Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Killam Professor, School of Social Work, Dalhousie University

@MichaelUngarPhD www.michaelungar.com www.cyccnetwork.org

www.resilienceresearch.org

Counseling Children, Youth and

Families with Complex Needs: An Ecological Approach to Nurturing

Resilience across Cultures and Contexts

Aarhus University

Copenhagen, Denmark

2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey

cultural adherence

relationships

identity

power & control

social justice

access to material resources

cohesion

Seven Resilience Resources

In the context of exposure to significant adversity resilience is the capacity of individuals to navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their well being, and… their capacity individually and in groups to negotiate for these resources to be provided… in culturally meaningful ways.

Psychological Resilience is…

Conventional and Unconventional Pathways to Resilience

Substitution

“Conventional” Pathways to Resilience

“Unconventional” Pathways to Resilience

Accessing the 7 Resources

C C

C C

D

D D

D

Child

Accessing the 7 Resources

Application of Theory to Practice Ungar, M., Liebenberg, L., Landry, N., & Ikeda, J. (2012). Caregivers, young people with complex needs, and multiple service providers: A study of triangulated relationships and their impact on resilience. Family Process, 51(2), 193-206.

Time

Chronic Stressors

Acute Stressor/trauma

Hidden/Atypical

Patterns of Resilience

Minimal impact

Post-traumatic growth

Avoidant

Unaffected

Maladaptive coping

Recovery

+

-

© Michael Ungar, 2013

Exercise When I experienced ________ [challenge], I coped by_______[strategy]. My success depended on______[internal resource] and_______[external resource]. Looking back, I think my coping strategy worked well/didn’t work well [choose one] given the opportunities I had.

Other people have told me my way of coping was _______. I could have used a different coping strategy if ________[resource] was available and _______[resource] was accessible. However, compared with other people facing the same challenges as I faced, my coping strategy helped me do as well as others/better than others/worse than others [choose one].

Individuals, Families and Communities

Navigation and Negotiation

© Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Seven Resources

Relationships

Identity

Power and Control

Social Justice

Access to Material Resources

Cohesion

Cultural Adherence

Individuals, Families and Communities

Navigation and Negotiation

© Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Seven Resources

Resources

Meaning

Cul

ture

Con

text

Individuals, Families and Communities

© Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Seven Resources

Resources

Meaning

Cul

ture

Con

text

Navigation

Negotiation

An Ecological Approach to Intervention

In the context of adversity, A community’s resilience is its social capital, physical infrastructure, and culturally embedded patterns of interdependence that give it the potential to help individuals recover from dramatic change, sustain their adaptability, and support new growth that integrates the lessons learned during a time of crisis.

Community Resilience is…

Three Types of Capital that Contribute to Resilience

Physical Capital Infrastructure The built environment

Social Capital A: Informal Supports Family, friends, relationships with formal helpers

Social Capital B: Institutional Supports Social services, education, community services, financial support

People living in challenging contexts change when their natural supports, programs and interventions, and social policies help them:

Navigate effectively Negotiate effectively Find resources that are culturally and contextually meaningful

Theory of Change

Michael Ungar, Ph.D.

Killam Professor, School of Social Work, Dalhousie University

@MichaelUngarPhD www.michaelungar.com www.cyccnetwork.org

www.resilienceresearch.org

Thank you!