Youth Classes

Anger Management for Teens: Coping, Resilience, & Growth

Anger Management is a course for teens aged 12–18. Using the curriculum Responding in Peaceful and Positive Ways, this program enables your teen to recognize underlying emotions/triggers and replace anger with healthy coping skills.

Through this course, your teen will learn to:

  • Control rage

  • Express empathy for others

  • Identify where anger is coming from

  • Cope with daily stressors

  • Forgive others

  • Be assertive instead of aggressive

Insight into Substance Prevention

Insight into Substance Prevention is a thought-based approach to substance abuse education and early intervention. While teens resist being told what to do, they can make their own well-reasoned decisions when presented with information. This class gives youth the tools to make thoughtful, well-reasoned decisions based on education about substance use. 

Through this course, teens receive well-researched, up-to-date information presented through videos and discussions, then think critically about the research and conclusions. Instead of teaching students what to think, this course aims to teach them how to think.

Class topics include:

  • Marijuana

  • Tobacco

  • Alcohol

  • Other illegal substances

  • Effects of substances on the brain and body

  • Societal impact of substance use

  • Skills for maintaining a substance-free life

Adolescent Level 0.5 Drug & Alcohol Education

Level 0.5 Drug and Alcohol Education is for youth ages 12–18 who are cited or arrested for a DUI, alcohol-related, or substance-related offenses. Participants must be referred to take this class.

Mercer Family Resource Center conducts Substance Use Assessments (ASI/ASAM). If you are in need of an ASI/ASAM, please call 307-265-7366 to schedule.

This class covers: 

  • Drug & Alcohol Prevention: Underage concerns, consequences and long-term effects, different types of use and severity

  • Coping Skills: Relationship between a person and their substance use, evaluating the substance use, culture and risk factors

  • Action Plan: Impact on life, setting goals, and looking at strategies for making better decisions

  • Safety: Overdosing concerns, the law, health, impaired driving, and evaluating addiction

Something for Nothing

Something for Nothing is a 6-hour class for entry-level shoplifters. The curriculum is designed to share information about shoplifting and related crimes and stimulate higher-level thinking skills to correct behaviors. This class is taught through lecture, group discussion, videos, and group activities.

Corrective Thinking

Corrective Thinking is an evidence-based course that offers students the skills they need for academic, social, and life success. Students learn how to navigate the challenges of social and academic pressures such as making responsible decisions, managing stress, reflecting on personal relationships, and resolving conflict peacefully. The lessons apply collaborative and experiential learning strategies to help students practice the skills proven to prevent violence and other risky behaviors.

Through this course, students explore: 

  • Goal setting

  • Decision making

  • Managing emotions and stress

  • Effective communication

  • Respect for self and others

  • Conflict resolution

  • Healthy relationships

  • Social media awareness

Tobacco & Vaping Education

Our Tobacco Education program is a 5-hour, evidence-based, nicotine-centered program that focuses primarily on vaping. Our goal is prevent nicotine graduation among teenagers and support youth in their tobacco cessation efforts. 

Through this course from the Stanford REACH lab, teens will:

  • Identify reasons teenagers are drawn to nicotine

  • Develop their own individualized plan for setting goals related to nicotine

  • Practice skills for nicotine cessation

  • Access resources to help manage their relationship with nicotine

Pre-registration with a parent is required to take in-person Tobacco Education.

Students who have completed Tobacco Education may enroll in an online 1–2 hour follow-up course. This session is self-led, and allows the student to retain and practice many of the concepts they initially learn about in our in-person course.