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Back to Child and Youth Care Worker Program Factsheet

Child and Youth Care Worker

Basic Counselling Skills With Youth And Families

Introduces the student to the core elements of a helping relationship and the corresponding strategies used to develop such a relationship. A variety of communication skills including: paraphrasing, reflecting feelings, empathy, questioning, confronting, self-disclosure, describing behaviors, summarizing, problem-solving, and treatment planning will be addressed.

The importance of effective communication in dealing with crisis oriented and challenging situations as well as communication roadblocks will be explored. Issues of confidentiality, ethics and professional conduct will be covered. Through lecture, demonstration, and simulated sessions, students will develop a repertoire of specific skills to assist clients in addressing problematic issues in their lives.

Child Growth And Development

Examines the child from the perspective of physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. The influence of family, school, community, peers upon identity, personality, cognition and moral judgment will be explored through ecological systems theory as well as the prominent developmental theories of Erikson, Freud, Kohlberg, and Piaget. Strong emphasis will be placed on the issues of attachment and bonding and the long-term implications for healthy functioning. Students will be taken along the “normal” developmental path of childhood and adolescence as well as acquainting themselves with some of the conditions and situations that inevitably alter this path for many children. The course will provide a framework for helping families understand and support their children with the necessary developmental tasks and foster resilience and competency in that process.

Youth Criminal Justice Act

Students will be provided with a historical overview of the criminal justice system with particular emphasis on the primary factors associated with youth and the key elements of the Youth Criminal Justice Act which came into effect on April 1, 2003. Some of the key themes to be addressed include: extrajudicial measures, sentencing options, principles of custody and supervision, reintegration leaves, and reviews. Considerable use of case studies will facilitate the application of the legislation concepts.

Group Dynamics

This course is designed to introduce the student to the complexities of group work process and dynamics, both in community based settings and residential settings. The role of group work as an effective treatment modality for children and youth will be a central theme in the course. The group as a mutual aid system will be studied in depth as well as the typical stages of group development. Concentration will be given to step-by-step plans for running groups, and developing the necessary leadership skills and therapeutic interaction techniques to become a group facilitator with young people. Another major component of the course content will be an examination of the patterns of group dynamic structure in residential settings including recognition of typical roles of residents, staff interventions, and recording group behavior. This course is offered in conjunction with Group Work Practicum.

Issues In Child Welfare

Introduces students to the world of child welfare from a historical perspective, a casework perspective, and a legislative perspective. Students will explore the core themes of separation, attachment and placement that impact children and their families when they become immersed in the foster care system and beyond. Effective interventions and treatment approaches will be studied as well as the roles and responsibilities of child welfare agencies, courts, legal system, law enforcement, hospitals, schools, mental health systems, and other community agencies involved in the case plan for the youth and family. The continuum of care for out of home placements will be studied and beneficial strategies will be noted that meet the needs of youth with relationship and attachment needs. An overriding question posed throughout this course will be: what is in the best interest of the child?

Suicide: Assessment And Intervention

Encompasses basic knowledge and assessment information combined with techniques and tools to intervene with the suicidal youth using specific assessment and intervention models. The student will learn the clinical symptoms of depression, how to assess lethality of depression and the signs and indicators of suicidal ideation. Intervention techniques to stabilize a youth contemplating or attempting suicide including a safety plan and a supportive case plan. The dynamics of group contagion and managing other’s responses to the suicidal youth will also be covered. The characteristics and treatment of the self-mutilative youth will be addressed as a distinct component of the self-harm continuum.

Child Care Practices

This course recognizes the critical importance of practice methods employed by child and youth care workers to promote healthy functioning in children, youth and families. Students will become familiar with competency-based philosophy and approach to assessing and intervening with children and families in a variety of settings. Understanding challenging behavior, pattern identification, limit setting and key behavior management principles will be a predominant focus of the curriculum. Students will examine environmental design issues and the importance of daily living activities as seen within the context of the therapeutic milieu. Behavioral guidance methods including conflict resolution, crisis management, and life space interviewing will be studied in an effort to provide the student with a robust repertoire of practice tools:

1. School Based Youth Work
   A specialized module will familiarize the student with the unique features of the school culture and the organizational system designed to manage the school setting. Role definition, an overview of youth worker tasks, best practice methods and the challenges of working within the school environment will also be addressed.
2. Family Based Youth Work
   A specialized module will offer students an introduction to basic family systems theory. Students will develop skills in engaging families in all aspects of planning and decision-making; creating change in attitudes and behaviors; and assisting in mutual problem-solving with families in practical, real life situations. The importance of early intervention, family preservation, and strength-based assessments will be foundation concepts in the module.

Child Abuse: Identification And Treatment

This course provides a comprehensive overview of the four primary categories of child maltreatment: physical abuse; emotional abuse; sexual abuse; and neglect. Students will study the complex interplay of parent/child/environment/society in order to gain a fuller understanding of the complexities involved in the maltreatment of children. Another major component of the course will cover the identification of the behavioral, emotional, and physical indicators of abuse; the casework implications; and the process of treatment for both the child victim, family, and his/her abuser. The student will be educated about the frequent emotional and behavioral consequences that children demonstrate as a result of their abuse with particular attention to the impact on group care and the overall safety needs of the setting. In addition, the student will be encouraged to examine their own emotional responses to the abuse themes and the potential for these responses to interfere with the child and youth work.

Children’s Mental Health

This course will examine a wide range of behavioral, psychological and social problems experienced by young people and the treatment approaches currently endorsed to address these mental health issues. Students will learn to recognize and manage a wide range of behavioral disorders. The influences of biological structure, genetics, cognition, social and emotional factors, family, peers, community, ethnicity, culture and situational determinants will be explored throughout the course. Course topics include: mood disorders, anxiety disorders, conduct disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, eating disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome and self-destructive behaviors.

Designing Youth Programming

Introduces students to the importance of therapeutic programming for youth suitable for a variety of settings. Students will be provided with a conceptual framework and the necessary skills to develop programs that can be used in the attainment of leisure, educational and therapeutic goals with youth. Students will be taught the importance of activity programming in the overall treatment plans of young people. Attention will be given to selecting and obtaining resources necessary to conducting a particular program. This course will culminate with each student designing the curriculum for a specific youth program that is developmentally appropriate and educationally oriented.

Assessment And Documentation

Provides the student with knowledge and practical experience in developing assessment skills, performing assessments, writing assessment reports and developing case plans.

Content will also include documentation guidelines, writing incident reports, case notes, progress reports, log entries, and social histories. The student will use the training material covered in this course while completing Individual Client Practicum and Group Work Practicum.

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention

This certified course provided by the Crisis Prevention Institute trains students to deal with clients whose behavior may escalate into disruptive or violent incidents that may pose a threat to self, others or the physical environment. The program stresses a planned intervention method of conflict resolution that is directed towards the care, welfare, safety and security of all those involved in the crisis situation. The course content includes: the basic elements of violent behavior; escalation and de-escalation of a crisis; and a repertoire of verbal and physical strategies to defuse the crisis situation.

Issues In Substance Abuse

This course will educate the student on the indicators of drug/alcohol abuse in youth; the typical dynamics of alcohol/drug addicted families; and the physical, social, emotional, and behavioral problems that accompany substance abuse. The principal drugs used by youth in the community and their behavioral and physical manifestations will be covered. In addition, an overview of existing community resources to assist in the treatment and education of youth involved in substance abuse will be outlined.

Security Practices In Residential Settings

This course is designed to acquaint students with the pertinent considerations necessary to maintain a safe and secure living environment. The course will cover topics such as the use of restraint devices; room and body searches; life threatening situations; recognizing and controlling contraband; recognizing safety concerns inherent in daily activities; transporting youth; and maintaining resident counts. In addition, the course will address the importance of policies, procedures, daily routines and personal boundaries to provide maximum safety for all residents and staff. The course is divided into three distinct modules and will be taught both in the classroom and on-site at a secure custody facility:

1. Safety and Security
   This module will give students exposure to key control, restraint devices, identification and confiscation of contraband, conducting body and room searches, and exterior grounds checks, policies and procedures for hostage taking, bomb threats, transporting youth, safety room placements, escapes and attempted escapes. Considerable attention will be given to the necessity for proper documentation practices, supervision, diligent hiring policies, consistent daily routines in order to minimize risk and maximize safety in the facility.
2. Life Threatening Situations
   This module will address a broad array of life threatening situations that can arise in custodial settings. Through simulated scenarios, students will learn how to recognize and deal with fire hazards, hostage taking, self-inflicted wounds, seizures, aggressive behavior, and medical emergencies.
3. Maintaining Professional Boundaries
   This module will educate the student in appropriate limits in client relationships and the underlying principles concerning the maintenance of respectful relationships that recognize the dignity of all parties involved. The concept of personal boundaries will be thoroughly explored with emphasis on indicators of unhealthy boundaries and potentially vulnerable situations. The students will be provided with a framework to assess and manage their conduct in the field to ensure their professionalism and reduce the risk in their working relationships.

Therapeutic Recreation

Through hands-on exploration students will be taught skills in arts, crafts, games and music which are used to assist youth in identifying and developing their strengths and hidden talents as well as providing healthy outlets for their use of leisure time. Students will learn to analyze the skill level required in various activities and how modifications can be made to ensure client satisfaction and success. Emphasis will be placed upon tapping into children’s creativity using a variety of mediums in the passive recreation domain.

Self-Awareness Experiential Workshop

This course will guide the student in a process of recognizing personal strengths and limitations, feelings and needs, and the recognition of the impact that your personal style has on others. Through an intensive thirty-hour experiential workshop using a small group format, each student will explore values, beliefs, lifestyles and family of origin issues and the influences that these themes have on definition of self and others. The student will be encouraged to incorporate wellness practices into their own lifestyle and to build and use a support network. In addition, the student will submit a weekly self-awareness journal that will reflect their personal responses to curriculum content with the goal being greater self-exploration and understanding.

Orientation To The Child And Youth Care Field

This course serves as a broad introduction into the field of child and youth care with students becoming familiarized with the history of the child and youth care field; the spectrum of youth care services available for youth at risk; and the various types of settings where child and youth care workers may be employed. Students will conduct field trips to a wide range of residential programs; interview teens on the street; and work at a school breakfast program for a one-week period. This course precedes Agency Overview Practicum in the fall term.

Individual Client Practicum

In addition to the full-time classroom training, the students will be concurrently participating in the Individual Client Practicum. From September through March each student will spend four hours per week (evenings and weekends) with a youth referred to the program by a local guidance counsellor. The philosophy of the practicum centers around the importance of genuine relationships characterized by empathy and acceptance in promoting healthy personal development in youth. Relationship building as a vehicle for change is a central theme in child and youth care and students will learn firsthand about the joys and challenges of engaging a young person in a therapeutic relationship. During the course of the practicum, the student will conduct a needs assessment; create a case plan; provide supportive counselling; design activities geared to the case plan goals; monitor the client’s progress; and submit written reports to the referral source. Students will also participate in weekly peer supervision to discuss issues that may arise in the casework process with their clients.

Group Work Practicum

For a twelve-week period commencing in October, each student is paired with another student and is tasked with designing and facilitating a weekly discussion/activity group in a school or other community setting catering to youth. The members are selected on the basis of need and identified social skills deficits. This practicum provides the students with valuable experience in developing their leadership skills, their behavior management strategies, and their programming skills. In addition, the weekly groups will be living laboratories where students can witness firsthand, the influence of group dynamics upon individual functioning. The Group Work Practicum serves as a direct application of the curriculum content of Group Dynamics. Students will be required to submit weekly summary reports as well as the weekly agenda for each session. Students will have periodic meetings with advisors from the group work site in the community. At the conclusion of the practicum, the students will design and administer a group evaluation and prepare a summary report for the referral site.

Agency Overview Practicum

The first practicum that the students participate in occurs in October for a five-day block period. Each student is assigned to a youth care facility throughout Atlantic Canada where he/she spends five consecutive days, observing, questioning, and participating in daily activities and programs conducted at that facility. The student is encouraged to interact with the residents whenever feasible, as well as the staff, in order to gain a comprehensive overview of the operational and situational demands of a youth care setting. The student will be required to work a variety of shifts over the five-day cycle in order to experience the environmental changes at different times of the day and the corresponding demands upon the child and youth care worker. Upon completion of the practicum, the student returns to the College and is required to present a field report to the class for the purposes of information exchange and fuller integration of the experience.

On-The-Job Training

Twelve consecutive weeks of on-the-job training (O.J.T.) is a key component of the Child and Youth Care Worker program. On-the-job training is intended to allow the student to work under supervision in a youth based setting thereby enhancing knowledge base and skill acquisition through direct field experience. Supportive counselling, assessment, case planning, group work, and behavior management are fundamental concepts brought to a real life level during this practicum. Students will be expected to maintain a work schedule similar to the full-time staff at the O.J.T. site.