Social Prescribing Lab- Build a Creative Toolbox for Social Engagement

Feeling a bit rusty with your social skills? This workshop will offer eight creative techniques to enhance social skills and reduce social distress for our complex era. The need for connections is greater than ever, yet social anxiety often keeps us from venturing out of our home. This interactive workshop will introduce participants to useful skills like breathing, listening skills, eye contact, and creative hacks to add to your toolbox.

This group is part of a social prescription pilot program designed by Sherri Jacobs. Social prescribing is a public health initiative that cultivates social engagement through actual prescriptions written by health providers to address social isolation and loneliness. Prescriptions connect people to activities that reflect their interests through arts, movement, volunteering, or nature engagement. This model has been implemented in 30 countries and is very new in the United States.

“What is the matter with you?” is the common question asked to patients by health practitioners. Health providers who engage in social prescribing also ask the question, “What matters to you?” Patients’ responses determine the type of social prescription they receive.

This session is part of a series of groups designed for group participation with a goal of finding connection in shared interests, creative activity, and social engagement. This is part of a pilot model designed to be replicated in community centers. This pilot also offers measurement tools for tracking the success of the program and the small pilot designed by Sherri Jacobs. Kansas City is participating in a five year pilot in partnership with The Neuro Blueprint for the Arts and ArtsKC.

Host or Publisher Sherri Jacobs