MKM Info sheet - Mindful Kids Miami, Inc | Mindful Miami · The"Mindful"Athlete:"Secrets"to"...
Transcript of MKM Info sheet - Mindful Kids Miami, Inc | Mindful Miami · The"Mindful"Athlete:"Secrets"to"...
Visit us at our website: www.mindfulkidsmiami.org
Mindfulness is a basic human quality. Training in mindfulness -the intentional cultivation of moment-by-moment, non-judgmental focused attention andawareness-hasspread from itsinitial western applications inmedicine to other fields,including education. The practice of mindfulness supports and strengthens the capacity of the mind to be fully inthe present moment instead of controlled by habits of worrying about the future or being stuck in the past.
"Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way: on pu rpose, inthepresen tmomentandnon-judgmentally."-Jon Kabat-Zinn,Ph.D.
Clinical studies demonstrate the efficacy and value of mindfulness in decreasing physical and psychological symptoms. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR ) and other Mindfulness- Based Interventions have been shown to help reduce stress, improve focus and concentration, decrease anxiety, prevent relapse of depression and substance abuse, improve relationships, strengthen emotional resilience,develop relaxation and a sense of well-being.
Our Mission: Mindful Kids Miami, Inc. (MKM), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in
2011, seeks to bring the benefits of mindfulness to children from pre-K through the 12th grade in Miami- Dade County. Mindful Kids Miami helps educators, health providers and caregivers teach mindfulness skills to children and youth in schools and other settings.
Our Vision: Is to improve the lives of all children in the community by giving them access to mindfulness
skills which reduce stress and anxiety, develop attention and focus, promote emotional regulation and impulse control, teach empathy and compassion, and create a sense of well-being.
Our History: Valerie York-Zimmerman founded Mindful Kids Miami in 2011 with her husband Leonard A.
Zimmerman, M.D., a long-time primary care physician in South Miami. MKM follows the principles of the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program as directed by the Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. The MBSR Program and the Center was founded in 1979 by Jon Kabat-Zinn, Professor of Medicine emeritus, scientist, author and internationally acclaimed mindfulness teacher. Since 2011 MKM has trained hundreds of educators from both public and private schools within Miami-Dade County.
Our Groundbreaking MKM – Miami-Dade County Public School Pilot Program: The 8-week Pilot Program was provided free of charge to M-DCPS teachers, counselors and social workers during the 2015-2016 school year. Many of the participants went on to take MKM’s 12-week Mindful Teacher Training Program, where teachers learn to weave mindfulness practices within their classrooms at the appropriate times throughout the school day. The exponential result is that thousands of children in classroom settings are benefitting from the mindfulness practices.
Teacher Testimonials from the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and the Mindful Teacher’s Training Program (MTTP)
“The Mindfulness Program (MBSR) taught me how to breathe easier, walk lighter and think clearer. I will take what I have learned and share it with my loved ones, my students, and anyone who wants to live mindfully.” – Keisha Williams, teacher, Madie Ives Community Elementary
“The Mindfulness Program (MBSR) taught me how to be aware and connect to the present moment in my daily activities. It also taught me how to be more compassionate with others and reduced my stress
level.” – Carlos Columbie, teacher, Palm Springs North Elementary
“I am privileged to have participated in the MBSR course. Be ready for an inner journey that will be hard work, but with continued practice life changing.” – Jeanette D’ Amour, teacher, Center for Modern Language Elementary
“The training was a wonderful experience. I had read about Mindfulness, but going through the actual experience was life enhancing beyond all expectations.” – Alina Diaz, teacher, SCPO Charter School Operations
“This program has changed my life and the lives of my students. We now begin each class breathing and doing mindfulness movements. I have definitely noticed more calmness within the class.” – Glenda Algaze, Health Academy Head, Miami Lakes Technical Senior High School
“This course (MTTP) provided me with practical tools that allowed me to introduce the practice of mindfulness to my students in a fun and creative way. The deepest gift... a sense of peace within, a heightened awareness, and the comforting knowledge that I am a more compassionate teacher today!” – Jenny Lleweyn-‐Jones, teacher, George Washington Carver Middle School “MTTP has changed my opinion of what is really important to teach and master in life. It has changed my daily routines with my school children making us all calmer and more receiving to everything that is going around us every day. I couldn't imagine my life anymore without mindfulness. It is like the air that
I breathe mindfully in and out noticing all the sensations in my body and life that are happening. This moment is the moment to feel and live!” – Susana Sanchez, teacher, Mater Academy Phase 1: Mindfulness-‐Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program
Mindfulness is a way of learning to relate directly to whatever is unfolding in your life, moment-‐to-‐moment, with awareness, compassion, acceptance, and curiosity. The Mindfulness-‐Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program is an 8-‐week intensive training in mindfulness practice, which meets on a weekly basis for 2.5 hours, and includes a day retreat.
Since its inception by Dr. Jon Kabat-‐Zinn in 1979, hundreds of thousands of people have completed the MBSR program and learned how to use their innate resources and abilities to respond more effectively to stress, pain, and illness. MBSR is a mainstream, scientifically informed approach that operates in harmony with any belief system or spiritual experience and can be practiced by people of all backgrounds with no prior experience.
Phase 2: Mindful Teachers’ Training Program (MTTP)
Mindful Teachers’ Training Program (MTTP) is a 12-‐week fun and experiential training for educators preparing them to teach age-‐appropriate mindfulness practices, games, activities, and skills based on social-‐emotional learning. These methods train children and youth to pay attention, strengthen focus, increase impulse control, regulate behavior, and cultivate tolerance, compassion and empathy for themselves and others. (MBSR is a required pre-‐requisite)
The Mindful Teachers Training Program is divided into four modules:
Mindful Movement brings children into an awareness of their bodies and changing physical sensations as they move through various poses which take them out of automatic pilot; it also teaches awareness of breathing.
Mindful Games & Exercises teaches children how to pay attention and to increase focus.
Mindful Relaxation relaxes children through guided awareness of breathing, felt sensations in the body, feelings, etc., which helps regulate over-‐stimulation and teaches proper breathing.
Kindness Practices increases compassion and empathy in children both for themselves and others; leads to increased understanding of differences as well as a sense of connection with themselves, others, and the world around them.
Research demonstrates that mindfulness training for children and teens:
Increases Attention & Focus – resulting in higher academic achievement. Reduces Stress – allowing kids to learn more and perform better. Improves Impulse Control – increasing teaching time in the classroom. Develops Emotional Regulation – teaching children to “respond” rather than “react”. Builds Empathy & Compassion – cultivating greater understanding of cultural, religious and sexual diversity as well as reducing cruelty, bullying, and violence and, hence, safer and happier schools.
For further information about MBSR/MTTP and other mindfulness programs Please contact us at: [email protected]
Phone 305-‐270-‐3262 or visit website: www.mindfulkidsmiami.org
Fall 2016-2017 School Year REGISTRATION BEGINS AUGUST 4, 2016
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR)A Professional Development Programfor Miami-Dade County Public Schools
M-DCPS Educators Participation Fee $100
Mounting scientific evidence supports mindfulness-based programs help teachers reduce stress and burnout, anxiety disorders and depression, and improve immune function, attention, memory, executive function, compassion, resilience, among other benefits.
Classes will be taught once weekly for 8-weeks, 2.5 Hours: • Orientation for All Participants on September 17th from 10am to 11:30am• Saturday, Sept. 24 - Nov. 19, 10:00 - 12:30pm, Riviera Presbyterian Church• Tuesdays, Sept. 27 - Nov 15, 5:00 – 7:30 pm, Miami Senior High School• Wednesdays, Sept. 28 - Nov. 16, 10:00 – 12:30 pm, Riviera Presbyterian Church• Wednesdays, Sept. 28 - Nov. 16, 6:00 – 8:30 pm, Riviera Presbyterian Church• Thursdays, Sept. 29 - Nov. 17, 5:00 – 7:30 pm, Feller Room, Above Palmetto Bay Library• Day Retreat for All Participants on November 5, from 9am to 4:30pm
Participants completing the MBSR Program are eligible to receive 27.5 Master Plan Points (MPP's).
For more information about how you, your colleagues, and/or your school can participate in this program, please contact Mindful Kids Miami at
www.MindfulKidsMiami.org
Mindful Kids Miami (MKM) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to bringing the benefits of mindfulness to all children, grades Pre-K through 12, in Miami-Dade County. The intention of Mindful Kids Miami is to teach
mindfulness skills to children and adults in schools, hospitals and institutional settings.
Mindful Kids Miami, Inc. BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Officers President: Michael C. Cesarano, Michael C. Cesarano, P.A. Secretary: Linda McKenzie, Mindful Teachers’ Training Program Lead Teacher Treasurer: Olivier de Lavalette, Advocate Directors Judith D. Aronson-‐Ramos, M.D., Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics of South Florida and
Centerfor Autism and Related Disabilities John Davies, Ed.D., Headmaster, Miami Country Day School Valerie DeWitt, Teacher Tess Doheny, Advocate David J. Lee, Ph.D., Professor/Researcher, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of
Miami, Miller School of Medicine Renee Lopez-‐Cantera, MBA, Miami Herald Media Company Kasia Maguire, M.H.C., Fertility Counseling Center of South Florida Ashwin Mehta, M.D., M.P.H., Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine, University of Miami,
Miller School of Medicine, Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center Ian M. Reiss, M.D., retired vascular surgeon, Baptist Health System Silvia R. Rojas, retired Treasurer, Miami-‐Dade County Public Schools Shelley F. Stroleny, M.A., Principal, G.W. Carver Middle School
HONORARY BOARD National Members U.S. Congressman Tim Ryan of Ohio, Advocate and Author, A Mindful Nation George T. Mumford, Sports Psychology Consultant and Author, The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance Local Members Alberto M. Carvalho, Superintendent, Miami-‐Dade County Public Schools Constance M. Fernandez, Advocate David Lawrence Jr., President, The Early Childhood Initiative, The Children’s Movement of
Florida Hon. Steve Leifman, Miami-‐Dade County Criminal Division Court Judge, Special Advisor and
Chair of Sub-‐committee & Task Force on Criminal Justice and Mental Health for Florida Supreme Court
Brief Overview of Some Mindfulness Studies and Outcomes Re Children and Teachers
A. Meta study on Mindfulness
1. Britta K. Hölzel, Sara W. Lazar, Tim Gard, Zev Schuman-‐Olivier, David R. Vago and Ulrich Ott (2011) - How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective -‐ doi: 10.1177/1745691611419671 (https://bangor.rl.talis.com/items/8B20FC14-‐B16D-‐CB80-‐14BA-‐AF48E322ABA7.html )
B. Research on impact of Mindfulness with Teachers:
1. Jennifer E. Sharp, Patricia A. Jennings (2015) -‐ New Research: Strengthening Teacher Presence Through Mindfulness: What Educators Say About the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) Program – DOI: 10.1007/s12671-‐015-‐0474-‐8 (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-‐015-‐0474-‐8?) • The classrooms of the teachers who received CARE were rated as more emotionally supportive compared to
those who did not do the program. The interactions in the classroom were more emotionally positive and the teachers demonstrated greater sensitivity to their students’ needs than controls. The impact of participating in the CARE program went beyond each individual teacher. The study shows that those participating also improved the quality of their classrooms.
2. Roeser, R. W., Schonert-‐Reichl, K. A., Jha, A., Cullen, M., Wallace, L., Wilensky, R., Oberle, E., Thomson, K., Taylor, C., & Harrison, J. (2013, April 29). Mindfulness Training and Reductions in Teacher Stress and Burnout: Results From Two Randomized, Waitlist-‐Control Field Trials. Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1037/a0032093 (http://www.amishi.com/lab/wp-‐content/uploads/Jha_MindfulnessTrainingAndReductionsInTeacherStress_Apr2013.pdf ) • Teachers randomized to Mindfulness Training showed greater mindfulness, focused attention and working
memory capacity, and occupational self-‐compassion, as well as lower levels of occupational stress and burnout at post-‐program and follow-‐up, than did those in the control condition.
3. Cynthia Taylor, Jessica Harrison, Kyla Haimovitz, Eva Oberle, Kimberly Thomson, Kimberly Schonert-‐Reichl, Robert W. Roeser (2016) -‐ Examining Ways That a Mindfulness-‐Based Intervention Reduces Stress in Public School Teachers: a Mixed-‐Methods Study -‐ doi:10.1007/s12671-‐015-‐0425-‐4 (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282543602_Examining_Ways_That_a_Mindfulness-‐Based_Intervention_Reduces_Stress_in_Public_School_Teachers_a_Mixed-‐Methods_Study )
• Interview results showed a trend for teachers in the Mindfulness Based Interventions, to report more adaptive
strategies for coping with job stress, and a tendency to evaluate challenging students in a more positive affective light. Implications
4. Flook L, Goldberg SB, Pinger L, Bonus K, Davidson RJ. (2013) -‐ Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot
study to assess effects on stress, burnout and teaching efficacy. 7: 182–195. doi: 10.1111/mbe.12026 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24324528) • Despite the crucial role of teachers in fostering children's academic learning and social-emotional well-being,
addressing teacher stress in the classroom remains a significant challenge in education. The present study reports result from a randomized controlled pilot trial of a modified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course (mMBSR) adapted specifically for teachers. Results suggest the course may be a promising intervention, with participants showing significant reductions in psychological symptoms and burnout, improvements in observer-rated classroom organization and performance on a computer task of affective attentional bias, and increases in self-compassion. In contrast, control group participants showed declines in cortisol functioning over time and marginally significant increases in burnout. Furthermore, changes in mindfulness were correlated in the expected direction with changes across several outcomes (psychological symptoms, burnout, sustained attention) in the intervention group. Implications of these findings for the training and support of teachers are discussed
5. Holzel et al. (2008); Lazar et al. (2005); Luders et al. (2009) Preliminary findings showed correlations between mindfulness training and increased thickness of cortical structures (i.e., grey matter) associated with attention, working memory, processing sensory input, executive function (EF), self-‐reflection, empathy, and affective regulation.
These early findings are now buttressed by a more recent study at the Psychiatric Neuroimaging Research Program of Massachusetts General Hospital that was first to document meditation-‐produced changes over time in the brain's grey matter. Effect of an 8-‐week MBSR training on brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy, and stress. Neuro-‐imaging showed increased grey matter in hippocampus, a region central to learning and memory and in structures associated with self-‐awareness, compassion and introspection.
6. Davidson, Kabat-‐Zinn, et al. (2003) (University of Wisconsin at Madison, Waisman Center for Brain Imaging and Behavior). Randomized controlled trial of a healthy workplace group demonstrated that an 8-‐week MBSR training reduced the subjective sense of stress, enhanced the subjective sense of well-‐being, improved immune function, decreased brain activity in regions associated with negative emotion and increased activity in regions associated with positive emotion.
7. Mindful Schools, Oakland, CA annual survey of teacher training graduates reported: • 92% felt improvement in stress level (their phase 1 training) • 91% felt abler to connect with youth (after their phase 2 training) • 85% felt more job satisfaction • 94% saw improvement in student focus • 96% saw improvement in student self-‐regulation • 86% saw improvement in student compassion • 67% saw improvement in student disciplinary referrals • 57% saw improvement in student grades
C. Research on impact of Mindfulness with Children:
1. Erica M.S. Sibinga, Lindsey Webb, Sharon R. Ghazarian, Jonathan M. Ellen (2015) -‐ School-‐Based Mindfulness Instruction: An RCT doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-2532 • These findings support the hypothesis that mindfulness instruction improves
psychological functioning and may ameliorate the negative effects of stress and reduce trauma-‐associated symptoms among vulnerable urban middle school students.
2. Jacinda K. Dariotis , Roxanne Mirabal-‐Beltran, Fallon Cluxton-‐Keller, Laura Feagans Gould, Mark T. Greenberg, Tamar Mendelson (2015) -‐ A Qualitative Evaluation of Student Learning and Skills Use in a School-‐Based Mindfulness and Yoga Program – doi: 10.1007/s12671-‐015-‐0463-‐y (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-‐015-‐0463-‐y ) • This study addresses two primary research questions: (1) What skills did students
learn, retain, and utilize outside the program? and (2) What changes did classroom teachers expect and observe among program recipients? Four major themes related to skill learning and application emerged as follows: (1) youths retained and utilized program skills involving breath work and poses; (2) knowledge about health benefits of these techniques promoted self-‐utilization and sharing of skills; (3) youths developed keener emotional appraisal that, coupled with new and improved emotional regulation skills, helped de-‐escalate negative emotions, promote calm, and reduce stress; and (4) youths and teachers reported realistic and optimistic expectations for future impact of acquired program skills. We discuss implications of these findings for guiding future research and practice.
3. Christopher A. Pepping, Megan Duvenage, Timothy J. Cronin, Anthony Lyons (2016) -‐ Adolescent mindfulness and psychopathology: The role of emotion regulation -‐ doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.04.089 -‐ • In brief, dispositional mindfulness appears to be a protective individual difference
characteristic during adolescence, and capacity for emotion regulation may be implicated in its effects on specific symptoms of psychopathology.
4. Fung, J., Guo, S., Jin, J., Bear, L., Lau, A. (2016) -‐ A Pilot Randomized Trial Evaluating a School-‐Based Mindfulness Intervention for Ethnic Minority Youth. – doi: 10.1007/s12671-‐016-‐0519-‐7 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-016-0519-7 ) • This study examined the feasibility and efficacy of a 12-‐week mindfulness
intervention in a wait-‐list controlled trial of 19 Latino-‐American and Asian-‐American middle school students with elevated mood symptoms. ANCOVA analyses indicated that immediate treatment was associated with significant reductions in parent-‐reported externalizing problems at post-‐treatment and marginally significant reductions in youth-‐reported internalizing problems. The pooled pre-‐to-‐post treatment analyses revealed that mindfulness led to a reduction in parent-‐reported externalizing problems, youth-‐reported internalizing problems, and youth-‐reported use of expressive suppression. Overall, this pilot study offers feasibility and efficacy data for mindfulness-‐based program as a potential treatment for behavior problems for ethnic minority youth with elevated mood symptoms. Implications of the findings, as well as considerations in engaging low-‐income ethnic minority families are discussed.
5. Crescentini C, Capurso V, Furlan S and Fabbro F (2016) Mindfulness-‐Oriented Meditation for Primary School Children: Effects on Attention and Psychological Well-‐Being. -‐ Front. Psychol. 7:805. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00805 (http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00805/full )
• From the teacher’s reports we found a specific positive effect of the mindfulness-‐meditation training in reducing attention problems and also positive effects of both trainings in reducing children’s internalizing problems
6. Willoughby B. Britton , Nathaniel E. Lepp, Halsey F. Niles, Tomas Rocha, Nathan E.
Fisher, (2012) -‐ A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-‐based mindfulness
meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-‐grade children -‐ doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2014.03.002 (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022440514000296 )
• The current study is a pilot trial to examine the effects of a nonelective, classroom-based, teacher-implemented, mindfulness meditation intervention on standard clinical measures of mental health and affect in middle school children. A total of 101 healthy sixth-grade students (55 boys, 46 girls) were randomized to either an Asian history course with daily mindfulness meditation practice (intervention group) or an African history course with a matched experiential activity (active control group). Self-reported measures included the Youth Self Report (YSR), a modified Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Measure –Revised. Both groups decreased significantly on clinical syndrome subscales and affect but did not differ in the extent of their improvements. Meditators were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than controls. These results suggest that mindfulness training may yield both unique and non-specific benefits that are shared by other novel activities.
7. Napoli et al. (2005) -‐ RCT of elementary school children grades 1 through 3.
Participants showed reductions in test anxiety and improvements in teacher-‐rated attention, social skills, and objective measures of selective attention.
8. Flook et al. (2010) -‐RCT of an 8-‐week program for children in grades 2 and 3. Children showed significantly improved overall executive function capacities. Saltzman & Goldin (2008) (Stanford University) -‐ MBSR for school-‐age children
D. Mindful Kids Miami Research Update: Mindful Kids Miami (MKM) has been conducting surveys in all of its IJ-MBSR Program classes over the last two years. For 2014 these studies were overseen and evaluated by Sharon Theroux, Ph.D., a neuro-psychologist, former MKM Board member and student of Valerie York-Zimmerman. All participants completed the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), an anxiety survey, and a compassion survey. Outcomes were consistent in all groups. Following the Phase 1 IJ-MBSR Program training, participants showed significant improvements in: 1. reductions in stress and anxiety 2. increased compassion 3. improved observational skills (5 Facets) 4. increased ability to act with awareness (5 Facets) 5. reductions in judgmental thoughts and behaviors (5 Facets) Note: Baer (2008) Prior research has revealed that the total FFMQ score is associated with positive well-‐being, something that is necessary to help reduce burnout. Research indicates that higher scores on the "observing" facet are associated with good psychological adjustment. Following the Phase 2 Mindful Teachers Training Program (MTTP) training to learn how to teach mindfulness to children from grades Pre-‐K through 12, outcomes continued to be consistent and participants showed significant improvements in the last two of the five facets of mindfulness: 6. increased ability to describe their thoughts and emotions (5 Facets) 7. increased ability to be non-‐reactive (5 Facets) The other aforementioned improvements remained steady. In 2015 MKM's Research Committee, chaired by MKM Board of Directors member David J. Lee, Ph.D., Professor and Researcher, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, collaborated with the Research Department at the Center for Mindfulness (CFM), University of Massachusetts Medical School, directed by Judson Brewer, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry at the UMass Medical School, in MKM – M-‐DCPS Pilot Program Research Study. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of MKM's 2015-‐2016 training program in partnership with M-‐DCPS entitled: "Inner Journey -‐ Mindfulness-‐Based Stress Reduction (IJ-‐MBSR), A Professional Development Pilot Program for M-‐DCPS Educators." The study protocol was developed to determine if IJ-‐MBSR training results in a reduction of stress levels, reduction of burnout, and improves mood, levels of compassion, and the cultivation of a more mindful orientation to life. Preliminary results from the fall 2015 pilot program participant who volunteered to participate in the research study indicate significant improvement in mindfulness levels. Two measures of mindfulness were administered: the short form of the Five-‐Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the short-‐form of the Self-‐Compassion Scale. For both scales overall mindfulness levels increased significantly from pre-‐test levels. In addition, there were significant increases in all sub-‐scales indicating that educators showed improvement in all facets of mindfulness. Higher levels of self-‐reported mindfulness in response to mindfulness training have shown to be correlated with a range of psychological benefits.