Table 2 Life Skills Training New Directions program scope and sequence

Strengths and Goal- Setting

To identify one’s strengths, how to take charge of one’s life, and how goal-setting can help that.

• Understand the benefits of the Life Skills Training New Directions Program.

• State the importance of understanding one’s strengths and their role in shaping the direction of one’s life.

• Identify one’s strengths in six life domains: education, work, relationships, community engagement, creativity, and health and wellness.

• Learn and apply a structured goal-setting model in one or more of the six life domains.

Identifying strengths; goal-setting; application of goal-setting method.

Decision- Making and Risk Taking

To increase ability to make informed decisions, to understand how decision-making affects risk-taking, and to analyze the potential consequences associated with taking risks.

• Recognize the role of decision-making in shaping the direction of one’s life.

• Increase awareness of the effects of substances on decision-making.

• Learn and apply a decision-making model in one or more of the six life domains.

• Examine personal and peer group attitudes about risk.

• Understand how one’s priorities affect taking risks.

Application of decision-making method; reducing risky behavior; reinforcing resistance to the use of substances.

Managing Stress, Anger, and other Emotions

To recognize stress, anger, and other emotions and how to manage them.

• Identify how anger and stress impact one physically, mentally, and/or emotionally.

• Identify situations and events within each of the six life domains that lead to feelings of stress, anger, and other strong emotions.

• Recognize how the use of substances can interfere with one’s ability to manage stress and anger and other emotions.

• Learn how stress-reduction techniques can help to manage emotions and stress.

• Practice applying stress-reduction techniques.

Identifying situations that provoke emotional reactions; applying relaxation and stress reduction techniques; reinforcing resistance to substances.

Communication

To teach effective communication.

• Define effective communication.

• Learn verbal and non-verbal communication techniques.

• Understand the role of effective communication in avoiding misunderstandings.

• Practice sending and receiving skills (active listening; clarifying; asking questions; being specific; paraphrasing).

Practicing effective use of verbal and non-verbal communication; using active listening skills; preventing misunderstandings.

Healthy Relationships

To increase awareness of what constitutes a healthy relationship and develop skills for effective social interaction.

• Describe the roles and responsibilities of different types of relationships.

• List the attributes of healthy relationships.

• Understand warning signs of unhealthy relationships.

• Distinguish between passive, assertive, and aggressive types of communication.

• Learn and apply assertive refusal techniques.

• Use assertive techniques to enhance prosocial behaviors and resolve conflicts.

Analyzing types of relationships; identifying healthy relationships; practicing assertiveness and conflict resolution skills.