PORTRAIT OF A JOB CORPS

STUDENT

“Where I Sit”

Valerie R. Cherry, PhDLead Mental Health Specialist

Humanitas, Inc.

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The Typical Job Corps Student

• Has not completed high school • Reads below the eighth-grade level

upon entry • Has never had a full-time job • Is between 16 and 24 years old• Is from an economically disadvantaged

family

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Job Corps Demographics

Race/Ethnic Group

African-American

White

Hispanic

American Indian

Asian/Pacific Islander

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“Where I Sit”Socio-Cultural Factors

• Economic Status• Race• Gender• Disability • Geographic Location– Urban versus Rural

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“Where I Sit”Socio-Cultural Factors

• Economic Status• Race• Gender• Disability • Geographic Location– Urban versus Rural

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Hidden Barriers

PerceptionsExpectations

Cultural Differences

Resiliency Everyone is born with the potential to develop these

abilities!

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What is Resilience?• Ability to “bounce back”

• Adapting to hardships and setbacks in life

• Ability to recover, learn from, and developmentally mature when confronted with chronic or crisis adversity

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The Importance of Resilience

• Reveals why some Job Corps students thrive while others do not

• Moves away from a one dimensional deficit or pathological model

• Improves education and personal outcomes and reduces risk behaviors

• Reduces staff burnout

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The Importance of Resilience

• GOOD NEWS!– There are strategies that we can use

to promote resilience among our Job Corps students

– The power of ONE person to change the course of a young person’s life

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Examples of Resilience

• Commitment• Hope• Courage• Determination• Sense of Humor• Believing in Self• Emotional

Intelligence

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Sources of Resilience for Job Corps Students

• I HAVE: (external supports) Role models, structure and rules, trusting relationshipsExample – Staff who model behavior, support me, and teach me

• I AM: (personal strengths) Lovable, loving, proudExample – Respectful of others and a person people can love

• I CAN: (social and interpersonal skills) Communicate, problem solve, manage feelingsExample – Control myself and be an advocate for myself

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Slide ShowCourtesy of

Troy Davidson, TEAP SpecialistWolf Creek Job Corps Center

http://animoto.com/play/aDMz1JttytlJ6jL6CS0rBA

Song: “Don’t Laugh At Me” by Mark Wills

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Building Resilience in Job Corps:System-Wide

• Create centers that promote:– Connectedness – Personal Value – Competency

• Understanding from “Where I Sit”– MEE Productions “Moving Beyond Survival

Mode”