This webinar was held June 27, 2024. Presenter: NACoA Director of Children’s Programs Peggy McGillicuddy, MEd, CTSS. Working with teens can be both exhilarating and challenging, and sometimes even at the same time! Understanding this stage of development, the challenges teens uniquely face, and opportunities that group leaders can create to connect with them, educate them, and motivate teen involvement is an important part of this work. Group leaders don’t have to be behavioral experts when implementing educational support programs. Instead, learn helpful strategies to become more confident when working with teens who are struggling to l become healthier, content, and more resilient in their daily lives.

Objectives of this webinar:
• Identify the developmental tasks of adolescents ages 13 to 19 years.
• Name at least four ways that group facilitators can support this developmental stage.
• Identify the factors that impact both the physical and emotional environment of group.
• Describe three strategies that support teen engagement in group.
• Gain a better understanding of how a facilitator prepares for group to be fully present.

Peggy McGillicuddy has worked in the field of mental health/addiction for over 25 years. With a focus on group facilitation, children’s program development and service delivery, Peggy brings clinical and administrative skills as well as passion and advocacy to her work to create healthy children.