How It Works

CARE TO COPE COPECARD promotes the care exchange:

• primary coping skill of care/help giving

• secondary skills of care/help seeking and care/help receiving

The skills are employed in the care exchange between a care provider and a care seeker-recipient. The card presents fifteen icons with titles showing various ways that we can care for others: play, listen, help, reach out, include, support, comfort, share, appreciate, teach, encourage, create, learn, work together and pray. These are pro-social skills which help to build relationships and community.

Builds “muscle memory” for care/help seeking, receiving and giving for these skills to become part of long term memory - to access when stressed or traumatized. Knowing how to ask for help (care) and give help (care) are life saving skills.

Care/Help Giving

• enables us to shift our focus from self to other

• provides meaningful distraction and occupation, promoting affect regulation and stress reduction

• creates social engagement using emotional, cognitive, physical, spiritual and artistic attributes

• reinforces self-worth (we thrive when we are needed, when we have purpose, using our skills)

• reinforces other’s worth; promotes caring efficacy

• promotes self, other and situational awareness; promotes community

• cultivates sensitivity to physical, cognitive and emotional limitations and care needs

• trains the brain in the care exchange, reinforcing the care/help seeking - receiving skill

  Care/Help Seeking - Receiving: [care can be sought for self and/or other(s)]

• promotes need and risk assessment; promotes self, other and situational awareness

• promotes problem solving, communication, collaboration, persistence

• promotes self/other advocacy, self-efficacy, self-agency, self-regulation

• care/help seeking is also promoted in the ASK FOR HELP COPECARD