TISEC Curriculum
Our program is founded on principles of cognitive behavior therapy with a focus on social emotional awareness and skill building- examples of topics covered include identity, integrity, self-esteem, communication, decision-making, emotional recognition and management, relationships, resilience and leadership. The program holds relationships as its guide star, is trauma informed, and is administered using best teaching methods in a group setting. (See the following section for more information on these concepts.)
Our curriculum builds sequentially, each module incorporating prior sessions and inculcating prior messaging with a goal of helping participants to realize potential and actualized lives.
The StreetSolid curriculum utilizes literature from the fields of developmental psychology, neurobiology, social emotional learning, and cognitive-behavioral therapy. It is comprised of 18 modules that include multi-media components, exercises, activities, class discussion and special projects. A typical module such as “Decisions” includes participant engagement, an exploration of the neural mechanisms of decision-making, examples from the lives of participants and facilitators, a method for making difficult decisions, role-playing and other facilitator-inspired approaches.
Since 2010 we have used our evolving StreetSolid curriculum to help over 700 young men referred from Tennessee State reentry programs, the Davidson County Juvenile Court and the Middle Tennessee Federal District Court or the Nashville Public Schools. Post-program evaluations and surveys from participations have documented great appreciation for the programming and significant gains in topic knowledge. Surveyed participants inside Davidson County Juvenile Detention have noted that 100% of participants would recommend the StreetSolid program for their friends – a remarkable finding when the population surveyed is considered.
The StreetSolid program is also being used with other community organizations including Meharry’s Medically Assisted Addiction Clinic, Metro Nashville public schools, the Davidson County Juvenile Courts, Sumner County Jails, Tennessee’s Federal Inmate Reentry Program, Men of Valor, 413 Strong, Bishop Campbell’s G.A.N.G Program and others.
Course Description
Public school, community and institutional programming varies based on the needs of the participants. Sessions take place at a local schools, inside juvenile detention, at Meharry Medical College and at various community centers.
We offer both 8-week (two sessions per week) and 16-week (twice weekly) courses.
Each program also includes up to 9 monthly follow-up meetings over the next year. Some of our in-school groups graduate from StreetSolid programing into our StreetSolid Entrepreneur Program: a year-long program that acquaints youth with the principles of entrepreneurship.
Teaching Methods: Glossary Of Terms
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a therapy modality that focuses on the relationship between one’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is used to establish and allow for healthy responses to thoughts and feelings (instead of unhealthy responses, like using drugs or alcohol). CBT has been proven effective for recovering addicts of all kinds, and is used to strengthen a patient’s own self-awareness and ability to self-regulate. CBT allows individuals to monitor their own emotional state, become more adept at communicating with others, and manage stress without needing to engage in substance abuse.
Family Therapy
Research clearly demonstrates that recovery is far more successful and sustainable when loved ones like family members participate in rehab and substance abuse treatment. Genetic factors may be at play when it comes to drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental health issues. Family dynamics often play a critical role in addiction triggers, and if properly educated, family members can be a strong source of support when it comes to rehabilitation.
Group Therapy
Group therapy is any therapeutic work that happens in a group (not one-on-one). There are a number of different group therapy modalities, including support groups, experiential therapy, psycho-education, and more. Group therapy involves treatment as well as processing interaction between group members.
Individual Therapy
In individual therapy, a patient meets one-on-one with a trained psychologist or counselor. Therapy is a pivotal part of effective substance abuse treatment, as it often covers root causes of addiction, including challenges faced by the patient in their social, family, and work/school life.
Life Skills
Life skills trainings involve all the skills a person must have in order to function successfully in the world. These include time management, career guidance, money management, and effective communication. Truly successful addiction recovery is based on the ability to not only live substance-free, but to thrive. Life skills teaches the practical necessities of functioning in society, which sets clients up for success in life, and therefore sobriety.
Social and Emotional Learning
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. https://casel.org/fundamentals-of-sel/.
Its core competencies include self awareness, self management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/districts-schools-support/nc-social-emotional-learning/defining-social-and-emotional-learning-sel. These skills help individuals pursue further education, achieve career goals, and develop better relationships with family and friends. SEL offers an approach to education that values autonomy and gives students from all backgrounds the opportunity to create positive habits, allowing them to grow into healthy and fulfilled adults. https://www.positiveaction.net/what-is-sel
SEL is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions. SEL helps individuals develop trusting and collaborative relationships through rigorous and meaningful curriculum and instruction and empowers young people and adults co-create safe, healthy, and just communities.
Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy addresses traumatic incidents from a client’s past that are likely affecting their present-day experience. Trauma is often one of the primary triggers and potential causes of addiction, and can stem from child sexual abuse, domestic violence, having a parent with a mental illness, losing one or both parents at a young age, teenage or adult sexual assault, or any number of other factors. The purpose of trauma therapy is to allow a patient to process trauma and move through and past it, with the help of trained and compassionate mental health professionals.
