Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) Service Learning Projects
Document Type
Working Paper
Date of this Version
5-1-2017
Abstract
Triangle Residential Options for Substance Abusers (TROSA) is a structured, two-year residential program that provides comprehensive therapeutic care and vocational training to support long-term recovery within a community setting. Peer support and mutual responsibility for each resident’s recovery is foundational to TROSA’s mission, exemplified by “Each-One-Teach-One.” This credo articulates the reciprocal nature of TROSA residents’ experiences: gratitude for the support received then reaching out to give back. In response to TROSA’s success in assisting individuals to maintain long-term recovery, resident numbers and consequently therapeutic and vocational staff hires have substantially increased. This growth presents challenges to maintaining TROSA’s core values of social connections and trust among staff. With consideration of TROSA’s mission, and the literature demonstrating the contributions of communication, gratitude, and high-quality connections to reinforcing social connections and trust, we present MAGIC, or Meaningful connections And Gratitude along with Improving Communication. The plan’s modular and flexible components can be incorporated into daily activities, while a dedicated MAGIC Day can strengthen its components within TROSA. This two-part proposal aims to provide research-informed positive psychology applications to encourage and reinforce the social connections and trust that already exist and are vital for therapeutic communities like TROSA.
Keywords
positive psychology, social connections, trust, gratitude, meaningful connections, communications, therapeutic community
Date Posted: 04 May 2017