Dr. Harold Shinitzky is a colleague and a friend who is the co-author (along with Dr. Christopher Cortman) of “Your Mind: An Owner’s Manual For A Better Life: 10 Simple Truths That Will Set You Free.” Harold is the 2009 recipient of the Florida Psychological Association Distinguished Psychologist Award and the 2009 FPA Outstanding Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest Award. He has also developed positive peer-oriented prevention programs for high-risk youth.
Making a difference in the lives of children, students and future leaders is the prominent goal of all prevention programs. The Social Black Belt (SBB) is a research-based youth prevention curriculum derived from Your Mind: An Owner’s Manual for a Better Life. Upwards of 1.3 million children dropout of school on an annual basis. That is equal to the size of the city of San Diego. The consequences of dropping out include lower lifetime wages, increase in criminal behavior, shorter lifespan. All too often children have to combat a myriad of life challenges. Navigating this maze may lead to poor decisions and unhealthy choices. The foundational philosophy of the SBB and the evidence that research reveals is that it is far more beneficial to address an issue rather than wait for it to become a problem. An ounce of prevention is worth far more than a pound of cure. As with the martial arts black belt, an individual does not look for trouble but is able to handle trouble when it present, the Social Black Belt fosters the development of adaptive coping skills to life’s challenges.
The SBB deals with a broad-base of preventive topics which have been associated with pro-social behaviors. These include Feelings Identification, Boundary Setting, Assertiveness, Conflict Resolution, Unhealthy Behaviors, and Emotional Healing.
The SBB has been developed to be a User-Friendly youth prevention curriculum that can be implemented in the schools, faith-based organizations or within a community program. There are three components;
- Teachers Guide provides daily lesson plans, topics, rationale, materials needed and handouts
- Student Manual provides the lesson plans, topics and rationale as well as the handouts
- Parent Guide which bridges the gap between school and home provides topic list and lesson plans, as well as fun-filled Family Activities that expand upon the school-based lesson plans.
The evidence-based results indicated that the students involved with the SBB achieved statistically significant increases in their Knowledge, Attitude and Behaviors. 91% of the students, teachers and administrators recommended the SBB for all students to participate in this course.
For more information about the Social Black Belt Youth Prevention Curriculum or to schedule an educational training program contact Dr. Shinitzky via email at [email protected] or call 727-560-2697 or contact Dr. Cortman via email at [email protected] or call 941-485-8586