The Lives in the Balance Podcast

Ross Greene

Lives in the Balance is a non-profit organization devoted to ensuring that all kids are understood and treated in ways that are compassionate, effective, non-punitive, non-adversarial, proactive, and collaborative. We provide vast resources and training on Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, an evidence-based model of care originated by our founding director, Dr. Ross Greene, and support grass-roots advocacy and legislation aimed at sharply reducing or eliminating the use of harmful, counterproductive disciplinary practices.

  1. 10/03/2025

    Empowering Voices: Previewing The Children's Mental Health Advocacy Conference

    In this episode of the CPS Podcast, Dr. Ross Greene and Ben Jones discuss the upcoming Children's Mental Health Advocacy Conference, the current issues in children's mental health advocacy, and the opportunities for community involvement. They highlight recent legislative successes and challenges, particularly regarding corporal punishment and restraint in schools, and emphasize the importance of grassroots advocacy efforts. The conversation underscores the need for continued advocacy and legislative change to protect children's rights and well-being.  You can register for the CMHAC here and be sure to check out our advocacy Take Action page here.

    37 min

  2. 07/01/2025

    Are the Kids OK?

    Check out the May 2025 episode of the CPS Podcast - Are the Kids OK?   Dr. Ross Greene and Dr. Narov Shaw explore the question “Are the kids ok?” by unpacking the rising stressors kids face in a rapidly changing world, from social media and school shootings to shifting social roles, while reminding us that many kids are still doing well. They emphasize that mental health struggles are human responses to stress and that it’s hard to pin down single causes, given the layered and nuanced nature of these challenges. They caution that correlation (e.g., social media user with anxiety) does not equal causation – and that involving kids in identifying solutions will likely be more successful than mandates. This was a special live presentation arranged by Freeport Speech, Meetinghouse Arts, and Freeport Community TV3.

    1h 28m

  3. 04/21/2025

    CPS with Adults and Kids with Disabilities: The Ireland Demonstration Project

    This episode dives into the Collaborative & Proactive Solutions Ireland Demonstration Project, which has been making waves across children's disability services in Ireland. Toby Sachsenmaier shares how a grassroots start among a few healthcare professionals snowballed into a national initiative embraced by multidisciplinary teams — and even adult disability services. Anecdotes highlight how CPS helps both kids and adults feel truly heard, often solving long-standing challenges with surprising ease. With hundreds trained and research underway, this project is showing just how impactful CPS can be in multiple settings and varied populations.

    46 min

  4. 03/27/2025

    If Not Now, When?

    This episode of the CPS Podcast takes a big-picture look at why power struggles dominate our world—politically, socially, as well as in parenting and education—when collaboration could be the real game-changer. We explore how listening, understanding, and solving problems together (instead of fighting to "win") could lead to better outcomes for everyone. Turns out, three simple steps might just be the secret to a less aggrieved and more cooperative world!

    31 min

  5. 02/21/2025

    The Realities of Restraint and Seclusion

    Two mothers share their stories about their children's experience with restraint and seclusion in schools to raise awareness and offer hope - there is a different way...

    45 min

  6. 01/16/2025

    Skills That Foster The Better Side of Human Nature

    Perhaps especially now, we think it's important to get back to skills -- empathy, appreciating how one's actions are affecting others, taking another person's perspective, resolving disagreements without conflict, and honesty -- that bring out the better side of human nature, and to be helping kids develop those skills as early as possible. Dr. Greene especially homed in on the honesty dimension...for the unfamiliar, here are two links to bring you up to speed on what he was talking about: https://cpsconnection.com/why-the-name-change/ https://cpsconnection.com/disinformationormisinformation/

    33 min

  7. 12/19/2024

    Passion, perseverance…and problem solving

    Dr. Ross Greene and Kim Hopkins explore the definition of grit and the fact that a lot of literature explaining how to teach grit leaves out the important role of problem solving first...

    30 min

  8. 11/26/2024

    US Dept of Ed's Words of Wisdom: Do More of the Same

    The US Department of Education recently released guidance suggesting that FBAs should be completed on all students.  Dr. Ross Greene and our Director of Legal & Policy Initiatives, Ben Jones, J.D., discuss where this idea falls short, what can be done instead, and how the USDOE became so wedded to PBIS.  We also have time to address one parent's email regarding a 4-year-old who is having difficulty with the word "stop."

    46 min
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4.5
out of 5
140 Ratings

About

Lives in the Balance is a non-profit organization devoted to ensuring that all kids are understood and treated in ways that are compassionate, effective, non-punitive, non-adversarial, proactive, and collaborative. We provide vast resources and training on Collaborative & Proactive Solutions, an evidence-based model of care originated by our founding director, Dr. Ross Greene, and support grass-roots advocacy and legislation aimed at sharply reducing or eliminating the use of harmful, counterproductive disciplinary practices.

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