Nurturing healthy minds & bodies

A young BNC client pets a horse at Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead

Looking very much like any other group of giddy schoolchildren and their chaperones – a common sight at petting zoos – a group of kids taking part in the Bert Nash Center (BNC) summer psychosocial group program visited Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead on a sunny afternoon this summer.

While certainly fun and stimulating, a petting zoo can also be hot, and the excitement can be overwhelming. This can lead to frustration, anxiety, and conflict. The adults leading the field trip group possess the same calm, upbeat disposition you’d expect from anyone who works with children, but they are also trained BNC behavioral health specialists who are keen to take every fleeting moment of turmoil as a teachable moment. 

It is great for youth to learn about overcoming adversity in the abstract, but it is often more impactful to teach these lessons through practice. The Healthy Bodies/Healthy Minds summer elementary psychosocial group program has helped school-aged kids learn about physical and mental health while developing valuable social and coping skills for the past 13 years. For the past 3 years the program has been sponsored by Mar Lan Construction, and the BNC team is grateful to them for making the experience so special for youth taking part. 

"I felt the health of our physical bodies has an impact on our mental health, hence the group name,” says Rhonda Stubbs, a child and family services program manager who oversees the program. 

“I wanted our summer groups to reflect that belief by providing physical activity and play along with teaching much needed psychosocial skills. Our group programs allow children and youth to learn in a safe supportive environment.”  

Stubbs pointed to a wide range of skills that she and her team teach, practice, and reinforce in this program, including identifying emotions, managing strong emotions, coping skills, communication, friendship, self-esteem, taking turns, and following instructions. 

Additional activities that help kids build social skills include board games, outdoor play at a park, and other physical activities. Regarding coping skill building, Stubbs said, “We may paint rocks with positive affirmations or make slime to show how squeezing the slime through our fingers can help calm and focus us.” 

Stubbs and her team modify card games like UNO to allow kids to share examples of times they felt happy/sad/angry etc. each time they discarded a different color card. They employ “bubble breathing” activities that allow kids to learn deep breathing by blowing bubbles. Kids also learn positive peer interaction via guided play. 

A highlight of the summer program is “Cupcake Wars,” a grand cupcake baking competition. Everything is made from scratch. The kids come up with their own concepts, develop recipes, and create their culinary masterpieces in a kitchen at BNC’s 200 Maine St. facility. This all culminates in group presentations before a panel of esteemed judges. 

The skills around communication, cooperation, and compromise that participants practice in the course of their competition teamwork are all crucial in both creating the sweet treats and convincing the panel of judges that their group should be ranked first. Not surprisingly, the celebratory cupcakes enjoyed by all at the end of the event symbolize the kids’ collective efforts, both tangible and emotional.  

Stubbs explained that the BNC group programs are strengths-based and trauma-informed. “We work on increasing individual functioning and positive behaviors and decrease negative behaviors and unsafe responses to daily situations which help those we work with to manage better in community settings.” 

Reflecting on the difficulty of living with mental health challenges, especially for children and youth, and the importance of support system, she added, “I have seen children and youth make amazing progress through the help of our group programs. We are here to serve those in need and celebrate their personal victories.”