The Social Factor

2022

1) Managing Stress & Anxiety – Community of Praise Baptist Church

Mark & Sue Lim from The Social Factor were invited to speak to the church congregation about how to manage stress and anxiety in the church. This was part of a series entitled “Pathways to Mental Wellness”, conducted by Community of Praise Baptist Church, in conjunction with International Mental Wellness Day.

2) Mental Wellness Concerns for Leaders – Community of Praise Baptist Church

This was a training session for church leaders which touched on a number of important issues:

Managing Emotional Hurts & Holding Space
Empathy & Empathic Listening
Signs of Distress
Common Mental Health Disorders
Important Issues – Burnout & Exhaustion

3) Panel on Adoption & Fostering – NUS College of Alice and Peter Tan

Mark & Sue Lim of The Social Factor were invited to speak as part of a discussion panel on diverse families in Singapore. The sessions, in March and October 2021, are part of an ongoing module on “Unequal Parenthoods in Asia”, which examines how parenting roles and styles and perceptions of parenting are differentially produced across time, place and context.

4) Attention Workshop – MOE Gifted Education Branch

This programme, for English Language teachers aimed to achieve the following goals:

To help participants have a better understanding of the challenges faced by gifted students;
To learn about various classroom and instructional strategies that can be used to help gifted students; and
To help students who may display traits of twice-exceptionality.

The emphasis of the session was on sensory considerations and how they affect students who have challenges in handwriting, reading and speaking.

5) Helping Children Grow Holistically through Sensory Play – Boutique Fairs Singapore

Play helps children develop the important gross and fine motor skills that will benefit them in their regular psychosocial development. This workshop was to help parents learn the important concepts of sensory play and how to use sensory resources to help kids develop the key cognitive skills of thinking and logic.

6) Growing an Emotionally Resilient Child by Adopting a Strengths-based Approach – Boutique Fairs Singapore

We live in a brave new world with numerous challenges that our children will need to overcome. This workshop was to utilise the Strengths Cards developed by St Luke’s Innovative Resources in Australia to help parents learn how to build an emotionally-resilient child by adopting the strengths-based approach.

7 ) Mental Wellness e-Workshops for Polytechnic Students – Ngee Ann Polytechnic

This was the second run of 23 mental wellness workshops that The Social Factor conducted for 1st Year Students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The curriculum for the 1.5-hour workshops was developed by the Ministry of Education, and students were equipped to recognise signs of distress as well as how to support themselves and their peers.

8) Respect & Responsibility e-Workshops for Polytechnic Students – Ngee Ann Polytechnic

This was the inaugural run of 57 mental wellness workshops that The Social Factor conducted for 1st Year Students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The emphasis was on how participants can be respectful in the school and in the workplace, when managing the various relationships that they encounter.

9) Nanyang Poly Learning Festival – Coping with Stress & Mental Wellbeing

The workshop aimed to achieve the following goals:

To help participants learn the fundamentals of coping with stress and building mental wellbeing;
To help participants recognise signs of distress and the need for help & support; and
To help participants develop healthy support strategies.

10) Mental Wellness e-Workshops for Polytechnic Students – Nanyang Polytechnic

This is part of a regular run of mental wellness workshops conducted for 1st Year Students at Nanyang Polytechnic (January 22, May 22 and November 22). The curriculum for the 2-hour workshops was developed by the Ministry of Education, and students were equipped to recognise signs of distress as well as how to support themselves and their peers.

11) Peer Support Programme – Presbyterian High School

This comprised two 4-hour half day sessions with the following objectives:

Session 1 :

To understand the purpose of Peer Support & the importance of holistic wellbeing;
To gain a better understanding of themselves; of how their life experiences and stressors have affected the person whom they are; and
To better understand the roles of a Peer Supporter.
To understand the importance of empathy in Peer Support.
To consider the importance of Negative Automatic Thoughts and how to address them.
To learn aspects of active listening, non-verbal communication models (SOLER), facilitating, and effective friendship skills in order to be a better help to their friends.

Session 2

To practice active listening, facilitating, and effective friendship skills in order to be a better help to their friends.
To learn about common youth issues and special needs issues.
To be aware of mental wellness issues, and signs of distress, and how to recognise when a friend needs help (CHEER model).
To consider issues of ethics, boundaries and confidentiality.
To learn about the various support strategies & resources and how to help a friend in need.
To reflect and consolidate on the learning experience during the course of the workshop.

12) Peer Support Programme – Evergreen Secondary School

This was the second run of the Peer Support Programme conducted for Evergreen Secondary School Student Peer Supporters. It was run at both Basic and Intermediate Levels.

13) Peer Support Programme – Singapore Polytechnic

The Social Factor conducted 3 runs of an 8-hour programme intended to help students understand the concept of peer support and how they can help someone who is in distress. This is the basic version of the workshop which has been conducted for various other educational institutions.

14) Sensory Room Workshop – MOE N6 Cluster

The workshop achieved the following goals:

To provide an overview of sensory systems and how they affect learning;
To help participants have a better understanding of Sensory Rooms and how they can benefit students with special needs;
To help participants understand therapeutic aspects of Sensory Rooms;
To learn about various classroom strategies and tools that can be used to help students with sensory challenges; and
To help participants conceptualise and construct a Sensory Room.

15) SEN Workshop Series – Kheng Cheng School

This 4-part workshop series covered the following topics:

Session No.	Topics to be Covered
1	Making Friends & Dealing with Anxiety
2	Managing Negative Automatic Thoughts & Building Self Esteem
3	Managing Anger & Making Good Choices
4	Managing Sensory & Emotional Distractions

16) SEN Learning Workshop Series – Oasis Primary School

The workshop series comprised the following: Day 1 Friendship & Self Esteem Who am I? What can I do about my worries? You’ve got a friend in me! The Empathy Game Day 2: Motivation & Me The Web of Importance The River Crossing Game What can I do when I am distracted? Day 3: Learning & Study Skills What is my learning style? How can I learn better? How can I better manage my time?

17) SEN Goal Setting Workshop Series – Oasis Primary School

The 2-parter series comprised the following: Day 1: Motivation & Goals What is Motivation? The Web of Importance My Hopes & Dreams My Vision Board Who am I? The Power of Words Three Stars & a Wish Day 2: Overcoming My Challenges What are my Challenges? Managing Emotional Distractions Dealing with Worry & Anxiety The Worry Jar The River Crossing Game Managing Sensory Distractions The Distraction Games

2021

1) Mastery of Heart & Mind – Youth Mental Health e-Conference

The Social Quotient partnered with Ngee Ann Polytechnic to organise an inaugural Youth Mental Health e-Conference on “Mastery of Heart and Mind”, targetted at all staff and students from Institutes of Higher Learning in Singapore. The conference, held in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, hoped to raise awareness on the importance of mental health and empower participants with a deeper understanding of fostering early help-seeking behaviours.

Topics included an overview of the mental health scene in Singapore, as well as discussions on how to support students with mental health issues, with three tracks in the areas of peer support, special needs and self-harm.

Opening Speech by Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State, Ministry of Education

Keynote Address 1 by Dr Cherie Chan, President, Singapore Psychological Society

Keynote Address 2 by Ms Kok Yun Fern, Senior Clinical Psychologist, Institute of Mental Health

Concurrent Sessions (Peer Support)

Ms Joy Ong, Senior Lead Counsellor, Inspire Joy

Dr Timothy Hsi, Pychotherapist, Abundanz Consulting

Concurrent Sessions (Special Educational Needs)

Ms Sandra Charis Tee, Educational Therapist, Agape Educational Therapy

Mr Mark Lim and Mrs Sue Lim, Consultant/Counsellors, The Social Quotient

Concurrent Sessions (Life Matters)

Dr Cheryl Loh, Chief and Senior Consultant, Changi General Hospital

Dr John Tan, Executive Director, CARE Singapore

Closing Plenary Session: Enhancing Support Systems in Schools

Moderated by Mr Carlin Lee, Student Counsellor, Ngee Ann Polytechnic

2) Workshop on ADHD for MOE Gifted Education Branch Officers

This programme, for 30 GE officers, aimed to achieve the following goals:

To help participants have a better understanding of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and the etiology of the disorder;
To learn about various classroom strategies that can be used to help students with ADHD; and
To help students who may display ADHD traits but who are not yet diagnosed with the disorder.

3) Para-counselling Training for Peer Support Leaders – Republic Polytechnic

This is the second run of the programme. For the June 2021 run, one 2-day session will be run for Peer Support Leaders in Republic Polytechnic. In addition to basic listening and friendship skills, the students will also learn more advanced therapeutic approaches to help their friends in need deal with various wellness issues.

4) Peer Supporter Level 1 Training – Singapore Polytechnic

This is the second run of the Peer Supporter Level 1 Training, comprising 3 full-day sessions. The programme has the following objectives:

To train students who are selected and trained for the purpose of offering a supportive relationship to befriend and help other students with personal issues;
For students to learn how to clarify their thoughts and feelings; exploring options, and alternatives;
For students to define their own solutions.

5) Mental Wellness e-Workshops for Polytechnic Students – Ngee Ann Polytechnic

This was the first run of 17 mental wellness workshops that The Social Factor conducted for 1st Year Students at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The curriculum for the 1.5-hour workshops was developed by the Ministry of Education, and students were equipped to recognise signs of distress as well as how to support themselves and their peers.

6) Sexuality Workshop for Parents – Church of Our Saviour

This was a follow up workshop from 2020, for the parents of kids with special needs. The topics covered were as follows:

Topics Covered

Parents Attitudes on Sexuality
What Kids Want to Know About Sex
Scripting & Case Studies
Q&A

7) Sensory Play Workshop for Allied Educators – MOE N6 Cluster

The workshop for 25 Allied Educators covered the following topics:

The Sensory System & the Learning Pyramid
Understanding Sensory Overload & Over-Stimulation
Sensory Processing Disorder – Characteristics & Etiology
Vestibular & Proprioception: the Lesser-known Senses
Understanding Sensory Play
Classroom Strategies

8) Sensory Play Workshop Allied Educators -MOE PN69 Professional Development Class

The workshop for 15 Allied Educators covered the following topics:

The Sensory System & the Learning Pyramid
Understanding Sensory Overload & Over-Stimulation
Sensory Processing Disorder – Characteristics & Etiology
Vestibular & Proprioception: the Lesser-known Senses
Understanding Sensory Play
Classroom Strategies

9) Peer Supporter Level 1 Training – Singapore Polytechnic

The Social Factor conducted its first run of one full-day session of Peer Supporter Level 1 Training. The programme had the following objectives:

To train students who are selected and trained for the purpose of offering a supportive relationship to befriend and help other students with personal issues;
For students to learn how to clarify their thoughts and feelings; exploring options, and alternatives;
For students to define their own solutions.

10) Peer Support Programme – Evergreen Secondary School

The Social Factor conducted a workshop for 30 student leaders. The workshop had the following objectives:

To understand the purpose of Peer Support & the importance of holistic wellbeing;
To understand the importance of empathy in Peer Support.
To learn and practice active listening and effective friendship skills in order to be a better help to their friends.
To learn about common youth issues, mental wellness, and signs of distress, and how to recognise when a friend needs help.
To learn about the various support strategies & resources and how to help a friend in need.

11) Parenting Workshop for Love Languages – Serangoon Garden Secondary School

The Social Factor conducted a workshop for 60 parents of kids with Special Educational Needs (SEN). The workshop had the following objectives:

To use 5 Languages of Love to build a positive parent-child relationship; and
To help parents learn ways to connect and improve communication with their child

12) Teacher Workshop on Healthy & Safe Relationships (HSR) – Melbourne Specialist International School

The HSR workshop will help teachers understand the concept of Healthy & Safe Relationships, and as well as how to address HSR-related issues in the classroom. The workshop overview is as follows:

An Overview of Healthy & Safe Relationships (HSR)
Key Issues Affecting the Development of a Person with Special Needs
Recognising Warning Signs
Communicating About Sexuality Issues
Case Study & Discussion on HSR Matters

13) Student Workshop Series on Healthy & Safe Relationships (HSR) – Melbourne Specialist International School

The student workshop series has the objective of helping students learn appropriate social behaviour; specifically in the areas of knowing and protecting themselves, in making friends, and in making good decisions. The session overview is as follows:

Session No.	Session Focus
1	Knowing Myself – Understanding Interests, Strengths & Self-Image.
2	Protecting Myself – Personal Space & How to Draw Boundaries
3	Making Friends – How to Develop Stranger Awareness
4	Making Decisions – Understanding Relationships & Sexuality

14) Supporting the Body of Christ: Seminar on Emphatic Listening & Para-counselling – Community of Praise Baptist Church

This 6-hour seminar is intended to help church members learn the theoretical and practical aspects of empathic listening and para-counselling. The seminar has the following objectives:

How to truly listen to others
How to build relationships in the Church
How to support others during difficult times

15) College of Alice and Peter Tan Student Symposium on Diverse Families

Mark and Sue Lim of The Social Factor were invited to speak at the symposium, with emphasis on the examination of diverse family structures in Singapore, and how social stigma and government policies inadvertently disadvantage families that do not conform to traditional nuclear family systems.

16) Mental Wellness e-Workshops for Polytechnic Students – Nanyang Polytechnic

This was the second run of 47 mental wellness workshops that The Social Factor conducted for 1st Year Students at Nanyang Polytechnic. The curriculum for the 2-hour workshops was developed by the Ministry of Education, and students were equipped to recognise signs of distress as well as how to support themselves and their peers.

17) Virtual Support Group on Making Choices for Yourself – Ngee Ann Polytechnic

This was one of 4 support group sessions that The Social Factor conducted for Ngee Ann Polytechnic students under the Zest Up Programme. During this small group session, students learnt about the importance of decision making and the importance of purpose, priorities and values in making good choices.

18) Gaming Addiction Workshop for Parents – Pei Cai Secondary School

The workshop focused on helping parents have a better understanding of the gaming addiction process and provided strategies to help their children manage the ill effects of gaming addiction.

2021/2022