Content and Implementation Content Keys to Excellence, Inc. believes that an individual's thinking and beliefs that lead to violence, substance abuse, school failure, and other anti-social behaviors can be changed. The cognitive restructuring skills in KIV address the high-risk factors that predispose youth and adults to cycles of failure. KIV is easily integrated as an education, prevention, intervention, and aftercare program. The curriculum is designed to be sequential, uses repetition of concepts in a variety of interactive processes to reach all learning styles, and is applied to daily living issues. Cognitive Restructuring Foundation Concepts - Units 1-5 Recognizing how thinking creates behavior Promotes internal locus of control and personal accountability Decision-making skills Problem-solving skills Building and maintaining high self-concept The importance of personal language in success and failure Belief Systems: Identifying habits, attitudes, comfort zones, and beliefs that block change Permanent change requires going beyond behavior to thinking patterns Specific Application to Risk Factors - Units 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 Addiction and pharmacology Chemical dependency - psychological and physical effects Influence of culture and media on choices - alcohol and nicotine Identifying and managing emotions - anger management, the grief process, and forgiveness School Performance - skills to improve learning, grades, and participation Co-dependent family roles, enabling Evaluating values, character development, and role models Skill Building to Enhance Protective Factors - Units 9, 14, 15 The Keys to Self Management - Thinking that changes behavior Goal-decision and goal-achievement skills Six Steps to Successful Transitions and Performances Implementation: An Empowerment Team Approach People change by learning and practicing new information and skills. Keys to Excellence, Inc. recommends an implementation plan which both teaches and surrounds clients with a common language and approach for change through the creation of an Empowerment Team. Keys, Inc. provides assistance in customizing the plan to ensure that KIV is integrated with existing programming in a goal-oriented, flexible manner. The plan may include any or all of the following: Training staff to deliver the curriculum to clients, staff, parents Training staff in the use of the KIV ToolBox in daily interactions with clients Providing follow-up, application, supervisory, and evaluation strategies A companion curriculum, Possibility Parenting, caretakers, and foster parent programs Assistance in large system planning, to develop continuity of programming along the continuum of care and across state and county departments