BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
Outdoor Adventure Program
Description
The Mission of the Higher Ground Strong Behavior Project is to provide students, their families, and the adults that work with them access to the tools and skills needed to assist in their academic success and ability to become well-adjusted and successful people.
Higher Ground comprehensive daytime services work alongside teachers, parents, schools, and the professionals who serve them providing services that increase a child’s ability to remain on task in the classroom equip teachers to manage behavior, and increase the capacities of the adults who work with children.
Higher Ground provides In-Class Support
In-class support as a targeted intervention in the classroom and school setting helps students remain on task in class during some of the most important academic times of the day. Constant monitoring and regulation of participant behavior is the standard operating procedure and serves as an effective tool for maintaining appropriate behaviors. While working alongside classroom teachers capturing teachable moments, In class support services provides schools and teachers with intervention mentors that model and coach teachers and students increasing opportunities to reach every child.
Higher Ground provides Individual,
Small, and Large Group Tutorial Services
Our services help students whose social/emotional learning challenges are getting in the way of being fully engaged in their regular education classes and for children whose habitual school failure is triggering larger behaviors. Small group social/emotional learning communities build the skills needed to bounce back from negative emotions. Teaching children to be resilient is the learning target embedded in every lesson. We also work with children through our after-school programs and Saturday programming. In this environment, we can assist with their social/emotional learning and support children while they are learning new material.
Yard Support
Yard support is another modality that supports schools, children, and teachers. We increase opportunities for children to experience more success than failure when functioning in low-structured time frames like recess, assemblies, and out-of-the-classroom learning experiences. Often times the loose nature of these activities causes problems for children whose choices make them vulnerable. Yard support also increases opportunities for enhanced physical fitness and cooperative gaming that teaches children responsible play. Providing support and alternative nontraditional fitness activities help children problem solve, make friends, and learn the spirit of teamwork. Higher Ground teaches appropriate vocabulary to communicate effectively when children are trying to get their needs met in the moment. This area of support is a major part of the scaffolding we provide to our youth and the adults who serve, plan and prepare for students who need additional social/emotional cues. Children receiving yard support, a voice that HG support helps them stay strong and in control when they are feeling weak and out of control. Parents report noticing an increase in empathy and communication when problems arise in the home among peers and siblings.
Higher Ground provides school-based group counseling designed to teach strong behavior practices while building comradery and solidarity among participants and families.
The purpose of this modality is to teach the children how to effectively work and communicate in a group. Working on themes of respectful communication, problem solving, anger management, social competence through working on peer conflict, building healthy friendships, and self-esteem contribute to students’ successful sojourn in middle school. Group counseling services also introduce and train students how to recognize, cope with, and overcome behavioral challenges that stand in the way of optimal success in the school, home, and community settings. We believe that our program can help impact School Phobia’s experienced by children. 
Parent Correspondence
Parent correspondence is very important in maintaining the behavioral strides the project makes with children at school. We create opportunities through the weekend and non-school related activities that provide HG team members with additional opportunities to talk to parents and learn more about the children and family needs outside of school. Communicating with parents about enrollment in the Higher Ground projects and their desired outcomes for their children. The process we all must engage in to maintain and consistently elicit the behaviors we want to see takes teamwork. We work closely with families advising them on the severity or non-severity of behaviors when deciding consequences that are strength-based and we make suggestions when needed to help parents assist in the successful attainment of social/emotional learning targets. We assist the school in making sure that Strong Behavior parents are consistently aware of the strides and positive behavior outcomes their child is experiencing throughout the school day. Parent often comments on how much they love hearing the positive things their children are doing.
TESTIMONIALS
Teachers Recommend
"I truly believe that HG brings a lot to the Oakland Community and hope that this continues. We are so in need of organizations like yours that are willing to help students learn and grow."
Michelle Cox Grant, M. Ed.
Principal, East Oakland PRIDE
Elementary School