The Positive Pathways Programme is a local initiative for adolescent males aged 12-14 years, and their families and has been developed by counselling and family therapy agency, Relationship Services and alternative education provider, Impac Tauranga. The programme’s vision is to reduce violent crime within our community.   It seeks to achieve this by working with young males exhibiting violent and aggressive behaviour to gain the skills to live a violence-free lifestyle before it becomes an adult way of living their lives.

 The Positive Pathways Programme is a local initiative for adolescent males aged 12-14 years, and their families and has been developed by counselling and family therapy agency, Relationship Services and alternative education provider, Impac Tauranga. The programme’s vision is to reduce violent crime within our community. It seeks to achieve this by working with young males exhibiting violent and aggressive behaviour to gain the skills to live a violence-free lifestyle before it becomes an adult way of living their lives. The programme works not only with the young person, but also with the whole family to create wider change that will positively influence future generations. Other significant people in the young person’s life, for example, school teachers, mentors, social workers and wider family members often participate in various aspects of the programme and markedly increase the likelihood that a successful outcome will be achieved. The programme works intensively with the young person and their family for a three-month period. Ongoing support is provided as required. For example, a mentor may be found for a young person upon completion of the programme. 

The programme has three distinct phases:

Assessment 

After Relationship Services has received a referral, a thorough assessment of the young person’s needs is undertaken. The assessment involves the family, school/alternative education provider and other significant people/agencies involved in the young person’s life. The assessment seeks to understand the young person’s history, family life, peer group, educational difficulties, and successes and their intellectual and emotional world. 

A set of goals for change is developed with the young person and their family at the conclusion of the assessment phase.

Education and Group Work 

This phase of the programme involves a seven-day residential stay, in which the young person engages in a range of outdoor pursuits. These teamwork activities are interspersed with educational/group-work sessions designed to increase the participants’ self-esteem, social skills, empathy for others, problem solving skills and ability to manage their anger in appropriate ways.

Family Therapy 

Family Therapy is the focus of the programme’s third phase, and supports the young person’s school/education programme. The family-counselling component is designed to support effective parenting practices and positive family relationships. Key goals and strategies for the family work are based on the initial assessment, the goals the young person developed on the seven-day programme and the need to support parents to future-proof their child’s development through effective parenting. 

The young person and their family’s key-worker is responsible for facilitating the family therapy and liaising with school teachers, social workers and mentors etc throughout the programme. 

The programme is based on psychological and educational interventions that have proven themselves to be highly effective in working with young people who have found themselves acting in aggressive and violent ways. 

Further information about this programme can be obtained by contacting Les Simmonds, Clinical Leader, Relationship Services, Bay of Plenty/Gisborne. 

Phone 07 576 8392 (Tauranga office) 

Email  less@relationships.org.nz