“It was the first time I could talk about my family”INDEPENDENT LIVING YOUTH

The 3-5-7 Model

GIVES A SENSE OF BELONGING TO A CHID OR YOUTH WORKING THROUGH PROFOUND LOSSES, IDENTITY CONFUSION OR THE HURTS OF ABUSE.

The 3-5-7 MODEL (Three Tasks, Five Conceptual Questions, Seven Skill Elements) is a guide for working with children and youth who have experienced losses: the primary traumas of abuse, neglect and abandonment, as well as the secondary trauma of being placed in out-of-home “temporary” care. This model assists social workers, child care professionals and resource parents by engaging children and youth in working through their grief, finding their identity and building permanent relationships through the attachment cycle.

Three Tasks

  • Clarification
  • Integration
  • Actualization

Five Conceptual Questions

  • Who am I?
  • What happened to me?
  • Where am I going?
  • How will I get there?
  • When will I belong?

Seven Skill Elements

  • Engaging the child
  • Listening to the child
  • Validating the child
  • Creating a safe space for the child
  • Speaking the truth
  • Allowing the child to go back in time
  • Recognizing that pain is part of the process in dealing with grieving children

Testimonials

It’s strengths based…youth become hopeful and take control of their lives.
Private agency worker

Begins self-awareness process; empowers youth
Public child welfare worker

It was the first time I could talk about my family.
Independent living youth

Lifebooks become tangible proof of their lives.
Foster parent

 

To learn more about these and other training programs, please contact Sue Cohick, FDR program manager, at 717.558.1246 or by e-mail at scohick@familydesign.org.