become a Trusted Adult
Learn essential skills so you can partner with youth.
Support their everyday wellness in this time of uncertainty and stress.
Your calm presence is a necessary part of their healthy development.
About the Toolkit
Youth are facing a mental health crisis.
Now is the time to consider the needs of youth and what they are facing.
Youth thrive through relationships with trusting adults. We want you to develop your skills and capacities so you can become that caring adult who makes a difference for youth.
OUR Mission
Focus on youth strengths, wellness and goals.
Build youth/adult partnerships.
Help teams, schools and communities build social and emotional capacities and resilience.
Reduce the stigma of mental health problems.
Let’s work together!
THERE ARE 4 FOUNDATIONAL IDEAS EMBEDDED IN THE CALM AND CONNECTED TOOLKIT:
By working in partnership with youth, adults create the calm connections youth need to thrive.
A focus on wellness provides youth and adults a shared language for healthy living and everyday mental wellness.
Grounded in science, the toolkit promotes mental health, life skills and a growth mindset.
Hope is needed to keep youth engaged and committed to the journey of life, especially when they face unprecedented levels of stress and uncertainty.
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If you are an adult working with youth, your calm presence may be the most valuable asset you have. If you are a youth, you deserve to be supported as you grow. Just one trusting adult can make a difference in your life. We can all benefit from opportunities to be calm and connected as we continue to navigate unprecedented levels of stress and anxiety. Let’s be real about the challenges that we are all facing in 2022. Practices of mindful self-compassion, self-regulation and effective communication can help.
FAQs
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Kathleen experienced panic attacks and anxiety in High School and after completing her undergrad degree in Psychology, she was motivated to bring basic knowledge to students as a way to prevent others from experiencing what she went through. As a Clinical Psychologist, Luci learned that many disorders can be prevented by providing support and education as well as practice so youth develop their skills and capacities. We both believe in the power of youth/adult partnership as a foundation for wellness and a healthy community.
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Yes, the CCT is designed with modules and components that can be woven into an existing program. We start by training the adults and then focus on strengthening youth/adult partnership. We can tailor the approach based on your needs.
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We offer online training as well as individual consultation. Please reach out to us through the contact page to learn about how the CCT can impact your family, school or community.
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Absolutely! We hope that the handouts, practices, ideas and images that you see here are both educational and inspiring. There is some content that is copywritten and you will see that indicated on the handouts.
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Yes, we recognize that parents need support and we provide opportunities for parents to work on their social and emotional skills. Parents play a key role, not just for their own youth(s) but for those in the community as well.
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We would love to hear from you! We are always interested in youth joining our Youth Council and we are also interested in partnering with adults in your school and community. Let’s talk!
ABOUT US
We are the co-creators of the Calm and Connected Toolkit. Our partnership started eight years ago, when we collaborated on a community-based intergenerational Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum for tweens and teens called Brave Space for Kids. Kathleen is a mental health educator, trauma-informed care trainer, and certified wellness coach. Kathleen has a B.S. in Psychology and an AA degree in Criminal and Social Justice. Lucianne Hackbert, Ph.D. is an SEL curriculum developer and consultant and a parent of two teens. Luci completed the Embodied Social Justice Certificate Program in 2021. Kathleen and Luci created the CCT to weave a web of support around youth during this current mental health crisis.
Lucianne Hackbert, Ph.D.
Kathleen Donaldson, B.S.
We want to acknowledge the many teachers, guides, and mentors that have inspired us: Teresa Posakony of Emerging Wisdom, Dr. Andy Benjamin, Dr. Pamela Taylor and Dr. Stephanie Sarantos of CircleWorks, Mental Health First Aid, Dr. Monica Fitzgerald (and the Let’s Connect Team). Gratitude to the students and colleagues at the Seattle Waldorf School. Our Youth Council includes: Faith, Sage, and Anya. The creation of the Calm and Connected Toolkit was funded by the Lopez Island Family Resource Center (LIFRC) and we continue to appreciate the partnership with LIFRC. Tricia Cassels Photography was essential in helping with some beautiful photos for this website. We live and work on the unceeded territories of the Coastal Salish peoples and we acknowledge their sovereignty as well as our heartfelt desire that our work can in some way contribute to healing and justice.
We Want To HEAR FROM YOU!
Please contact us with your questions and feedback.
We are eager to talk with you! Please email us to find out more about our online trainings as well as FREE membership that gives you full access to the Calm and Connected Toolkit.