Beat the Odds

Welcome To The Program

Beat the Odds® is an inclusive and culturally relevant, back-door approach to mental health. It can serve a whole classroom at a time and offers an effective tool for community building with staff and families. Beat the Odds® can easily be adapted for any age group, and it is sustainably designed for delivery by those without musical experience.

UCLA researchers have shown that Beat the Odds® can significantly reduce a spectrum of behavior problems in children, such as those associated with inattention, withdrawn/depression, post-traumatic stress, anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional defiance, and sluggish cognitive tempo.  

Highlights of the Training Include:

• The scientific basis for the use of rhythm in social-emotional healing and well-being.
• Findings from the effectiveness study of Beat the Odds^®.
• Experiential learning on how to facilitate all activities from the program.
• Guidelines for managing activities, behavior, and logistics.  
• Adaptations for populations across the lifespan and for those with disabilities.
• Resources for outreach,  implementation, and measuring outcomes.
  

Learning Objectives for Continuing Education

• Explain at least two ways that rhythmic activities can be useful in reducing stress and healing trauma.
• Describe at least two ways to facilitate empathy and connection among diverse participants in culture and/or ability.
• Name at least two strategies that can be used to facilitate participation with those who are shy or reluctant to share verbally or play the drum.
• Describe at least two strategies for facilitating dialogue with reserved community groups.
• List at least two strategies in adapting the curriculum for adolescents or those with attention challenges.
• List at least two accommodations for individuals with disabilities.
• Describe at least two ways to facilitate cooperation in the face of challenging behavior, without a power struggle.

Who Can Take The Training

Anyone!  Our training sessions are attended by individuals in arts, caregiving, education, health care, mental health, nonprofit sectors, spiritual care, and other domains, for professional as well as personal benefit.

* Completion of a Beat the Odds® training will result in the receipt of a Certificate of Completion, reflecting 6 hours of training for participants (or continuing education for mental health professionals upon request)