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Everyone communicates, but are they doing it well? Communicative competence takes practice and self-awareness. In this foundational course, students will learn through discovery and project-based activities to practice approaching situations critically and collaboratively. By developing their communication skills, students will improve their interpersonal ability, intercultural competence, and digital fluency to prepare for success in the workplace and beyond. The strategies students will gain in this course will be useful throughout their program and in their chosen industry.
Welcome to the field of child and youth care! Built on the foundations of core competencies in practice, this course examines the roles and responsibilities youth work assumes in a variety of settings. Current theory and practice perspectives are explored, in addition to professional identity, ethical practice, youth’s rights, and interdisciplinary work. An overview of the needs of youth, the types of agencies providing service and governing legislation will also be studied. Reflection of one’s personal readiness for professional child and youth care practice is a focus of this course.
One of the greatest impacts a Child and Youth Care Practitioner can have on children and youth is “doing with.” Through the use of humor, art, creativity, fun, sports and activities, students learn to guide young people toward individual growth and development. This course is designed to equip students with the leadership and planning abilities to develop therapeutic activities that foster physical, emotional, social and cultural development in the lifespace.
Families are strong, diverse and resilient and are an integral part of every young person. This course is designed to introduce foundational theories and explore family across the lifespan. Using an ecological framework, students will gain an understanding of how contemporary issues (i.e. poverty, addictions, family violence) affect children, youth and families. Students will also explore family of origin, and the impact of self in family work.
This course is intended to have the student develop a trauma informed, evidence based professional practice that enhances relationship and development with young people who have been affected by trauma. Students will explore the impact of trauma on individuals in a holistic way. Emphasis is placed on trauma-informed skills and strategies which students will then utilize case studies as opportunities to go beyond theory and explore realistic simulations.
Have you ever wondered why an intervention just will not work, or simply why you aren’t able to connect with a young person? In this course, we encourage students to examine the intricacies of relational development and interventions associated with relational levels. Students are able to critically assess behavior to determine needs. After assessment is completed students are then prepared to create therapeutic goals and intervention plans appropriate for a wide range of life spaces. Throughout the course students, reflect on “self” allowing for reflective and reflexive growth.
Child and Youth Care is about caring and acting – about being present, thinking on your feet, interacting and growing with children and youth (Kruger, 2000). The intention of this course is to provide students with theory and techniques practiced in class concurrently to their practicum placement. Students will develop a strength based, ecological, anti-oppressive and relational approach to working alongside of young people. We will focus on the specific child and youth care processes involved in establishing trust and caring relationships with young people.
In a complex world where social issues impact the lives of young people, developing practitioners will explore causality and the systems that support and contribute to the ongoing issues youth face. This course examines social issues within an ecological framework, using a trauma informed, strength-based critical lens that honors diversity and the impact of colonization on risk and resiliency. The critical social issues to be considered include substance use, mental health, homelessness, suicide, sexual exploitation as well as issues specific to youth involved with child and family services and the youth justice system.
In this course, you will be led through a tapestry of knowledge surrounding use, misuse, and addiction of psychoactive substances. This course helps students reflect on the current trends and issues related to substance use, misuse and abuse. Students learn a breadth of history, theory, terminology, leading to the understanding of holistic treatment and best practice when helping people affected by substance use.
Family Support work provides helping professionals with the unique opportunity to understand children and youth within the context of their family. In this course family assessment and intervention skills required to work within the family life space as well the broader social, economic, cultural, and community environments will be explored. Students will be introduced to a variety of topics including; family risk and resiliency; foundations for family assessment and assessment tools; evidenced based family intervention and support techniques; an exploration of personal values and beliefs and reflective family practice.
Mental Health affects everyone. It is imperative that we explore not only the classifications, theories and research about what we know about mental health, but the interventions and supports for an individual’s mental well-being. In this course, the student will explore major frameworks and perspectives from which to view definitions and explanations for some of the most common disorders of youth. From this foundation, the student will develop their relational, holistic and strength-based lens for working with children, youth and families and the promotion of healthy mental wellness.
Child and Youth care professionals provide counseling to children, youth and families in multi-dimensional environments through relational practice. The foundational components of communication strategies will be reinforced and students will be introduced to the practice of Motivational Interviewing. Students will acquire the MI skills necessary to assist youth with motivation for change. Individual helping techniques will be extended into group work practice and the role of groups in working with children, youth and families from a holistic and culturally appropriate approach.
Professional and ethical practice is not about what we say, but rather what we do. The primary purpose of this course is to enable students to expand their critical thinking about professional practice issues. As a co-requisite, Practicum II will provide students with the practical experiences for integration of learning. Through a combination of seminar groups, reflective readings, and discussions of case examples and experiences from the field, students will have the opportunity to explore the professional values and principles that guide Child and Youth Care practice. Guided by national child and youth care competencies and ethical theories, students will develop a deeper familiarity with the various conceptual resources all while considering the complex and diverse roles of CYC in youth care practice. As the standards of professionalism require that the child and youth care practitioner be well informed, stay abreast of current issues, and remain involved in ongoing professional development and growth, it is important that the student become familiar with this process prior to entering the field.
This course will invite students to explore the various forms of individual, cultural and systemic discrimination experienced by diverse groups of people in Canada. Students will be challenged to use an anti-oppression framework to critically analyze social inequities and to develop their own reflective practice. Learners will come to understand their responsibility to youth in care with respect to self-determination and the need to combat systemic oppression. The concept of ally ship will be threaded through the course so students can immediately begin their anti-oppressive practice. Students have the responsibility to enhance community by creating programs that embrace equity, empowerment and advocacy, students will have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with community mentors.
This course is intended to familiarize students with some of the current issues facing Indigenous children, youth and families in Manitoba. The themes of historical context and cultural humility in helping skills are the foundational theories. We will work toward embracing an Indigenous worldview in our practice and develop culturally respectful anti-oppressive child and youth care practice. Topics in the course include the impact of colonization and residential schools, the child welfare system, past and present, racism and prejudice and individual practitioner self-awareness.
“How we are, who we are, while we do, what we do” (Fulcher & Garfat, 2008). Practicum allows students field experiences with children, youth and families. Emphasis is placed on the development of self in professional practice. Students focus on establishing therapeutic relationships in the lifespace that enhance and support the growth and development of young people. Students are expected to demonstrate competency in professionalism, cultural and human diversity, human development, relationship and communication and developmental practice methods.
This is the second practicum experience in the field of child and youth care. Students will explore, pursue and lead their practicum interests in the field. Practicum II allows students the opportunity to develop skills and competencies in a second life space or therapeutic milieu. Students will continue to develop their professional and ethical practice focusing on the integration of knowledge and developing goals across the five domains of Child and Youth Care competency. Students will embrace their accomplishments as a helper and will finalize the creation of a professional career portfolio which will assist them in delineating the career path of their choice.
This course begins with an overview of the major theoretical perspectives and research methods of contemporary human developmental research. Discussion then turns to an exploration of development from a chronological perspective, beginning with conception, then moving through the stages of infancy and toddlerhood, early childhood, middle childhood, concluding with adolescence. Within each period, discussion is structured around the physical, motor, cognitive, and social-emotional aspects of development. Selected topics of interest will be explored in greater detail. A central theme of the course is the complex interaction between the environmental and biological factors that correspond to development.