HAPPY TO BE ME!

1
INTRODUCTION

• HAPPY TO BE ME!

2
WHAT IS HAPPY TO BE ME ALL ABOUT?

• Its about telling a story
• It is told from a particular point of view
• It is filled with precise detail
• It uses plot, including setting and characters a
  climax and an ending
• It uses dialogue to bring characters to life
• It uses conflict and sequence as does any story
• It shows how the character(s) resolves the
  conflict and what happens next
• It leaves the reader with strong emotion and an
  important lesson

3
THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STORY

• Introduction
• Rising action
• Climax
• Falling action
• Resolution

4
WHY DO WE READ STORIES TO OUR CHILDREN?

• Because it is something children can understand!

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SOMETHING A CHILD CAN UNDERSTAND

• Bibliotherapy and its Potential Applications in
  the Foster Care
• Environment

A project developed by Todd Fries, Dan Velton
Eric Despotes
6
WHAT IS BIBLIOTHERAPY?

• Bibliotherapy Literally involves treatment
  through books - Pardeck Pardeck, 1998
• Guided reading of written materials to help the
  reader grow in self awareness - Harris Hodges,
  1995
• Process of dynamic interaction between the
  personality of the reader and literature under
  the guidance of a trained helper - Shrodes, 1950

7
WHAT ARE THE BENFITS OF BIBLIOTHERAPY?

• Increases awareness of and empathetic
  understanding for other cultures, lifestyles
  lived experiences
• Provides a Mirror increases appreciation of,
  pride in identification with ones own
  identity, culture, ethnitcity
• Promotes coping skills with lifes challenges and
  relieve emotional or mental pressure
• Provides information and alternatives solutions
  to a problem
• Stimulates discussion of feelings and ideas
• Increases enjoyment of literature and reading

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TYPES OF BIBLIOTHERAPY

1. Developmental The use of literature and
   facilitative processes by skilled helpers to
   assist individuals in dealing with life
   transitional and normal developmental issues
2. Clinical The use of literature and facilitative
   processes by skilled mental health or medical
   clinicians in meeting a deliberate therapeutic
   goal for the purpose of assisting individuals in
   dealing with severe disorders and traumatic life
   experiences

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ROOTS OF BIBLIOTHERAPY

• Bibliotherapy can be traced as far back as the
  ancient days of Greece, when libraries were first
  formed.
• Although bibliotherapy has been around for
  centuries, it may have been referred to by
  different terms depending on the time period,
  such as
• Bilbio-counseling
• Biblio-guidance
• Biblio-psychology
• Book matching
• Literatherapy Library
• Therapeutics
• Literapeutics Reading Therapy

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ROOTS OF BIBLIOTHERAPY

• In the early part of the nineteenth century,
  scholarly articles began to appear that promoted
  the use of reading as a therapeutic measure
  specifically, reading was viewed as one of the
  best ways to treat mental patients
• By the mid-nineteenth century, every major mental
  institution in the country had a patients
  library with carefully selected books, for use
  by the patients
• Although the concept and knowledge of
  bibliotherapy has been known since ancient times,
  it wasnt until 1916 that bibliotherapy was given
  the specific term to imply the use of books as a
  therapeutic means to help people
• In addition, bibliotherapy was not applied to
  children until almost half a century later in
  1946

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HOW CAN BIBLIOTHERAPY HELP CHILDREN?

• Adoption and foster care
• Bullying
• Death and dying
• Disabilities and handicaps
• Divorce, separation and step-families
• Alcoholism and abuse
• Nutrition and healthy eating
• Anger management

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WHO SHOULD CONDUCT BIBLIOTHERAPY?

• Mental health professionals
• Teachers
• Librarians
• Social workers
• Parents
• CAUTION Bibliotherapy must be handled with great
  delicacy, and not every practitioner possesses
  the personal qualifications to be a facilitator
  in the process. Those who are interested,
  however, should possess personal stability a
  genuine interest in working with others and the
  ability to empathize with others without
  moralizing, threatening, or commanding

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WHO SHOULD CONDUCT BIBLIOTHERAPY?

• Although traditional bibliotherapy may be carried
  out by a therapist, using fiction to help
  children isn't limited to that setting
• As children read fiction and observe the behavior
  of the characters, they learn how to solve
  problems or at least that problems can be solved
• A parent, a teacher, a librarian or a counselor
  who knows a particular child need not shy away
  from finding an appropriate fiction book for that
  child
• Reserving bibliotherapy to specialists means
  foregoing a valuable tool to help kids with
  resources available to all of us
• NOTE Bibliotherapy is an adjunct, NOT a
  substitute, for therapy

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HOW DOES BIBLIOTHERAPY WORK?

• All models expand from initial Psychodynamic
  Model developed by Carolyn Shrodes (1949) Four
  stages or steps
• Identification (projection)
• Catharsis (abreaction)
• Insight (self-awareness)
• Universalization

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THE FOUR STAGES AS APPLIED TO CHILDREN

• Identification - the youngster identifies with a
  book character and events in the story, either
  real or fictitious.  Sometimes it is best to have
  a character of similar age to the youngster who
  faces similar events.  At other times, cartoon
  characters and stories are best
• Catharsis - the youngster becomes emotionally
  involved in the story and is able to release
  pent-up emotions under safe conditions (often
  through discussion or art work)
• Insight - the youngster, after catharsis (with
  the help of the teacher/parent), becomes aware
  that his/her problems might also be addressed or
  solved.  Possible solutions to the book
  character's and one's own personal problems are
  identified
• Universalization the youngster understands that
  their problems are not theirs alone and realize
  that they are not isolated in either
  circumstances or feelings

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HOW SHOULD BIBLIOTHERAPY BE CONDUCTED?

• The basic procedures in conducting bibliotherapy
  are
• motivate the individual or individuals with
  introductory activities
• provide time for reading the material
• allow incubation time
• provide follow-up discussion time, using
  questions that will lead persons from literal
  recall of information through interpretation,
  application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation
  of that information and
• conduct evaluation and direct the individual or
  individuals toward closure--this involves both
  evaluation by the practitioner and
  self-evaluation by the individual

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WHEN CONDUCTING BIBLIOTHERAPY, FACILITATORS
SHOULD

• 1. PRE-READ THE BOOK
• Pre-reading to decide which text and/or
  illustrations to emphasize, or edit out, helps
  maximize focus on what is causing the child
  concern.
• 2. INTRODUCE WHY YOU ARE READING TO THE CHILD
• Use a simple opening script to avoid getting
  tongue tied. For example, explain We are reading
  this book because (..youre being placed in a
  foster home with a new family..) and, you may
  have some questions, or feelings, about this.
  This book can help us sort these out.
• 3. MAXIMIZE SUCESSUL LISTENING AND TALKING
• Read in a quiet, calm and uninterrupted
  environment to avoid having to strain when you
  talk to or listen to the child. TVs, computers
  and music systems should be turned off.
• 4. OPEN GUIDE DISCUSSSION BY OPEN ENDED
  QUESTIONS
• Avoid asking questions that can be answered by
  only yes or no and instead use open ended
  questions to better understand the childs
  thoughts, concerns and feelings.
• 5. BALANCE HEAVY AND LIGHT
• Reading therapeutic books can be a difficult and
  heavy experience for the child, so help them
  transition back into their routine life by a
  light. For example, saying OK, before we end
  todays reading lets both share one thing weve
  seen this week that was funny.

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TAKE A LOOK, ITS IN A BOOK!

• A NEW HOME FOR FINALOO

ILLUSTRATED BY TODD FRIES
WRITTEN BY TODD FRIES, DAN VELTON ERIC DESPOTES
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FINALOO A BRIEF DISCUSSION

• What problem(s) does this book address?
• What was the overall mood of the book?
• How did the book make you feel?
• What metaphors were used in the book?
• Who does Bobby represent?
• Who does Finaloo represent?
• Who does Bobbys mother represent?
• What does the second hand store represent?
• Did anyone notice the play on words w/ second
  hand store?
• Who does Thomas represent?

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FINALOO - A BRIEF DISCUSSION

• Who does Bobby represent?

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FINALOO - A BRIEF DISCUSSION

• Who does Finaloo represent?

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FINALOO - A BRIEF DISCUSSION

• Who does
• Bobbys mother
• represent?

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FINALOO - A BRIEF DISCUSSION

• What does the second-hand store represent?

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FINALOO - A BRIEF DISCUSSION

• Who does Thomas represent?

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WHY USE BIBLIOTHERAPY IN FOSTER CARE?

• Reading stories such as A New Home for Finaloo
  can provide a much needed sense of community for
  foster parents and children and can be used more
  purposefully as a starting point for discussion
  between case workers and foster parents, between
  case workers and foster children and between
  foster parents and their children
• The millions of children in foster care benefit
  from the opportunity to learn about themselves
  through the characters and to learn about ways of
  relating to others
• It provides an indirect and non threatening way
  to explore their fears, hopes and dreams
• It helps children feel less alone and isolated
  and understand that children come in all shapes
  and sizes with different feelings even in the
  system
• Helps foster parents to understand the children's
  behaviors from their perspective
• Caseworkers can refresh their understandings the
  inner workings, thoughts, feelings, frustrations,
  hopes and dreams of children in the system

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COMMON THEMES USED IN FOSTER CARE BOOKS

• Fear of Developing Attachments
• Children may behave badly in attempts to do right
  thing
• Internal conflict over betraying birth family
• Siblings in foster families play an important
  role in supporting child's growth
• Importance and difficulty of acknowledging the
  humanity of birth parents (only through the
  foster care system do adults share children with
  total strangers that they may be afraid of)
• Frustrations, inconsistencies and barriers
  created by the child welfare system

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FOSTER CARE FACTS - NATIONALLY

• Across America, more than 500,000 children are in
  the foster care system, a number that represents
  a 90 percent increase since 1987
• Within 12-18 months after leaving foster case, 27
  percent of males and 10 percent of females had
  been incarcerated 33 percent were receiving
  public assistance 37 percent had not finished
  high school and 50 percent were unemployed
• Children in the foster care system were found to
  be three to six times more likely than children
  not in care to have emotional, behavioral and
  developmental problems such as behavioral
  disorders, depression, and difficulties forming
  social relationships

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FOSTER CARE FACTS - CALIFORNIA

• In California alone, there are more than 100,000
  foster children
• Of those who leave foster care, 65 percent do so
  without a place to live, and as many as half
  become homeless within the first 18 months of
  emancipation
• Youth in foster care are 44 percent less likely
  to graduate from high school and between 40 and
  50 percent never receive a high school degree,
  even after emancipation

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FOSTER CARE FACTS - LOCALLY

• In Santa Clara County, nearly 3,000 children
  required some sort of out-of-home care in 2009,
  according to county statistics and more than
  1,200 of these children required foster care
• According to the county, 47 percent of Santa
  Clara Countys foster children are Latino, 31
  percent are white, 16 percent are African
  American, and 5 percent are Asian/Pacific
  Islander
• Therefore, it is important in efforts such as
  bibliotherapy not only to acknowledge a childs
  age when reading or choosing literature, but also
  to acknowledge his or her culture and linguistic
  abilities

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OUR REASON FOR DOING THIS PROJECT

• Bibliotherapy is one of the easiest,
  cost-effective and most efficient methods to help
  these children confront the emotional problems
  they face, and it could ultimately improve their
  emotional maturity and well-being as adults,
  something that can help them beat the statistics

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EFFECTIVE FOSTER CARE BIBLIOTHERAPY BOOKS INCLUDE

• Vibrant color pictures and appealing
  illustrations
• Interesting story content and believable
  characters
• Information within the childs understanding
• Broad humor which is fairly obvious for a young
  child
• Surprise elements to create suspense and sustain
  interest
• Appealing, recurring refrains, which contribute
  familiarity and delight the child

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DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF FINALOO FOR DIFFERENT
SETTINGS

• Version 1 Color storybook w/ puppet English
  and Spanish
• Version 2 Coloring book English and Spanish
• Version 3 Draw-it-yourself coloring book
  English and Spanish
• Version 4 CD-Rom with coloring book and
  draw-it-yourself formats

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COLOR STORYBOOK WITH PUPPET

• Colored-in illustrations
• Sock puppet Finaloo to be used for acting out
  the story
• Good for bibliotherapy right out of the package

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COLORING BOOK

• Black and white picture outlines
• Good for engaging activity with child (coloring)
  to get the child emotionally involved with the
  characters

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DRAW-IT YOURSELF COLORING BOOK

• Text-only
• Space set aside for child to complete
• Good for fostering creativity through image
  design and coloring
• Also serves to get the child emotionally
  connected with the story

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CD-Rom

• Multiple versions of Finaloo coloring book and
  draw-it-yourself
• Available in English and Spanish
• Microsoft Word format
• Provides opportunity to edit own book and
  re-imagine the story

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WHERE WILLFINALOO BE DISTRIBUTED?

• Foster homes
• Group homes
• Adoption agencies
• Libraries
• Schools
• Planned Parenthood
• Family courts
• Dependency courts
• Delinquency courts

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FINAL THOUGHTS

• Inspire parents to create their own bibliotherapy
  tools
• Help children in the foster system adjust to
  their new environments
• Encourage kids to read!

A library is a hospital for the mind.
-Anonymous