Agenda Overview 

Part 1 

• What is a personal safety net (PSN)? 
• Why is a PSN vital to our well-being and our ability to navigate life and PSN its challenges and changes with resiliency and support?
• 8 Pillars of Resilience  

HANDOUTS/ACTIVITIES;

1) A Personal Safety Net Diagram ; 2) Columns of a PSN 

Part 2 

• What Research Says About Working in Groups
• Asking for Help
• Tips on Making Friends
• Using a Wallet Card
• Role Playing: Problem-solving Scenarios 

HANDOUTS/ACTIVITIES 

1) A Personal Safety Net Diagram ; 2) Columns of a PSN; 3) A Personal Survey; 4) Things That Get In The Way Of Asking; 5) Steps to Successful Asking; 6) Sample Wallet Cards; 7) Using Your Wallet Card; 8) What To Say To Others About Your Wallet Card; 9) Problem-Solving Scenarios. 

Part 1

(Times for each section are approximate) 

1. Introductions (5 minutes) 

2. What is a personal safety net?  (20 minutes)

a. Philosophy behind a PSN:

• Personal Safety Nets provides a way of understanding a balance in your life that will make it possible for you to RESPOND, rather than to REACT to the predictably unpredictable changes or challenges that inevitably arise. Ii. Replacing fear and isolation with security, connection and community. 
• Knowing how you are interconnected helps you work with others – to help them connect! 
• Change to Planning versus Denial 

b. Make up of a PSN – The Definition:

• Yourself (aka inner resources) – what helps? Hinders?
• Community helpers (aka outer resources) – community    orgs, businesses, non-profits, etc.
• Others – people
• Plans – knitting these all together 

c. Research: What we know about working in groups. 

d. Taking a look at a PSN – understanding the “realms” (handout: A PSN Diagram) 

3. Making PSN Personal to You: (15-20 Minutes)

(Handout: Columns of a PSN)

Table work: Can be done individually or in groups of two –

Fill out one column on the Columns of a PSN handout – showing the existence/start of your PSN –

• Yourself – list something that helps? hinders?
• Community 
• Others 
• Plans 

4. Using a Personal Safety Net to solve problems and deal with situations: (15-30 minutes)

(Handout: Situations to Solve)

Activity: Give each group one of the situations on the handout

• Using paper - builds a team to solve the situation (if possible: try to match up situations to groups – for reality)
• Write or draw the situation; show the support that will help address it; show what help is available now; show what would help but isn’t.
• Debrief as a group. 

5. Review – Q & A (5-10 minutes) 

Part 2:

(Times for each section are approximate) 

1. Review - Part 1. (5-10 Minutes) 

2. (use: A Personal Survey) – Question #1-4

Imbalance between most who want to help and the smaller number who are willing to ask for & receive help.

 (5-10 minutes) – 

BETWEEN knowing what supports your PSN – having a team to help is an ASK! 

3. Things get in the WAY of reaching out / ASKING

(Handout: Things That Get in the Way) – Teacher can review the list, or if time allows, ask students about what specifically stops them from asking others.  (5 minutes) 

Know it’s your right to ASK:

• YOU MATTER, and so does everyone else (We need to get others involved – which means asking for help.) We need to get others involved (they need us too) 

• You matter to you, as leader in your own life, in others’ lives, in work, in community – You will need to get good at asking! 

• We all have basic needs: 1) to be seen 2) to be heard 3) to matter to someone else 

4. So how do you go about ASKING EFFECTIVELY? 

(Handout: Steps to Successful Asking) (10-20 minutes)

Try to be authentic!

When you ASK

• Set the stage with a SHORT picture of what’s going on
• Give background – set the tone (include them in “your” team)
• Include “the ask”

• Allow for “no” – Ask, don’t demand
  • Don’t take the particular answer personally – be grateful for AN answer
  • Think about 11 “other” reasons why you received a “no” 
  • Think of a time when someone said “no” to a request… 

Accept what happens! 

When you are THE “asked”:

• Listen to the entire request
• Consider your response – if needed, can you think of alternatives & phrasing, ie.
  • You want to help and can’t/won’t (limits?)
  • You don’t want to help this person/ this time/ this request
  • You want to do your part.
  • Respond: Yes or NO – 

Both of you: Say thank you to each other (for a response, or for being asked)

• Review (Handout: Steps to Successful Asking) 

5. Using Your PSN to Organize & Create your first TEAM (a small safety net)

            – “Wallet Cards” – hand out samples to all. (10 minutes)

• Review (Handouts: Using Your Wallet Card; What To Say To Others About Your Wallet Card)
  

6. What is the role of trust”? (handout: Who To Trust) (10 minutes) 

7. Evaluation & Q & A (5-10 minutes)

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