The key to resilience: A peer based youth leader training and support program

The Key to Resilience, a pilot study conducted with Israeli youth leaders (N=78), focused on resilience building in the wake of trauma. The program was designed to reach youth who do not access existing mental health services, and used peer-based intervention as a way to expand mental health resources for this population. Evaluation of workshop participants was measured through pre-and post-questionnaires, which assessed exposure to traumatic events, flexibility, perceived social support, perceived stress, and workshop impact. Significant changes were found in both measures of flexibility and social support, indicating positive changes in the direction of growing resilience. Training youth leaders in resilience building can serve to expand mental health resources for youth in post-and peri-traumatic environments.