M.A.SK. Program

The Township’s Managing Anger Skills is a six-week prevention/intervention program for youth ages 12 to 17 and their parent or guardian and is held three times per year. It has been designed to meet the needs of youth and families who have anger related difficulties by providing an opportunity for youth who have experienced problems due to inappropriate management of anger or aggression to learn healthier ways to manage their feelings. The youth program focuses on increasing emotional self-awareness, recognizing triggers to anger and learning tools for managing anger or aggression in a healthy way.

Learning to effectively manage stress, respect for self and others as well as personal responsibility are also emphasized during this program. This course also involves the family in developing the social and emotional intelligence of their youth while enhancing their ability to develop effective strategies to employ healthy anger management skills. Youth referred to the program must complete a phone screening by the program director. The screening will be used to determine the appropriateness of the program for the youth as well as any need for further intervention. If the program director feels that the youth may need counseling, this will be discussed with the parent or guardian. This would not preclude participation from the class but the needs of the youth and benefits of the class would be discussed first with the parent and if necessary, the referral source.

If the youth is accepted into the program, the parent will receive confirmation of the registration. Classes are held at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Downers Grove and occur on Tuesday evenings from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

M.A.SK. Flier 2010
M.A.SK. Brochure 2010

Session One  (Youth/Parent Session)

• Establish personal expectations for class
• Understanding anger and the management process

Session Two  (Youth)

• Facts about conflict
• Responses to conflict & coping methods
• Emotional needs
• Listening to anger cues
• Anger Triggers: Situational & Behavioral

Session Two  (Parent)

• Emotional Self-Awareness
• Emotional Needs of Adolescents
• Goals of Misbehavior
• Learning to Deal with Anger
• Understanding Adolescent Brain Development

Session Three  (Youth)

• Styles of Communication
• Understanding and using “I” messages
• Purposeful Communication
• Roadblocks to Communication
• Risks VS. Rewards

Session Three  (Parent)

• Styles of Anger Management
• Examining Negative and Irrational Thinking
• Styles of Communication
• Roadblocks to Communication
• Healthy Communication Skills

Session Four  (Shared Session – Last half of class)

• Both youth & parents practice stress management?& review previous week’s class Practice communication skills the last half of this session

Session Five  (Youth)

• Negative & Irrational Thinking
• Taking Ownership of Anger
• Diffusing Anger and Applying Coping Skills
• Decision Making and the IDEAL Model

Session Five  (Parent)

• Communicating Anger Effectively
• Factors Affecting Communication
• Positive Conversational Tactics
• Communication Readiness

Session Six  (Youth/Parent)

• Major Concepts Review & Discussion
• Personal action plan for change

For more information about M.A.S.K. please contact:

Lori Wrzesinski
Director
Division of Human Services
Phone: (630) 719-6670