Leading National Behavioral Healthcare Provider

Call 1-800-345-1292


Tweet Share on LinkedIn Send email Print

U.K. group leverages Devereux assessment tool to help youth build resilience

Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health is getting noticed across the pond.

This fall, a United Kingdom-based organization called SkillForce began using the Devereux Center for Resilient Children’s (DCRC) “Devereux Student Strengths Assessment” (DESSA) tool to measure the impact of a new program – and learn whether or not the program is helping develop resilience in children.

SkillForce empowers children and adolescents to build confidence, resilience and good character using the skills and experience of British Armed Forces veterans. The organization enjoys the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, and operates in more than 200 primary and secondary schools across England, Scotland and Wales.

Helping children develop inner strength

The “SkillForce Character Award Programme” – a pilot program aimed at younger children, ages five to 14 – enables British Armed Forces veterans to help children develop confidence and an inner strength that will carry them through life.

“We wanted to ensure we had a robust measurement tool in place to assess whether or not the pilot has a demonstrable effect on the resilience and inner strength of these students, in addition to improving their attitudes to learning, behaviour and progress at school,” explained SkillForce Chief Executive Officer Ben Slade. “Our academic partner – The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues at the University of Birmingham – recommended the DESSA-mini assessment to us.”

In addition to other data collection methods, SkillForce is using the DESSA-mini tool on a quarterly basis within its pilot schools. “We are excited, as we are the first large scale pilot of this kind using DESSA in the United Kingdom,” he said. Findings from the year-long pilot will help SkillForce roll out the program to additional schools.

About the DESSA tool

The Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA) is a measure of behaviors related to resilience, social-emotional competence and school success. The tool is a standardized behavior rating scale that assesses the social-emotional competencies that serve as protective factors for children in kindergarten through eighth grade.

“Social and emotional competence is critical for our youth, and is essential to their success in school and, ultimately, in the workforce,” said DCRC Director Paul LeBuffe. “SkillForce does outstanding work in the communities it serves, and we are thrilled to assist them with this important measurement project.”

A learning experience

When asked how SkillForce’s use of DESSA is going so far, Slade added: “It is going well! DESSA is easy to administer and makes sense. Once we get the results, we can use them to amend the learning experience both for our young people and our instructors. It will be good for both parties to see how they are progressing, and areas that may require further development, working in partnership with the schools.”

In the U.S., DCRC’s tools and resources are used by approximately 5,000 school or community programs. Since its founding in 1995, the DCRC estimates that about 6 million children have been involved with, or impacted by, its assessment tools. To learn more about the DCRC and its assessment tools, click here. To learn more about SkillForce, click here. Questions? Contact Paul LeBuffe.

 

Latest News

Yolanda Graham   Dr. Yolanda Graham discusses sex trafficking on Cobb Collaborative’s Mind Your Mind Speaks podcast

Listen as Devereux Senior Vice President and Chief Clinical/Medical Officer Yolanda Graham, M.D., FAPA, DFAACAP, discusses Devereux’s Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) program, as well as risk factors and warning signs of sex trafficking, on Cobb Collaborative’s Mind Your Mind Speaks podcast. Dr. Graham shares how Devereux’s CSEC services are designed to help youth live healthy, happy lives free from exploitation.

teacher in front of class of students   Devereux awarded RFP to provide education consulting services in Delaware

Devereux announced it has been awarded a Request for Proposal (RFP) by the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE) to provide education consulting services in the state. The multi-vendor award establishes a pool of vendors the DDOE can utilize for education consulting services for its 19 school districts, 23 charter schools and early childhood/adult education programs, as the need arises.

Connecticut Marketing Video   Video: Welcome to Devereux Connecticut – The Glenholme School

Devereux Connecticut – The Glenholme School is a specialized, independent and co-educational boarding/day school for students, grades 5-12, with social, emotional and/or academic differences. Learn how we are meeting the unique needs of each student.

New podcast episode   Season 2, Episode 3: ‘Not Your Average School Psychologist’ podcast

Listen to the latest episode of the Devereux Center for Effective Schools’ podcast featuring Nathan Clemens, Ph.D., NCSP, LSSP, who debunks common myths about reading disabilities and shares evidence-based recommendations for assessments and interventions. Dr. Clemens is an associate professor in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music/Audible.


More Stories