Breaking Barriers Building Relationships

Breaking Barriers Building Relationships focuses on overcoming obstacles and establishing strong connections with others. It explores how to bridge the gap between different cultures, backgrounds, or belief systems, fostering mutual understanding and appreciation. This manual provides insights, strategies, and anecdotes on navigating and overcoming barriers such as communication barriers, social barriers, or biases, ultimately fostering meaningful and authentic relationships.Breaking Barriers Building Relationships uses CASEL's Framework for Systemic Social and Emotional Learning combined with the Restorative Practices philosophy that focuses on building positive relationships, providing opportunities for community members to take responsibility for their behavior and stay connected to society, and fostering a culture that promotes dialogue and values relationships. Hundreds of institutions from around the world have adopted restorative practices. Research has been done to determine the most effective way to use restorative techniques, and from those findings, Breaking Barriers Building Relationships has been shaped and developed.For the substance prevention component, Breaking Barriers Building Relationships incorporates the most personal and social assets competencies (intellectual development, psychological and emotional development, and social development) whi, which has successfully reduced substance use by K-12 students and is supported by over 20 published studies. The drug prevention portion of this program is a complete, dynamic, and developmentally appropriate curriculum for individuals in grades K–12 to prevent substance misuse and violence. Organizations can choose to incorporate the prevention portion of this manual or not. Questions and discussions about substance use and substance abuse are indicated in purple writing.Breaking Barriers Building Relationships is a good resource for individuals looking to add value and togetherness to a community where everyone feels valued, all while providing participants with skills to refrain from substance use and abuse. Some communities that may benefit from this manual include schools, churches, foster care, orphanages, group homes, and other youth groups. Parents could also use this manual to foster meaningful conversations and relationships with their children. Read more