Direct work with young people

I thought it might be helpful to post examples I find of good exercises to do with young people.

I'll keep adding to these and it would be great if anyone wants to share their own! Please tweet or comment to add.

I need to also think about a more useful way of categorising them, rather than in a long list - but that might be a future project.

First five

1. 3 Islands - helps to understand dynamics of relationships

Draw 3 islands. Ask the young person who would be on the island with them, they would spend lots of time with these people. Who would be on the next island which has a bridge connecting it. They don’t see them all the time but can see them as and when they want. Who would be on the third island, far away, who they would not see.

This is helpful in opening up conversations to understand fears or risks associated with characters, both in the young person's history and present, can help with disclosures. Also helps show desires - who might they wish they were living with now? Who did they wish they could see more, or less?

2. Agony aunt scenarios - projective technique for more uncomfortable conversations/projecting by thinking through 3rd person

I used this when doing a sex education session with a young person. As she was quite embarrassed about the topic, I created some agony aunt scenarios to explore her attitudes to things like peer pressure i.e – “Dear…., At school everyone talks about having sex and I’m the one left out. I’m thinking I should just do it so I can fit in with everyone else, what do you think?”

      3.     Story Stems – this one came from a psychologist report - shows attachments and role expectations 

Story Stems are situations set up with dolls house figures and furniture. The psychologist sets up a story and begins to act out and narrate the scenario. The child is asked to complete the story. The stories are set within the family and contain situations triggering high arousal in the child character such as fear or pain, which would normally lead to the enactment of attachment behaviours such as seeking comfort from a caregiver. The way the child completes the story reflects on their attachment narrative and also tells us what their expectations of the roles of different family members and the relationships between them are like. The interpretation is based both on the content of the narrative the child gives, the coherence and style of the story, and the affect shown by the child when telling it.

    Narratives which are coherent, rich in detail of normal domestic life and contain      nurture and no traumatic intrusions reflect secure attachment experiences. Chaotic narratives, traumatic intrusions, and lack of warmth or detail show deficiencies in attachment e  experiences. Research has shown that story stems change over time, reflecting the improved quality of the child’s internal working model over time in a stable caring placement.

Examples include – coming home late without telling parents first, waking up having a nightmare, smashing the window with a ball.

    4.     Post boxes – also from a psychologist report - shows importance and quality of relationships

In this task the child selects post boxes to represent each member of their family. They are then given a large number of small cards with messages such as “this person frowns at me” and asked to post them to the most appropriate person. I explained the meaning of any unfamiliar words. Cards that the child does not wish to post to a member of the family can be posted to Mr Nobody. The number of cards given to different people usually represents the amount of importance that person has in the child’s life, and the content of the cards chosen reflects the quality of that relationship. To the original set I have added a number of cards indicative of child protection concerns, and issues relevant to parent-child relationships.

5. 3 houses - thanks to @MrDougalDog for reminding me of this one - strengths, risks and desires

This is based on the Signs of Safety risk assessment and helps to understands strengths, risks and desired safety - or things that need to change to get to the young person's desired outcomes. The three houses are 'house of worries' 'house of good things' 'house of dreams'. For each you look at internal and external factors - ie young person's own strengths, and those that comes from outside sources - friends, family, community etc.

On this link you can see an image of the template. You can download the powerpoint for a clearer one: http://www.practicecentre.cyf.govt.nz/policy/practice-tools/resources/three-houses-tool.html

Here is a helpful article with guidance on how to use it: http://www.d.umn.edu/sw/snydersfiles/AdvCW/week7/Three_Houses_Article.pdf