Implementation of the DBT STEPS-A Social Emotional Learning Curriculum

This is a private event sponsored by Prevention Action Alliance - Ohio and is intended for teachers and mental health staff working with students in middle schools and high schools in Ohio only. Much thanks to PAA for creating this opportunity for Ohio educators and mental health professionals!

***The DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A; Mazza et al., 2016)curriculum is required for the training. PAA will mail you a copy of the curriculum. Please be sure to submit an accurate delivery address during registration. Please also be careful to enter an accurate email address.

Please familiarize yourself with the curriculum and read Part 1, Section 1 prior to the training. A significant portion of the training will work directly from the manual.

DBT in Schools, LLC will provide registered participants with the Zoom link and additional training materials one week prior to the start date.

Who Should Attend

• High School & Middle School Teachers
• School Administrators
• School Psychs and School Counselors
• School Mental Health Staff
• Behavioral Health Specialists

Course Overview

DBT Skills in Schools: Skills Training for Emotional Problem Solving for Adolescents (DBT STEPS-A) is a universal social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum designed for middle/high school students in educational settings. The DBT STEPS-A curriculum is designed to help adolescents develop coping strategies and decision-making abilities to use in school and into the future. The DBT STEPS-A curriculum is based on the skills of comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) that have shown to be effective with both adults and adolescents experiencing mild to severe levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties. The skills have been adapted for a universal, nonclinical, student population. The curriculum is designed to be taught at Tier I of a multi-tier or RTI system, however, it has been effective at all levels of MTSS implementation.

The training design of DBT STEPS-A curriculum is to establish four basic elements necessary in implementing the curriculum effectively:

A. Background and Development of the DBT STEPS-A curriculum

B. Structure and Implementation Considerations

C. Overview and demonstration of DBT STEPS-A lessons

D. Preparation and participant practice of teaching DBT STEPS-A lessons

Learning Objectives

1. Understand the development of and rationale for the DBT STEPS-A curriculum in middle and high schools.

2. Understand the continuum of the different applications of DBT in the school context.

3. Understand how DBT STEPS-A curriculum in a school differs from comprehensive DBT clinical treatment.

4. Understand how the DBT STEPS-A curriculum can be implemented within a Multi Tier Systems of Support model

5. Understand the sequence of the curriculum and how it can be adapted to fit my setting.

6. Understand how to use the DBT STEPS-A manual to prepare and deliver SEL lessons to classroom and small group settings.

7. Understand how to use a DBT STEPS-A diary card as a progress monitoring tool with students in the classroom setting.

8. Understand the concept of dialectics and dialectical thinking.

9. Understand the 7 mindfulness skills.

10. Participants will learn how to lead students through a mindfulness exercise and process relevance of exercise after with students.

11. Participants will understand the difference between distress tolerance Crisis Survival and Accepting Reality skills.

12. Participants will understand and practice the teaching of the Distract with ACCEPTS crisis survival skill.

13. Participants will understand and practice the teaching of the Model of Emotions from the emotion regulation module.

14. Participants will understand and practice the teaching of one skill (DEAR MAN or Evaluating Options) from the interpersonal effectiveness module.

15. Identify and address the common barriers to effective implementation.

16. Participants will be able to use of the DBT STEPS-A manual in preparing for and teaching the lessons to the students using a variety of teaching strategies.

Daily Schedule

9:00am-4:00pm Eastern Time

• 9:00 – 10:30 Morning Session 1

• 10:30 – 10:45 Break

• 10:45 – 11:30 Morning Session 2

• 11:30 – 11:35 Mini break

• 11:35 – 12:30 Morning Session 3

• 12:30 – 1:15 Lunch

• 1:15 – 2:30 Afternoon Session 1

• 2:30 – 2:40 Mini break

• 2:40 – 3:30 Afternoon Session 2

• 3:30 – 3:35 Break

• 3:35 - 4:00 Afternoon Session 3; Evaluations

Trainee Reviews

“Once again, you were a fabulous presenter and I am SUPER impressed by the amount of energy you exhibited throughout the training, especially considering we began at 5:00 AM your time! Your ability to incorporate responses of the audience is fantastic! You really make the importance of this visible to everyone, despite the discipline they teach daily. I enjoyed every minute!”

“The way I talk and interact with my students will be enhanced through this practice. I also believe that helping students learn the DBT way to be mindful and how to regulate their emotions will ultimately positively impact my class but also create a better member of our society. I also like the distress tolerance piece, far too many students are unable to be in a place where they are uncomfortable and this is a very important adult skill.”

“We cannot stop life from happening. DBT STEPS-A training can provide kids the skills they need to survive and thrive into adulthood - no matter what life throws at them.”

“Excellent curriculum and training!”

“I have an entire program that comes with a full tool box that, as a team, we can implement. The “plug and play” curriculum with 30 lessons already scripted will help make it easy to incorporate into the pre-existing programs.”

CE Hours

This course has been approved be Antioch University Seattle as a continuing education provider.

DBT in Schools, LLC has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7064. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. DBT in Schools, LLC is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs.

This course has been approved be Antioch University Seattle as a continuing education provider.

Participants attending the entire training may receive a certificate for 16.5 CE Hours.