Publications for Youth
During group and individual sessions, The Seven Challenges Book of Readings is used to help young people gain ideas and inspiration for looking at their own lives. This 120-page book is based on the experiences of young people who have been successful in overcoming alcohol and other drug problems. It is written in the first person plural tense - using the word "we" to express the point of view of these youth. Available in English and Spanish.
The Seven Challenges Journals are a valuable tool for helping young people reflect upon their lives and drug use, and to support them in their decision-making and change process. Each youth works through the set of nine Journals, one at a time, by writing in the Journal and then giving it to their counselor for written responses and comments. Each Journal will pass back and forth between the young person and their counselor several times during this Supportive Journaling® process. Youth will often write thoughts and feelings in Journals that they would not disclose in face-to-face conversations. As shown in the download Journal sample, a combination of short answer, listing, and check-the-box techniques are used to keep it simple, even for those who are challenged by reading and writing deficits. Counselors are also taught techniques for assisting youth who read at or below a third grade level. Available in English and Spanish.
For each room where sessions are facilitated there are two full-sized color posters. One lists each of the Challenges for easy reference during sessions. The other serves as a visual aid for helping young people learn what it means to "work" in counseling sessions. These posters are called The Seven Challenges Poster and Working Sessions Poster.
Counselor Materials
Each counselor providing the Program will need The Seven Challenges Manual to read prior to their organization's Seven Challenges Initial Training. This 248-page publication supplements the training. The Manual presents basic information about The Seven Challenges such as counseling approaches for each of the challenges; instruction on how to implement the Program; strategies for introducing the Program and the publications; guidelines for responding to Journals; and ideas about how to effectively monitor and supervise the Program. The Manual also contains many of the "nuts and bolts" details that help while implementing. It serves as a valuable learning tool and reference book for Seven Challenges counselors.
The Seven Challenges Training Video is viewed by each counselor in preparation for attending The Seven Challenges Initial Training. In this video, Dr. Schwebel, the developer of the Program, presents a brief history, gives an overview of how the Program works, and introduces a few of the counseling skills central to The Seven Challenges. In addition to being viewed prior to Initial Training, the video is one of the tools used by an organization's Seven Challenges Leaders to help orient and train new staff and counselors. Sections of the video can also be shown as an orientation to parents, referral sources, court personnel and other community stakeholders.
The Seven Challenges Activity Book contains 72 different activities designed to help counselors find an appropriate activity to support their Seven Challenges session -- whether group, individual or family. Each activity contains instructions for preparation, facilitation, suggested discussion topics and relevant readings from The Seven Challenges book of readings. This book also has four chapters of helpful information about skillfully leading activities, applying Seven Challenges counseling skills and adapting group activities for individual work.
The Seven Challenges provides numerous support documents to implementing organizations during their Initial Training, Leader Training, and ongoing counseling sessions. These include Program supervision aids, quality assurance forms, scripted sessions for helping counselors as they get started using the program, training materials, mini-posters for youth, and diplomas for youth as they complete each of their Journals.
The Seven Challenges Journals
