Community Education
The Matrix Groups at Connections, Inc. provide structured, community-based education designed to help children, teens, adults, and families build stronger, more stable homes and communities. These courses offer a practical and cost-effective way to access guidance, develop skills, and receive support in a group setting. Through engaging instruction, relevant topics, and interactive learning, participants gain tools to navigate real-life challenges related to emotional wellness, pediatric behavioral health, community and domestic violence, substance use, and trauma recovery.
Most courses are offered virtually nationwide to maximize accessibility, with additional in-person sessions available at multiple locations throughout the State of Indiana. New groups and course offerings are added each quarter to meet evolving community needs and requests.
Registration is open year-round. Courses are available at no cost to participants involved with the Indiana Department of Child Services, Adult or Juvenile Probation, and foster or resource parents through a KidTraks referral. School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee. Most insurances accepted.
For questions about course objectives, schedules, or referral requirements, please contact info@connections-inc.net for a confidential discussion regarding your needs.
Course Categories:
Course Category: Behavioral Health
Aggression Replacement Training (ART):
ART is an interactive cognitive behavioral intervention program designed to help children and adolescents improve social skill competence and moral reasoning, better manage anger, and reduce aggressive behavior. This evidence-based program specifically targets chronically aggressive children and adolescents aged 12-18. The ART curriculum has proven effective for challenging youth and features 30 coordinated and integrated lessons. Our instructors will teach a lesson in Social Skills Training, Anger Control Training, and Moral Reasoning during each session.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions per week for two hours each over four consecutive weeks.
Maximum participants: 8
Referral type: DCS or Probation Specialized Service Psycho-Educational Group. Please request course type in notes. School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee.
Most insurances accepted.
Empower U:
An uplifting and interactive program for youth aged 12–16, Empower U helps teens build their self-esteem, emotional strength, and healthy coping skills in a safe and engaging space. Through activities, open discussions, and real-life applications, participants will learn how to better manage stress, regulate their emotions, cope with peer pressures, and respond to bullying. We will also share practical ideas to manage social media, friendships, personal hygiene, physical and sexual boundaries, and mental health. Each session reinforces healthy habits, positive choices & empowers participants to respond to challenges with confidence, kindness & self-care.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions per week for two hours each over four consecutive weeks.
Maximum participants: 8
Referral type: DCS/ Probation Specialized Service Psycho-Educational Group. Please request course type in notes.
School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee.
Most insurances accepted.
Moral Reconation Therapy for Teens with Emerging Substance Use (MRT):
As a licensed provider of MRT, certified by Correctional Counseling, Inc., this Moral Reconation Therapy course (Level 1) is an introductory evidence-based program designed to help adolescents, aged 13-18, plan for their recovery from an emerging or diagnosed substance use concern. Our MRT class strives to help restructure youths’ moral reasoning, improve decision making, and foster more appropriate thought processes related to their substance use and/or related criminogenic thinking. Our juvenile MRT curricula features ten integrated lessons which target a youth’s thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. The course can also be supplemented with virtual psychiatry & medication management support from our team if needed to address any substance use related physical and mental health needs.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions/ week for two hours until completion-self-paced program.
Maximum participants: 6
Referral type: DCS/ probation Specialized Service Psycho-Educational Group. Please request course type in notes.
School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee.
Most insurances accepted.
We Rise- A Women’s Empowerment Group:
We Rise is a supportive, focused group for women who are ready to grow, heal, and become more intentional about their lives and invest in themselves. Built around real conversations, personal development, and emotional growth, this group provides a structured space focused on self-awareness, emotional wellness, and becoming the version of yourself you’ve been working toward—not surface motivation, but real, lasting development. Designed for women navigating life transitions, craving clarity and direction, and/or ready to move beyond patterns like shrinking or people-pleasing, this group emphasizes practical, real-life application. Through guided reflection led, by a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, group discussion, and skill-building, participants strengthen self-confidence, develop healthy boundary-setting skills, build personal accountability within a supportive community, and gain practical tools they can use in everyday life to move forward with clarity, purpose, peace and confidence.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions/ week for two hours until completion-self-paced program.
Maximum participants: 12
Referral type: DCS/ probation Specialized Service Psycho-Educational Group. Please request course type in notes.
School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee.
Most insurances accepted.
Course Category: Family Support
Healing Circles:
Our Circles group creates a safe, nurturing space for foster parents, kinship caregivers, and adoptive families to find support, encouragement, and connection. This group helps caregivers process the emotional challenges of fostering while building the skills and resilience needed to support children and teens impacted by acute trauma, neglect and loss. Rooted in the belief that strength and learning can happen in community with others, each Circle provides an opportunity for caregivers to connect with those who understand the unique journey of fostering — from the joys of bonding with a child to the difficulties of goodbyes. Through facilitated discussions, peer conversations, and the introduction of evidence-based treatment strategies, participants gain practical tools to build strong, safe, nurturing and healing home environments for all members of the household. Resource parents leave with renewed confidence, a deeper understanding of their children’s behavioral health needs, and a powerful peer community to sustain them in their fostering journey.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions per week for two hours. Group is open to join anytime.
Maximum participants: 12
Referral type: DCS Support Groups for Resource Families – Group
My Next Chapter:
My Next Chapter is a supportive, skills-focused course designed for women preparing to leave domestic or intimate partner violence, offering clear guidance and practical strategies to help them move forward safely and confidently. The program includes personalized safety planning, essential resources, and step-by-step tools for navigating housing, finances, legal options, and community support. Participants work on rebuilding trust in themselves, prioritizing self-care, forming safe and supportive connections, and strengthening the resilience needed to manage stress during major life transitions. Through structured guidance, peer support, and direct learning, women gain the confidence and skills necessary to pursue new opportunities, reclaim independence, and build a solid foundation for a safe, empowered, and thriving next chapter of their lives.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions per week for two hours each over four consecutive weeks.
Maximum participants: 8
Referral type: DCS Domestic Violence Victim & Child- Face to Face-to-face Group; School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee. Most insurances accepted.
Pathways to Adulthood:
Pathways to Adulthood equips young adults aging out of foster care, juvenile probation or independent living programs with the practical skills and confidence needed to transition successfully into adulthood. Participants receive guidance in securing housing, employment, creating a career plan, managing personal finances, understanding credit, and planning for long-term stability. The course also covers essential life domains such as accessing transportation, physical and mental health care services, navigating childcare resources when needed, and maintaining natural, safe, and supportive relationships in their homes, peer groups, and communities. Each participant completes the course with a comprehensive and personalized Independence Plan, outlining clear next steps in housing, employment, education, financial health, and personal well-being. Upon completion we strive to give every participant a solid foundation for stability, self-sufficiency, and future success.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions per week for two hours each over four consecutive weeks.
Maximum participants: 8
Referral type: DCS/ Probation Specialized Service Psycho-Educational Group. Please request course type in notes.
School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee.
Restoring Families in Recovery:
Restoring Families in Recovery is a supportive, evidence-based parenting course designed for parents who are healing from addiction and simultaneously working to rebuild their families with confidence and compassion. This course offers practical tools for parenting and self-care, guidance, and shared experiences to help participants strengthen their family communication, rebuild trust after addiction, and create safe, nurturing routines at home. This course strives to empower parents to deepen their connection with their children, better understand their needs and perspectives, and foster resilience for the entire family as they move forward in their individual and family recovery journey.
Instructional modality: Two virtual class sessions per week for two hours each over four consecutive weeks.
Maximum participants: 8
Referral type: DCS Parent Education- Group Nurturing School administrators, family members, and individuals may also refer directly for a nominal per-session fee. Most insurances accepted.
Course Category: Justice Services
Youth Gun Violence Prevention-Central Indiana:
The purpose of our Youth Gun Violence Prevention Course is to educate youth aged 13-18 about the medical, legal, and social consequences arising from acts of gun violence. We discuss the impact of trauma and other adverse childhood experiences on our decision making, the tragic reality of gun violence in our lives and share Ideas how participants can create a hopeful future for themselves. Participant youth will become certified in Stop the Bleed upon successful completion of the class. The class is a 7.5-hour program taught over the course of three consecutive days. Each session is led by representatives from Connections, Inc., with guest presentations welcomed from the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, the Marion County Indiana Prosecutors Office, and the Marion County Indiana Public Defenders Office. Our Gun Violence Prevention course can be taught in other communities upon request.
Instructional Modality: In person at 8604 Allisonville Rd. Suite 175; Indianapolis, IN. 46250
Maximum participants: 12 (with an instructor present for every four students)
Referral type: DCS/ Probation Specialized Service Psycho-Educational Group. Please request course type in notes.
Stop the Bleed:
As a Licensed Educator with the United States Department of Defense, Combat Casualty Care Research Division, Connections, Inc. offers a free Stop the Bleed Course the first Saturday of every month for any teen or adult aged 13+ in NE Indianapolis, Indiana. STOP THE BLEED is a U.S. Government developed program that addresses the need to train and enable the public to take critical lifesaving actions to control severe blood loss caused by a traumatic injury such as vehicle accidents, falls, gunshot wounds, cuts, or intentional stabbing. Families or groups of teens are encouraged to attend together. We believe this life saving skill and training is critical to public safety and hope you will join us in the future.
Instructional Modality: In person at 8604 Allisonville Rd. Suite 175; Indianapolis, IN. 46250
Maximum participants: 12
Reservations can be made at info@connections-inc.net up to 48 hours prior to the class date.
There is no charge for participation. Other course dates are available at your organization for a contracted fee.
The origin of any matrix is a connection.
Ma·trix /ˈmātriks/ noun:
an environment or material in which something develops; a surrounding connected medium or structure
We welcome referral inquiries via email at info@connections-inc.net or phone at 317.423.1000
All Matrix Groups content copyrighted © to Connections Inc.-J. Asher 2025 (except for licensed ART, MRT, and Stop the Bleed)