Covenant House Toronto uses a model for building resiliency that was created by Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Director of Health Services at Covenant House Pennsylvania and an adolescent medicine specialist. His evidence-based model uses the principles of Covenant House to help staff manage relationships with youth.

“In terms of our philosophies around how we feel it’s best to work with youth I think one of the things that we’ve really focused on is resiliency. We’ve done a lot of training with our staff around a resiliency model that we’ve tried to infuse in every piece of our program. [It] starts at the point that the youth comes to ask for help, through to when they leave our programs. You know, these kids come with lots of deficits, based on the experiences that they’ve had and the lack of opportunity that they’ve had. So, for both the youth and my staff it’s really important that we try to shift our focus and focus on what the youth do well. And they do have strengths and they are very, very resilient when you look at the kinds of experiences they’ve had. It’s just up to us to really shine a light on that and both for the staff and for the young person so that they can see that they've got things to build on and a place to move to.” — Carol Howes, Director of Program Services, Covenant House Toronto 

CHT’s website explains that Dr. Ginsburg’s model uses “Seven Cs” of resiliency:

Confidence - Kids need to recognize their strengths, so they can develop the confidence to find their place in the world, think creatively and recover from setbacks.

Competence - When we notice what young people are doing well and we give them opportunities to develop skills, they feel competent. When we don't allow them to recover from mistakes themselves, we undermine their sense of competence.

Connection - Feeling connected is the single most important factor in overcoming challenges. Other people, schools and community groups give youth the validation and confidence to pursue their goals.

Character - Kids need clear guidance on right and wrong. They must learn to live with integrity.

Contribution - When youth contribute to the well-being of others, they receive gratitude instead of condemnation. Kids discover that it feels good to contribute to others and they are more likely to ask for help without fear or shame.

Coping - Young people who have developed a range of healthy coping skills will not turn to higher risk “quick fixes” like drugs or self-harm.

Control - When youth understand that privileges and freedom gradually increase as they demonstrate responsibility, they learn to make better choices.

“The thing with resiliency…is that is has to be something real. So it’s not just being a cheerleader and saying ‘yeah, yeah, you’re doing great, rah rah rah. It’s about real stuff that they’re accomplishing and building their self-esteem and confidence by what they’re doing and having them reflect on it.” — Stacey Rees, Life Skills Coordinator, Covenant House Toronto