Teaching & Modeling

Each youth is taught TLC’s 5 Core Skills as a foundation to increase their ability to differently manage various areas of their lives. These skills are as follows:

Participation: Following instructions, presence, attention, turn taking 

Listening: Eye contact, reflective listening, mirroring, body language, paraphrasing, processing, increasing skills of curiousness and validation 

“I” statements: Identifying observations, identifying feelings and needs/values, making requests – covering emotional accountability and communication

Feedback: Offering and accepting feedback, accountability, regulating oneself to tolerate the process of feedback, using clarifying questions, avoiding blaming and practicing consent  

Taking Space: Psycho-education, awareness of need for space, appropriately ask for space & appropriately return (by checking out and then checking in again)

These skills are role-modeled by TLC staff and are integrated into interactions in all settings including school, therapeutic milieu, clinical sessions, conflict resolutions and casual conversations.