“I matter.”

The Roanoke Prevention Alliance (RPA) and the Resiliency Collective identified through the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey low percentages of middle (52.6%) and high (43.0%) school aged youth reporting they agree or strongly agree that they feel like they matter to people in their community. Knowing that youth feeling connected to their community is a strong protective factor, the Resiliency Collective decided to make this a focus for the next few years.

RPA received a Behavioral Health Equities grant from the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, Office of Behavioral Health Wellness to promote the importance of African American and Black youth feeling they matter to the City of Roanoke. This grant focuses on the African American and Black community but the data is clear that all youth, no matter their race, are lacking in this connection to the community. We have every expectation to work on protective factors for all races and ethnicities as we move forward.

We invite community members to participate in RPA’s and RC’s social media campaigns to shine appreciation on our youth to let them know how much they matter. Please like and share our posts on Facebook, Instagram, and make your own video to help us create a positive trend on TikTok. We thank you for helping us show City of Roanoke youth that their community cares about them!

Resilient people. Stronger Communities.
Feel free to download and post!

Resiliency Collective PSA

Protective Factors

The Path to Resilience is different for everyone depending upon their circumstances and the protective factors that are present in their life:

Strong home life

with rules, predictability, routines, chores, positive discipline

Caring and involved adults

i.e. mentors, teachers, family members, neighbors, community members, faith leaders

Good social skills

sense of humor, empathy, conflict resolution skills

Being involved in outside of school activities

clubs, teams, hobbies, part-time job

Having someone to help set goals

to be successful, and build confidence

Professionals Path to Resilience Toolkit

Our path to resilience, for professionals, involves working with the whole family to promote resiliency. Our goal is for everyone that works with children, teens and adults to understand when a child or family may be struggling, and stepping up to be empathetic, understanding and supportive. When professionals Champion Resilience they are helping build the shield that protects our children and teens from adversity.

How Can YOU Help Build Resilience in Your Community?

Everyone can be a Resilience Champion by recognizing that people may be suffering from unseen issues. We don’t need to know what the issues are. We just need to respond with understanding and kindness. Be kind and supportive of your neighbors, smile, and provide a connection or a hand up, if needed.

History

The Resiliency Collective formed in 2017 to best support the Roanoke Prevention Alliance’s efforts to reduce youth substance use. The Resiliency Collective’s shared agenda, commits to building upon the resilience of youth, families, and communities in the City of Roanoke. Resiliency Collective members educate the community about Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma and teach how building resilience helps people to bounce forward and overcome hardships. We provide education using a community-based toolkit: Be a Resilience Champion and a professional toolkit: The Path to Resilience. We offer both toolkits as Train the Trainer workshops for people to share the presentations with their professional and personal networks

For more information and to schedule a training, contact Christine Gist at 540-982-1427 x5120 or cgist@brbh.org

Helpful Links & Resources

The following links may help you navigate this process and remember parental involvement is key to reducing underage drinking

“I matter.”