‘Stay Free Forever’: Second chances and life skills

But Cliff, you have adult and youth courses, self-directed courses.

For this episode, I would like to focus on the adult courses.

We'll dive back into a few youth courses you have, but we should do a whole conversation just on the youth courses because some of these are so incredible, and parents are just, they're not gonna believe some of these resources you have for them.

Thanks for taking a look at that and for framing it that way because I think going, focusing on adult courses and then youth courses g- would give us the opportunity to really look at some of the advantages in both.

The, uh, the adult course that I wish more people were assigned is my parenting course because that's about how to step back and look at how you were reared as a child and how you have been trained to treat others and how that is playing out with you as a parent.

And it does so, like I said, in a really open way that is not about judging you or making you feel bad about your choices, but to show you there's a lot more power in you to manage this really tough job of parenting in a way that is good for the kid, good for yourself, and good for the community.

And what I love about Stay Free Forever and the adult self-directed courses is you did mention a few courses for someone who may have received a, a DUI or going through some troubles, but then there's also some really good courses just for being a, a better adult, like the financial intelligence.

Cliff, there are so many adults that really might need some help, might be a little financial illiterate in some ways.

And so you even have courses like that, personal responsibility.

So it's-

Yeah

... it's not just for someone who got in trouble.

And I like the fact that you are keyed in on the self-directed part.

Because whether you're taking the workbook, which I mail to you, or the e-learning course, which you take online in the comfort of your own home, either one, this is something that you are the boss of, and that as you go through the course, there is a method and flow to it.

I, people generally take 11 to 15 hours per course, and they're given 35 days to do that, or more time if they need it.

And with adults in particular, that's really important.

Shereen, the number of adults who say, "Can I please have another week?" when they're working on their course, I always remind them, "Remember when we spoke first? This is up to you.

If you need another week, you don't have to ask.

You tell me, 'Cliff, I need another week.

I need to finish this on October 15th, not September 15th.'" Because the courts generally recognize you've got a life, you've got a job, you've got a family, you've got responsibilities.

You've got free time that you'd rather not spend all of it doing this course.

So as long as you're engaging with it couple of times every other day or so, then you're doing your job.

And so self-directed is important that people can then think about it between sessions and start to realize that power, that personal power that I mentioned.

The best feedback I get, and it's quite frequent, is, "Wow, this is the first time I have thought about this to this level and talked about this with my mom or my husband or my father or my daughter or whatever," because I require each student to choose a coach.

Any adult that they know and trust.

But Cliff, you have adult and youth courses, self-directed courses.

For this episode, I would like to focus on the adult courses.

We'll dive back into a few youth courses you have, but we should do a whole conversation just on the youth courses because some of these are so incredible, and parents are just, they're not gonna believe some of these resources you have for them.

Thanks for taking a look at that and for framing it that way because I think going, focusing on adult courses and then youth courses g- would give us the opportunity to really look at some of the advantages in both.

The, uh, the adult course that I wish more people were assigned is my parenting course because that's about how to step back and look at how you were reared as a child and how you have been trained to treat others and how that is playing out with you as a parent.

And it does so, like I said, in a really open way that is not about judging you or making you feel bad about your choices, but to show you there's a lot more power in you to manage this really tough job of parenting in a way that is good for the kid, good for yourself, and good for the community.

And what I love about Stay Free Forever and the adult self-directed courses is you did mention a few courses for someone who may have received a, a DUI or going through some troubles, but then there's also some really good courses just for being a, a better adult, like the financial intelligence.

Cliff, there are so many adults that really might need some help, might be a little financial illiterate in some ways.

And so you even have courses like that, personal responsibility.

So it's-

Yeah

... it's not just for someone who got in trouble.

And I like the fact that you are keyed in on the self-directed part.

Because whether you're taking the workbook, which I mail to you, or the e-learning course, which you take online in the comfort of your own home, either one, this is something that you are the boss of, and that as you go through the course, there is a method and flow to it.

I, people generally take 11 to 15 hours per course, and they're given 35 days to do that, or more time if they need it.

And with adults in particular, that's really important.

Shereen, the number of adults who say, "Can I please have another week?" when they're working on their course, I always remind them, "Remember when we spoke first? This is up to you.

If you need another week, you don't have to ask.

You tell me, 'Cliff, I need another week.

I need to finish this on October 15th, not September 15th.'" Because the courts generally recognize you've got a life, you've got a job, you've got a family, you've got responsibilities.

You've got free time that you'd rather not spend all of it doing this course.

So as long as you're engaging with it couple of times every other day or so, then you're doing your job.

And so self-directed is important that people can then think about it between sessions and start to realize that power, that personal power that I mentioned.

The best feedback I get, and it's quite frequent, is, "Wow, this is the first time I have thought about this to this level and talked about this with my mom or my husband or my father or my daughter or whatever," because I require each student to choose a coach.

Any adult that they know and trust.