for similar situations.
By providing explicit DBT skills building to students along a continuum of emotional needs we feel it will not only promote both academic learning and social-emotional learning within the school structure but will also equip them with the tools to carry them into adulthood.
The programme is presented by:
Mark de la Rey a Clinical Psychologist and Jonathan Mitchell the DBT Skills Trainer
They are specialised and highly experienced individuals who offer a unique opportunity to tackle aspects of what adolescents face, by being available to assist in enriching the lives of the youth on the programme.
When: Every Wednesday Tweens: ( 8 – 12 years old) 4pm – 6pm & Teens (13 – 18 years old) – 6-8pm
Where: Medowridge library hall, opposite the Shell garage & Bergvliet High School
Duration: The group is broken up into four modules and runs over 12 weeks except for holidays. Anyone may join at the start of any new module.
Cost: R5700.00 for the 12-week programme. A 50% deposit is required prior to starting
and the balance is payable within 30 days of commencement.
Consent: Parents/Caregivers as well as participants will be required to sign a consent form.
Bookings/Enquiries:
step-upp@glenbrookpractice.co.za
www.step-upp.co.za
Jonathan (+27) 74 512 2033
Testimonials
PreviousDear Step up team “Our daughter benefited immensely from this programme. She has learnt a lot about herself and is able to regulate her thoughts, feelings and reactions appropriately. Every adolescent should do this course to acquire the skills that will help them to form better relationships with themselves, their peers and their families. These useful tools will equip our young people for life. We are grateful to the Step-up team for devising and facilitating this life-enhancing programme”.
Karin
Hi Jonathan and Mark, trust that you are well. I am just sending a note expressing our deep gratitude for the step up classes. We are amazed daily just how far our angel girl has come. We know things do happen, and nothing is perfect, but her having the tools to preserve in life, is awesome and we continue to learn .” Bless you both for all you do for our kids.
Ethel