FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jack Taylor, MassMedia 702/433-4331 or Jack@massmediacc.com
Girls Circle Association, Sonoma County Probation to Offer Girls Circle Facilitator Training, July 15-16 in Cotati, CA
Researched Based Model Shows Significant Increases in Girls Self-Efficacy, Attachment to School, Decreases in Alcohol Use, Self-Harming Behavior
Cotati, CA- Girls Circle Association, the leading U.S. developer of gender-responsive, research-based support programs for adolescent girls, is now registering participants to attend its two-day Facilitator Training workshop from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July 15 and 16, at the Cotati Room, 216 East School St. in Cotati, CA. The event will be hosted by the Sonoma County Probation Department. To register for the training program, call 707-794-9477, or visit www.girlscircle.com. The Cotati Room is located behind the Ray Miller Community Center.
Attendees will learn to implement the widely-acclaimed Girls Circle model, a proven method of promoting positive social growth and development among girls.
Developed in 1994, Girls Circle is a structured support group for girls age 9 through 18 that offers skills to counteract negative social pressures and foster personal growth. It offers a social framework in which girls can openly discuss risky social behaviors, while learning to improve their self-image and interpersonal relationships. Founders Beth Hossfeld, MFT, and Giovanna Taormina formed the Cotati-based nonprofit Girls Circle Association in 1997, providing training and materials for those serving girls.
Rated “a promising approach” by the U.S. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Girls Circle provides a setting in which small groups meet two hours weekly for eight to 12 weeks or more. The Girls Circle program is currently being utilized by the Sonoma County Probation Dept. as the gender-responsive model for its Circles Across Sonoma program. Now in its third year, the Circles Across Sonoma program has had a significant positive impact on the teenage girls who have completed the program. These girls report increased trust in their facilitators and a greater ability to communicate their concerns to adults. Girls Circle also is utilized around the world by over 5,000 schools, juvenile justice, mental health, child welfare, public health and youth serving organizations. National studies have recognized Girls Circle’s success as follows:
· Decrease in self-harming behavior, such as alcohol and drug use
· Increased attachment to school
· Increased self-efficacy
· Improved body image
· Increased sense of self-sufficiency
About Girls Circle
As mothers with a passionate vision to foster healthy relationships and choices within their daughters and other girls’ lives, founders Giovanna Taormina and Beth Hossfeld, MFT, created the first Girls Circle group. Recognizing the impact of their first Girls Circle and responding to the needs in their communities and beyond, they launched training programs in 1997 that have helped more than 5,000 organizations across the nation successfully implement the model. Over the past 11 years, the Girls Circle approach has been implemented with girls across every socioeconomic, geographical, ethnic, religious population, and sexual orientation. The strengths-based, skill-building approach creates a safe space to address risky behaviors, build on protective factors, and improve relationships in a format that interests and engages girls. Direct service providers attend trainings or can purchase the materials in order to implement this sustainable model within their current programming mix. Additionally, the model is endorsed by the U.S. Dept of Justice as “a promising approach” and is recommended in their Model Programs Guide. For more information, visit www.girlscircle.com.
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