Skills Training

Prior to student’s enrollment at Webster Street Academy, a licensed mental health clinician meets with the student and significant other(s) to gather information related to a variety of life areas and the youth’s history of coping with stressors in these areas. The clinician will assess mental health needs, make treatment recommendations and outline a plan that addresses these identified needs.

Coping Skills Training
This training promotes specific Coping Skills which are often underutilized or unknown to adolescents with mental health issues. There are three major components regarding the development of skills necessary to achieve positive outcomes for the individual:
  • improving effective communication (e.g., giving and accepting praise and criticism, active listening, and understanding non-verbal messages)
  • reducing stress and expanding effective coping strategies (e.g., developing appropriate relaxation skills, identification of stressors and planning strategies to reduce the negative impact of stress on behavior)
  • decreasing high-risk behaviors (e.g., violence prevention, HIV/AIDS awareness, and substance abuse prevention education)

Social Skills Training
This instruction covers two major components and is delivered by qualified mental health providers. The first component focuses on understanding one’s self by focusing on concepts such as: developing self-awareness (e.g. feelings, emotions), building self-confidence (e.g., intimacy, autonomy, success) and ensuring an adequate quality of life (e.g., balance between work, play and personal maintenance responsibilities). The second component focuses on learning to get along with peers and adults by addressing issues such as: becoming socially responsible, building and maintaining friendships, interacting respectfully with authority figures and resolving conflicts.