The CMHR recently completed its first “FRIENDS for Life” program. This is an empirically supported group treatment, designed to build resilience and reduce anxiety in school-aged children, ages 8 through 11. Considerable research has supported the FRIENDS for Life program, including endorsement by the World Health Organization as an effective program for the prevention and reduction of anxiety symptoms in school-aged children.
Children in this 10 week group were taught skills through games and activities with other children in a fun and supportive environment. The program focussed on teaching children to confront and cope with feared situations, building their strengths, and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
This inaugural group, led by doctoral students Ami Rints and Jasmine Taylor and supervised by departmental adjunct faculty, Dr. Elizabeth Stevens, was a great success. According to Jasmine, “Leading this group was a wonderful experience. It was extremely rewarding to watch these children develop skills they'll be able to draw on for the rest of their lives.” These thoughts were echoed by Ami, “By introducing activities in a fun and meaningful way, and with the support of their families, we watched as these children went from learning new skills to being able to think creatively and effectively about the use of these skills in their day-to-day lives.”
The CMHR would like to congratulate all involved, both our leaders and our participants, for a successful launch of this important initiative.