Engage (30 minutes)
Introduction of Session
- Thank you for taking the time to participate in this important meeting today. As part of our efforts to better address depression and suicidality for our youth, you have all completed the train the trainer session for the Break Free from Depression (BFFD) curriculum.
- There are three goals for today’s meetings. First, we will reflect on the program, share impressions, and address any questions you might have.
- Second, we will design the schedule for using the BFFD curriculum with our youth group.
- Finally, we will assign tasks for each person and plan for our next meeting.
Activity 1: Exploring Depression through Guided Discussion
- Tell leaders that you want to invite them to explore what they engaged in the Break Free from Depression curriculum that is available for free online.
- Invite them into discussion by raising the questions below:
- What did you think about the program?
- Do you think the material covered is relevant for our youth?
- Are there any topics that were not covered in the program that we will need to address?
- How comfortable do you feel using this curriculum with your youth group?
Activity 2: Youth Curriculum Development
- Tell leaders that you want to invite them into a process of planning how they will implement a curriculum on depression into their youth ministry.
- As they think about when to do the curriculum, tell them they should not begin the program immediately before a long vacation or holiday break.
- Encourage them to conduct the sessions in close proximity to each other (e.g., a week apart).
- Tell them they must ensure sufficient time for the viewing of the documentary and debriefing with the youth group members.
- Please review the attached task list. Invite individuals or teams of people to sign up to complete one of the tasks. If possible, find a mental health provider to volunteer to co-facilitate the sessions
Activity 3: Community Resource Mapping
- Invite leaders to take a few minutes to think about the resources already available in the community to help with implementing the curriculum. Invite leaders to get in small groups to respond to the questions:
- What other supports, if any, do you need to use this curriculum with your youth group?”
- If other supports are needed, where can we find them? (For example, is there a mental health provider in the community that might like to co-facilitate this curriculum with you? Alternatively, are there any mental health providers in the congregation that might volunteer to be present with you during the curriculum presentation?)
- Come up with a list of people to contact.