Our Kids Are Not Broken: Tools to Build Resilience in Youth Workshop Series

  • November 11, 2016

SALINAS, CA – Nov. 11, 2016 — A leading national expert in adolescent medicine will conduct a one-day workshop in Salinas on Monday, Nov. 28 to increase positive development and resilience strategies in our youth.

Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia will conduct the first of two sessions of the workshop, “A Strength-Based Strategy to Build the Resilience of Youth in Our Community,” on Monday, Nov. 28, at the National Steinbeck Center’s Salinas Room in Salinas. Session II of the workshop is scheduled for March 27, 2017.

Ginsburg’s workshops are hosted by CHOICE, the violence intervention program at Natividad Trauma Center that promotes positive alternatives to violence to reduce retaliation and re-injury among youth and young adults injured by violence. The workshops are sponsored by the Natividad Medical Foundation.

Both sessions include all-day training, continental breakfast and bag lunch. Spanish interpretation services are also available.

Ginsburg said the workshops will focus on the strengths of the youth as opposed to weaknesses. “I’m coming (to Salinas) with an opportunity for a community to sit together for a day or two and think about how we can change kids’ lives. And it begins undoubtedly with the adults in the community and the lens through which they see kids,” Ginsburg said to the Salinas Californian when he conducted a similar workshop last year in Salinas. “I’m not coming in with a curriculum or solutions. Solutions come from within the community. The experts are already there. This is about helping the experts know what best practices are in strength-based communication. This is about reaching kids.”

Ginsburg is a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He also serves as Director of Health Services at Covenant House Pennsylvania, an agency that serves Philadelphia’s homeless and marginalized youth.

Ginsburg has been published in more than 125 publications, including 34 original research articles, clinical practice articles, five books, a multimedia textbook co-authored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Internet-based and video/DVD productions for clinicians, parents and teens.

“This is a fantastic opportunity not only for healthcare workers, counselors, educators and others who serve youth, but also parents of children and young adults to learn how to reach kids and help them realize the strength they have in themselves and foster their internal resilience,” said Lorraine Artinger, RN, Trauma Prevention and Outreach Nurse at Natividad Medical Center. “The public is welcomed and encouraged to attend these workshops.”

Tickets for each session are $40 general and $25 for students or for both sessions, $75 general and $50 for students. Tickets are available at Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/our-kids-are-not-broken-register-today-tickets-29063193795 or by calling Natividad Medical Foundation at (831) 755-4187.

About CHOICE Program
The CHOICE team provides peer mentoring and case management services for victims of gunshot wounds, stabbings and assaults. When a survivor of violence arrives at the Natividad Trauma Center, a CHOICE Intervention Specialist meets them at their bedside. The CHOICE team addresses such issues as safety, mental health, and spiritual well-being, and provides connections to community resources.

Patients who accept services are provided 6-12 months of case management after the injury. They provide advocacy and the support needed for the patient and their family to heal from the trauma.

Violence affects individuals, families and the entire community. In most cases, after a violent injury, patients return to the same violent environment where they were injured, with no ‘prescription’ for how to stay safe.

The overarching purpose of the CHOICE program is to reach survivors of violence while they are in the "teachable moment" following trauma and guide them toward a safe and positive future. Their hope is to end the cycle of violence through intervening to prevent violent retaliation and re-injury.

About Natividad Medical Foundation
Natividad Medical Foundation transforms health care into healing by developing innovative programs to enhance the Natividad Medical Center and support its high-quality care. Established in 1988, Natividad Medical Foundation is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. For more information, visit www.natividadfoundation.org.