Imagine you are going to run a marathon. Would you rather have those close to you think about the times you’ve excelled at working out, or about the many times you failed to adequately tap into your physical abilities?
This example gives insight into the strengths-based approach, which are interventions focused on an individual’s strengths and self-determination along with an emphasis on meaningful relationships and activities. Just as you would want your friends to see your potential to cross the finish line, the strengths-based perspective sees and validates the strengths of a person to further move them toward their goals.
Aging UP believes in every youth’s potential. Children do not enter foster care because of anything they have done. They are placed in foster care for their safety and personal well-being because of severely inadequate situations they’ve experienced. Our services are designed through a strengths-based perspective because we know that with positive supports and resources, youth can have what they need to thrive.
Adapted from field expert Wayne Hammond, PhD’s description, the strengths-based approach does not attempt to ignore the problems and difficulties one has experienced; rather, it identifies the positive basis of the person’s resources (or what may need to be added) and strengths to address the challenges resulting from the problems.
This approach is slowly becoming the standard for individuals and institutions working to help people. It is a unique shift from viewing someone through their biological, psychological, or environmental factors to viewing a person through their strengths.
The bulleted lists below (also adapted from Dr. Hammond), further explains the strengths-based perspective:
- Focuses on trusting, meaningfulness, and relationships
- Empowers people to take a lead in their own care process
- Works in collaborative ways on mutually agreed upon goals
- Draws upon the personal resources of motivation and hope
- Creates sustainable change through learning and experiential growth
The strengths-base perspective also maintains that:
- A person’s capacity to learn and grow can be nurtured and realized
- People change and grow through their strengths and capacities
- People are experts of their own situation
- The problem is the problem, not the person
- Problems can blind people from noticing and appreciating their strengths and capacity to find their own meaningful solutions
- All people want good things for themselves and have good intentions
- People are doing the best they can in light of their experiences
- The ability to change is within us – it is our story
As a strength-based mentoring program, Aging UP will equip mentors to believe in their youth. We couldn’t be more excited to engage this positive approach as a source of empowerment.
