COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

ENL1813S Communications 1

Communication remains an essential skill sought by employers, regardless of discipline or field of study. Using a practical, vocation-oriented approach, students focus on meeting the requirements of effective communication. Through a combination of lectures, exercises, and independent learning, students practise writing, speaking, reading, listening, locating and documenting information and using technology to communicate professionally. Students develop and strengthen communication skills that contribute to success in both educational and workplace environments.

FAM0001 Principles of Psychology

Understanding self and others is essential in promoting healthy interactions, and success in personal and professional relationships. Students investigate the key concepts associated with the study of psychology. Students develop an understanding of research methodologies and ethics, motivation and emotion, personality theories, memory systems, social learning theories and theories of stress.

FAM0074 Anti-Oppressive Practice in Child and Youth Care

The children, youth and families served by child and youth care practitioners are disproportionately impacted by systemic inequalities, discrimination, and oppression. Child and youth care practitioners need to be equipped to work with equity deserving young people and families in ways that mitigate power imbalances. Students explore intersectionality and how each person's social location impacts their development. Students examine how child and youth care practices can impose dominant values on marginalized groups and identify child and youth care practices that share power. Through case studies and critical reflection, students identify structural factors that marginalize children, youth and families, examine the use and misuse of power in child and youth care practice, and develop ways of engaging children, youth, and families through a power-with approach. Through self-reflection students examine their own intersectionality and how it may impact their practice.

FAM1054 Introduction to Child and Youth Care

Children, youth, families and communities may require support from child and youth care practitioners in order to lead healthy lives. Students develop an understanding of the history of the child and youth care profession, roles and responsibilities of child and youth care practitioners, strengths and needs of children, youth, families, and communities, professional conduct and personal self-awareness for becoming an effective child and youth care practitioner. Through in-class learning activities, group discussions and self-reflection, students develop foundational knowledge of the child and youth care profession.

FAM1066 Child Development

The early years are very important in the optimal healthy development of a human's life. From conception to 12 years old, an interactive process of physical, cognitive, social, emotional, environmental and cultural factors influences child development. Students examine the phase of child development and explore the importance of prevention and intervention concepts that optimize healthy development by linking theory to child and youth care practice. Developmental stages, heredity, culture and environmental influences are addressed with emphasis placed on the interdependency between the physical, cognitive and social/emotional milestones in childhood.

FAM1255 Community Service Learning

Child and youth care practitioners need to understand how their roles interact with child serving agencies in the community. Students professionally collaborate to manage group dynamics including problem solving, time management and conflict resolution. Students identify needs to advocate on behalf of an agency that serves children, youth and families. Through weekly team meetings, independent research, reflection, role play, and community advocacy, students plan and implement an event to meet a need of a community agency.

FAM1273 Mental Health 1

Child and youth care workers regularly engage with and develop interventions for young people who are experiencing mental health challenges that can interfere with their optimal emotional, behavioural, psychological, social and academic functioning. Students learn about DSM-V disorders that have an early onset of symptoms in childhood such as ADHD, neurodevelopmental disorders, and conduct disorders. Students increase their mental health literacy related to etiology of the diagnosis, symptom identification and strength-based interventions. Through case analysis, students apply their knowledge of mental health diagnosis, interventions and strategies, IEPs, and interprofessional collaboration relevant in school and family environments.

ENL1902F Professional Communication for Child and Youth Care Practitioners

Writing legally appropriate documents, advocating for clients and communicating in a professional manner are critical components of being a child and youth care practitioner. Students use case studies to write letters and field-specific reports. In addition, students learn and demonstrate oral communication, listening and advocacy skills in client-centred, team-based case meetings.

Pre-requisites: ENL1813S

FAM0075 Adolescent Development

Adolescence is a distinct phase of development and one in which young people experience rapid growth. Students explore physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of adolescents in the contexts of family, peers, school, work and media. Students identify risk factors and issues affecting adolescent development as well as protective factors and resiliency.

FAM0076 Diversity

Child and youth care practitioners work with diverse populations. Students explore concepts of equity, diversity, and inclusion as they relate to culture, race, religion, social class, ability, and gender at the personal, societal, and professional levels. Students examine the impacts of structural inequality on marginalized communities to inform their interactions, engagement strategies, advocacy, and allyship. Students critically reflect on their own ethnocentricity and privilege and how these influence their interactions with children, youth, and families. Through interactive workshops and case studies, students examine practices and policies that further marginalize young people and families and explore ways of engaging that promote cultural humility and safety.

FAM0077 Systems Navigation for Child and Youth Practitioners

A young person's healthy development and their family's and community's well-being are impacted by the institutional systems in society. Students focus on the systems in Ontario which impact young people and families. Emphasis is placed on identifying system-based barriers such as systemic racism, oppression and marginalization, inherent in child welfare, health, education and justice. Students critically analyse these systems, practice being an advocate and identify ways to help others navigate systems. Using case studies, group discussion, self-reflection and learning activities, students develop a foundational knowledge of Ontario systems and begin to develop their advocacy skills.

FAM0078 Mental Health 2

Child and youth care workers regularly engage with and develop interventions for young people who are experiencing mental health challenges that can interfere with their optimal emotional, behavioural, psychological, social and academic functioning. Students learn about DSM-V disorders that have a later developmental onset of symptom presentation such as eating disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders and personality disorders. Students also develop an understanding of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide. Students increase their mental health literacy related to etiology of the diagnosis, symptom identification and evidence-based interventions. Through case analysis, students apply their knowledge of mental health diagnosis, of strength-based interventions and strategies in various settings.

Pre-requisites: FAM1273

FAM1058 Field Preparation

The development of professional skills supports students in the transition from an academic environment to a field placement. Students develop basic skills in professional time management, observation, documentation, supervision, facilitation, ethics, self-care and goal development. Through in-class activities, group discussions, self-reflection, and presentations, students develop the skills required to begin their first field placement.

GED0476 General Education Elective

Students choose one course, from a group of general education electives, which meets one of the following five theme requirements: Arts in Society, Civic Life, Social and Cultural Understanding, Personal Understanding, and Science and Technology.

Equivalencies: ARC9001 or DSN2001 or ENL7643 or ENV0002 or FIN2300 or GED1896 or GED5002 or GED5004 or GED5005 or GED5006 or GED5009 or GED5200 or GED5300 or GED6022 or GEN1001 or GEN1957 or GEN2000 or GEN2003 or GEN2007 or HIS0001 or HIS2000 or HOS2228 or LIB1982 or MGT7330 or MVM8800 or PSI0003 or RAD2001

FAM0079 Field Practice Supervision 1

Reflective practice and professional development are core skills of child and youth care practitioners. Receiving ongoing professional supervision encourages students to reflect on their skills and areas for growth, to set and monitor professional goals, and to maintain professional ethics. Students develop reflective practice skills as they discuss how they are applying introductory clinical, professional, and personal skills in their placements. They engage in individual and group reflections and participate in activities that foster the integration of theory into equitable and inclusive practice.

Co-requisites: FAM1075

FAM1050 Therapeutic Activities

Child and youth care practitioners intentionally engage with young people using recreation, crafts, and games in order to enhance healthy development. Students create, modify, facilitate, and debrief activities taking into consideration diverse needs, abilities, race and culture. Students prepare the environment and respond to behaviour in order to enhance engagement and develop relationships with young people. Students facilitate activities, participate in activities, role play, give and receive feedback, and write about activities. Through practical application of learning students increase their experience and confidence as activity facilitators.

FAM1064 Child and Youth Care Interventions

Children and youth in crisis require professionals to intervene using a trauma-informed, proactive and safe approach. Students build skills using evidence-based interventions that help young people develop coping skills and self-regulation strategies. Using demonstrations and simulations, students identify the stages of crisis and apply de-escalation techniques, restrictive and nonrestrictive interventions, and debriefing strategies to safely manage crises and support young people.

FAM1070 Outdoor Activities 1: Fall Camping

With the focus of promoting optimal social, emotional, and physical development, child and youth care practitioners plan and implement outdoor recreational and therapeutic activities to support goal achievement and encourage values related to healthy lifestyles and development. Students plan and participate in an active multi-day overnight camping trip. Through this trip experience, students develop knowledge and skills in basic camping tasks, outdoor therapeutic programming, teamwork and safety procedures. Demonstrations and skill practice sessions expose students to new activities and build their comfort in participating and leading youth in outdoor adventures.

FAM1075 Field Practice 1

Field practice experiences offer developing child and youth care students an opportunity to begin to integrate theory learned in the classroom into placement settings. Students complete a field placement in the community where they receive regular supervision as they begin to develop skills related to relational practice and intervention. Students set personal, professional, and clinical goals and monitor and evaluate these goals with the support of their seminar instructor and supervisor throughout their placement experience.

Co-requisites: FAM0079

FAM1082 Counselling Skills

Listening and collaboration are central to building therapeutic relationships and supporting change in young people. Students explore person-centred strengths-based, and solution-focused approaches to change with children and youth. Emphasis is on effective listening, developing a therapeutic alliance, and understanding the role of a child and youth care practitioner in supporting change and self-determination. Through demonstrations, role-play, and practice videos, students employ micro-skills of counselling.

FAM0064 Field Practice Supervision 2

Consistent reflective practice and ongoing professional development are core skills of child and youth care practitioners. Students build upon their professional skills with an increased focus on the development of leaderships skills where students illustrate their knowledge of strength-based interventions, relational practice, self-awareness, and ethical decision-making. They begin to co-facilitate group supervision activities that foster enhanced integration of theory into equitable and inclusive practice and self-reflection.

Pre-requisites: FAM0079

Co-requisites: FAM1275

FAM0086 Life-SpACE Engagement

Child and youth care practice is conducted in a wide range of settings, wherever children and youth are living their lives. Students explore the use of relational practice and strengths-based approaches within the everyday spaces of young people with particular emphasis on virtual Life-Space, and residential care settings. Students examine how the needs of a young person and their Life-Space interact and evaluate when to adjust the milieu and/or design interventions for youth. Through case studies, role-play, and group discussions, students identify the strengths and needs of young people across Life-Space domains, assess the safety and therapeutic value of care environments, and practice using everyday events to promote positive development.

FAM1060 Therapeutic Programming

Creating and delivering programs that benefit young people is a core skill area of child and youth care practitioners. Students assess strengths and needs from which appropriate goals are developed. Students select and sequence activities to create a goal oriented, theory-based, barrier-free program for a young person. Through observation, application of concepts, role play and class discussion students develop their ability to create and deliver programs that contribute to the healthy development of young people.

FAM1087 Trauma and Abuse

Childhood trauma, abuse and neglect can be the lived experience of many young people and families served by child and youth care practitioners. Students cultivate their advocacy skills and use reflective practice to explore various ways young people experience and heal from trauma. Through lectures, learning applications and group work, students investigate risk factors, intervention strategies, documentation processes, legal reporting requirements and healing-centered engagement practices.

Pre-requisites: FAM0077 and FAM1064

FAM1275 Field Practice 2

Extended time with a child and youth care organization allows students to increase fluency of skills and scope of responsibilities in the field. Students increase the depth of their experience by taking on additional responsibilities in the field placement setting. Students continue to develop engagement and programming skills, and with guidance, select and implement strength-based intervention techniques. Personal, professional, and clinical goals are refined as students continue to develop an increased awareness of their unique professional child and youth care identity.

Pre-requisites: FAM1075

Co-requisites: FAM0064

GED0476 General Education Elective

Students choose one course, from a group of general education electives, which meets one of the following five theme requirements: Arts in Society, Civic Life, Social and Cultural Understanding, Personal Understanding, and Science and Technology.

Equivalencies: ARC9001 or DSN2001 or ENL7643 or ENV0002 or FIN2300 or GED1896 or GED5002 or GED5004 or GED5005 or GED5006 or GED5009 or GED5200 or GED5300 or GED6022 or GEN1001 or GEN1957 or GEN2000 or GEN2003 or GEN2007 or HIS0001 or HIS2000 or HOS2228 or LIB1982 or MGT7330 or MVM8800 or PSI0003 or RAD2001

ENL2028 Research Writing for Evidence-Based Programming

Effective research, critical thinking, writing and documentation skills are essential for developing programming and projects that meet the needs of a variety of clients in the field of child and youth care. Working with a partner, students research, summarize, evaluate, compare and reference academic sources related to the field of child and youth care to produce current and reliable professional projects, including a literature review.

Pre-requisites: ENL1813

FAM0087 Field Practice Supervision 3

Professional child and youth care practitioners are expected to engage in ongoing critical reflection, self-inquiry, and professional development. Students build upon established peer supervision skills with an emphasis on leadership skills related to facilitating group supervision and self-inquiry. They present and discuss practice-related issues that illustrate their knowledge of equitable, inclusive, and professional child and youth care practice. Students receive and analyze peer feedback and integrate these recommendations into their practice at field placements.

Pre-requisites: FAM0064

Co-requisites: FAM1276

FAM1081 Group Work

Working in a group milieu is a key component in child and youth care practice. Students explore the process of establishing therapeutic groups, the skills required for effective group facilitation, and how to design and evaluate a group program. Students design, facilitate, and evaluate a psychoeducational group that they implement in a multi-week lab. Through participation in the lab, students observe and document group development, facilitate a group session, and experience the role of group members. Through self-reflection and applied practice, students acquire the skills necessary to develop and facilitate therapeutic groups.

FAM1269 Substance Abuse

Child and youth care practitioners frequently work with young people experiencing challenges with addictions. Students gain basic knowledge regarding substance abuse, addiction, and recovery. Students explore their values and attitudes about the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol. Special emphasis is placed on intervention strategies with youth. Students gain insight, awareness, and the understanding necessary to interact positively with youth experiencing addiction and their families.

FAM1270 Assessment and Intervention Planning

Child and youth care practitioners use strength-based assessment methods to develop goals, to design care and intervention plans, and to select intervention techniques that are responsive to the strengths, development and holistic needs of children, youth and their families. With an emphasis on trauma informed care and respecting a young person's inherent right to self-determine, students learn a variety of strength-based assessment methods and intervention models that can be applied in a variety of contexts to promote optimal development and mental wellness. Using experiential and practical application exercises students apply advanced intervention skills.

Pre-requisites: FAM1064

FAM1276 Field Practice 3

Exposure to more complex child and youth care settings supports the development of advanced skills through the integration of theory and practice. This placement experience challenges students to apply foundational child and youth care skills in more complex settings. Students build upon their existing strengths and professional CYC characteristics while expanding upon personal, professional, and clinical skills. The emphasis is on the student's understanding of community systems, interprofessional practice and the application of trauma-informed interventions. Students refine relational practice skills and select and apply advanced skills in their placement setting with children, youth, and families.

Pre-requisites: FAM1275

Co-requisites: FAM0087

FAM0014 Group Program Design

Group programming is a valuable tool for Child and Youth Care practitioners to help meet the needs of children and youth. Students apply their knowledge of participant selection, program design and evaluation, and group facilitation to develop a multi-session group program on a topic of their choice, grounded in current research. Working in partners, with individualized support from the course instructor, students complete a series of workshops and assignments that result in a program manual marketable to social services and the community.

Pre-requisites: ENL2028 and FAM1081

FAM0042 Field Practice 4

Supervised practice at the level of a graduate affirms work-place readiness for the child and youth care practitioner. This culminating placement experience prepares students for employment in the child and youth care field. In the placement setting, students apply vocational skills at an employment-ready level, indicative of an understanding of each child, youth, and family's unique life space, ecology, and social location. Final personal, professional, and clinical goals are set and evaluated with an emphasis on system navigation, advocacy, strength-based assessment, intervention, and interprofessional collaboration.

Pre-requisites: FAM1276

Co-requisites: FAM0088

FAM0088 Field Practice Supervision 4

Employment-ready child and youth care practitioners are required to consistently apply facilitation, leadership, collaboration, reflective practice, and self-inquiry skills. Students display proficiency in peer supervision, critical reflection, ethical decision- making and leadership skills. Students lead discussions that focus on the cumulative integration of theory into equitable and inclusive child and youth care practice.

Pre-requisites: FAM0087

Co-requisites: FAM0042

FAM1089 Professional Issues and Development

Child and youth care practitioners practise within agency and professional guidelines. Students develop the knowledge and skills to advocate, deal with ethical dilemmas and become job ready. The exploration of current professional issues in the community builds a bridge between academics and securing employment in the field.

FAM1096 Family Interventions

Child and youth care practitioners are integrated in the support provided to families in various milieus. The impact of culture, privilege and attachments on the family unit is explored. Students apply a strengths-based relational approach in response to the diverse needs of young people and their families. Students practise using an ecological perspective to assess key issues that impact families and to practise skills that facilitate the involvement of all family members in their goals and intervention plans. Through case analysis and simulations, students advocate for family services and support families in their understanding of the roles of the systems and services which they are accessing.

Pre-requisites: FAM1270

FAM1100 Outdoor Activities 2: Winter Camping

Time outdoors and in nature has many benefits for both physical and mental health. Promoting optimal healthy development for young people and their families includes providing them opportunities to experience various outdoor activities in all weather conditions. In teams, students create and co-facilitate winter outdoor activities, applying previously acquired skills in budgeting, planning, facilitating, and modifying therapeutic and recreational programming for various skill levels while adhering to safety procedures for winter weather conditions. Students attend an immersive, multi-day overnight winter camping experience where they participate in many activities through demonstrations and skill practice sessions building their leadership skills in overnight programming and winter outdoor activities.