Growing Minds

Curriculum Overview

Curriculum Overview

Growing Minds is an evidence-based curriculum that consists of eight, 50-minute sessions, which utilize mindfulness-based interventions to increase self-awareness. The program is designed for inpatient adolescents ages 13 through 17 years old receiving acute care services at a mental health facility. The therapeutic use of mindfulness-based interventions in this curriculum aims to assist adolescents with a mental health diagnosis in developing self-awareness skills.

Peri Kasanders, MS, CTRS

About the Curriculum Developer

Peri Kasanders is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS) and has a Master's degree in Recreational Therapy from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. She has experience working with people with disabilities in a variety of settings, such as, inpatient mental health, long term care, camps, autism clinics, day services and community programs. Peri's research has mainly revolved around adolescents with mental health conditions and the different interventions used.

Curriculum Training

Training Overview:

Take the Pre-Training Quiz
Watch the Training Video
Review the Fidelity Manual
Take the Post-Training Quiz

Training Quizzes:

Click the link to access the quiz

Pre-Training Quiz: Click HERE
Post-Training Quiz: Click HERE

The Fidelity Manual: Click Here to Download

The Participant Workbook: Click Here to Download

Watch the Training Video Below

Client Assessment

Assessment Description/Explanation

The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale - Adolescent (MAAS-A) is designed to assess the core characteristics of mindfulness, mainly, a receptive state of mind in which attention is formed by a sensitive awareness of what is occurring in the present, simply observes what is taking place. It is a 14-item assessment which takes 5-10 minutes to administer.

The Well-being Check Card is designed to assess the current emotions and thoughts of each patient. This should be given to the patients at the beginning of each session and collected by the CTRS.

Assessment Download and Upload

Download the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale - Adolescent (MAAS-A) HERE
Download the Well-being Check Card HERE
Upload Assessment Data HERE

Program Evaluation

Program Evaluation/Description

The program evaluation form is designed to assess the patient's satisfaction with the program and the interventions following the completion of the Growing Minds Curriculum. It should be administered at the end of the last session.

Program Evaluation Upload

Download Evaluation HERE
Upload Completed Evaluations HERE

Research Poster

This poster was presented by Peri Kasanders at the Great Lakes Recreational Therapy Student Conference and at the Research and Creativity Symposium in Spring 2023.

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