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Kathy Marshall
National Resilience Resource Center
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"Resilience is the natural human capacity for navigating life
successfully. The opportunity one has to learn to tap resilience
from the inside out makes the critical difference," says Kathy
Marshall. In order to teach people how to realize their own natural
resilience Marshall explains we must know that "every human
being has natural resilience, realized or not, and extending essential
environmental protective factors such as caring and support, encouraging
high expectations, and meaningful opportunities for particicipation
alone are not enough."
Kathy Marshall is the executive director of the National Resilience
Resource Center (NRRC) in the College of Continuing Education. For
more than 30 years she has directed systems changing prevention
and education programs in schools, communities, and public policy
arenas. In the fall of 1991 she came to the University of Minnesota
to administer the U. S. Department of Education's Drug-Free Schools
program for the Midwest Regional Center of the North Central Regional
Educational Laboratory. This federally funded program, contracted
through the University, laid the foundation for what would become
the National Resilience Resource Center.
A different focus
Traditionally, medical, educational, correctional, and other health
and human service programs focus on fixing youth and adult problems
rather than developing health and well-being. "By shifting
the lens to resilience we get much better results, reduce staff
member burnout, and enhance organizational effectiveness,"
Marshall explains.
NRRC conducts ongoing systems change work in schools and communities
in order to bring out the best in adults and young people. "To
impact kids, we must first work with adults," Marshall emphasizes.
By teaching community practitioners how to tap their own natural
resilience and well-being, NRRC prepares adults to genuinely see
all children, youth, and other adults as "at promise"
rather than as "at risk."
From this vantage point practitioners begin to act with a sense
of hope. The children, youth and families they serve experience
a profound difference. This shift in tone and feeling ignites a
"pilot light" and fosters or draws out the resilience
of clients and students. The focus is not on the individual's "problem,"
but on the "promise" within each individual. Marshall
stresses environmental protective factors are also essential in
nurturing resilience. "I would never ignore the social agenda
that is critical to improving our children's lives."
Caring, supportive relationships are extremely important. "It
also makes a huge difference if we extend encouraging, high expectations,
and offer meaningful opportunities for participation to those we
serve," says Marshall. But getting whole community systems
of adults-teachers, social workers, judges, parents, etc.-to a level
of personal well-being that makes professionals and family members
naturally caring, encouraging, and inviting is no small task.
"We believe significant, lasting change begins inside individuals
and emanates outward, not the other way around. Systems change when
groups of people together tap their resilience and change from the
inside out," says Marshall . "We find learning how the
protective mechanism of healthy psychological functioning occurs
is one very major key to tapping resilience.
"Can you force someone to change their thinking?" Marshall
asks. "Of course not; Victor Frankl taught us that so long
ago. In other words, the decision about everything we choose to
experience rests inside the individual. By discovering they truly
operate from the inside out psychologically, both kids and adults
can navigate any life event in the best possible way. It is never
about the content of what we think, but that we
think."
Bridging the gap
The challenge behind NRRC's work lies in bridging the gap between
resilience research and practice, since community practitioners
are not familiar with the extensive research in the field. And researchers
aren't in the trenches, like practitioners, where there is no time,
team, or budget for building ideal programs and interventions.
Marshall feels fortunate the center had its beginnings at the University
of Minnesota, because of the institution's research legacy. Leaders
include Emmy Werner, Norm Garmezy, Ann Masten, Robert Blum and Michael
Resnik (resilience and adolescent health); Joan Patterson (maternal
and child health); Michael Baizerman (youth development and policy);
John Romano (prevention and student well-being); and Karen Seashore-Lewis
(school reform and learning communities). These, and others, were
the lynchpins when Marshall first began her work at the University.
She stresses that any resilience work done in the community must
be solidly grounded in this research base.
The multidisciplinary research, as summarized by Bonnie Benard of
West Ed for school and community practitioners, suggests we can
develop resilience in others by extending caring supportive relationships,
providing encouraging high expectations, and creating opportunities
for meaningful participation. Each of these factors already exists
in every community. "However, not necessarily for every youth
or adult, and not to the degree needed," Marshall explains.
The key is to increase these factors in order to create change.
"We know from research that we need these three factors at
a minimum, but how do you get adults to be genuinely caring?"
Marshall asks. "How do you get probation officers to be encouraging?
How can masses of adults easily extend truly meaningful participation
opportunities to disengaged children and youth? Doing authentic
resilience work involves changing hearts and minds," says Marshall.
"When professionals aren't at their best and don't know how
to stay there in times of change and budget cuts, how can they possibly
bring out the best in kids?"
NRRC training programs are making inroads by teaching that participants
create their experience of an event with their own thinking. Focus
groups reveal that when NRRC does trainings, the outcomes are impressive
and last over time. People become hopeful when they realize that
they are not victims of life events, but creators of their own reality.
When people learn to tap wisdom within, they see and do things in
new ways, with less discomfort and stress. They become confident
that they have the common sense to know what to do in difficult
situations. People also become more reflective, develop an increased
sense of well-being, have improved relationships with others, and
report greater satisfaction in the workplace or neighborhood.
Her own resilience
During her time at the University, Marshall has experienced many
life changes, including the sudden death of her spouse, an empty
nest, and complete loss of program funding all in one six-month
period. "It was a time when what I was learning and teaching
really paid off. Ten years later I know there is nothing too hard
in life that each one of us does not have the ability to meet with
common sense and grace. The principles of Health Realization coupled
with resilience and other research teach us how we can navigate
life successfully from the inside out. Without that understanding
all the programs and services in the world would not make a dent.
"It's hard to believe I have had the opportunity to be a part
of people's life changing processes," she says. As she matures,
she believes her work continues to become more and more refined.
"I find that this is the best work of my life. There is always
one more way to grow." Most recently she co-developed a course
for the Center for Spirituality and Healing called, "Spirituality
and Resilience" and wrote Parenting with Heart. As
always, her work continues to come from the inside, and radiates
outward.
For more information about the National Resilience Resource Center,
go to www.cce.umn.edu/nrrc.
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