School Friendly

√'s All the Boxes for Schools

• Well evaluated:  FRIENDS for life has been, and continues to be, evaluated internationally for over 10 years.
• Taught by the Teacher:  FRIENDS for Life is taught by the health teacher after 1 days training by a psychologist trained extensively in the programme.
• Not a “bolt on:  FRIENDS for Life is used as part of the health curriculum not an extra add on taking time from ordinary curricular lessons.
• Not a “quick five minute fix”:  FRIENDS for Life is taught over 10 sessions with 2 booster sessions over 1 or 2 terms depending on the comprehension and literacy level of students (each session takes between 1 to 1.5 hours approx and is often taught over two 40 minute periods in secondary schools)
• Not an “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”:  FRIENDS for Life is a treatment and prevention programme for anxiety and depression that can be  used in schools for all children as a prevention and by health professionals with individuals and small groups. Instead of, or as well as, addressing the actual issues our young people face, e.g. Bullying, drug and  alcohol abuse, safe driving etc, giving them the tools to make sound decisions and the skills that are relevant for their adult lives. By doing this we increase the odds of having mentally healthy, functioning adults.
• Fun:  To keep young children and young people engaged there has to be an element of fun and participation. FRIENDS for Life uses a workbook – each student has their own, and each lesson has 3-4 different options for the teacher to use to reinforce the message. Sometimes it is appropriate to use more than one depending on the children / youth involved.
• Relevant in the New Zealand context:  FRIENDS for Life has Maori translations where appropriate, cartoons and text (not Content) have been changed from the original Australian edition and many extra resources have been developed to assist the students with lower  literacy levels.
• Able to have a positive impact on the culture of the school:  The tools taught in FRIENDS for Life programme can be used by all teachers to help with learning e.g. “ CALM” the conflict resolution tool, used at  “detention” time – instead of lines or picking up rubbish. Or the coping step plan - used to plan for exams, having the hope for a successful outcome and a plan to follow is extremely helpful in times of increased anxiety.
• Inclusive of Parents and Families:  FRIENDS for Life includes two parent sessions to be run by the teacher. A set of fridge magnets with four main skills is being developed to take messages home.
• Continuity of messages over three different age groups:  FRIENDS for Life is taught in years 5/6, 7/8, 9/10 and a preschool version will be available soon. Although the format is different the core messages are the same which builds on the cognitive development at each stage of learning.

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for Friends for Life Child Programme go here

for Friends for Life Youth Programme go here