The Role of the Child and Youth Care Practitioner

Introduction to the Child and Youth Care Practitioner Role

Child and youth care is a growing field focused on supporting children, youth, and families. The transition from being a student to a professional practitioner can be a period of anxiety and significant learning, with specific developmental stages that new practitioners typically experience.

Case File: Richard's Experience

Richard, a graduate of a 3-year Child and Youth Care (CYC) program, secured his first job in a residential group home after conducting field placements in school and residential settings. He was part of a team responsible for launching a new residential program, an invaluable experience that shaped his initial employment and reinforced the importance of residential settings for new graduates.

Three Stages of Becoming a Child and Youth Care Practitioner

Sheahan et al. (1987) identified three developmental stages for Child and Youth Care Practitioners (CYCPs) in their first job:

1. Finding Work

• Job Search: Upon graduation, new CYCPs begin their job search, leveraging their education and field placement skills.

• Flexibility: While initial preferences may exist for certain milieus (e.g., school-based), practitioners may need to be flexible and consider environments with more available positions.

2. Preparing to Practise

• Shift in Focus: The emphasis shifts from academic learning to accountability for specific client interventions.

• Trial and Error: New workers might feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of intervening in clients' lives and see their approach as trial and error.

• Learning from Mistakes: It is crucial for new CYCPs to adopt a positive view of mistakes, accept them, and learn from them as a necessary part of adapting to the child and youth care profession.

3. Defining the Child and Youth Care Role

• Role Expansion: Professional child and youth care has rapidly expanded from institutional bases to a broad range of programs and services (Ferguson, Pence, & Denholm, 1993).

• Lack of Clarity: Novice workers may struggle with role clarity, finding it difficult to articulate their identity and contributions, especially when other professionals in a setting are unfamiliar with the CYCP mandate.

• Flexibility: Unlike some other professions, the CYCP role offers flexibility, allowing practitioners to adapt their services to meet the real needs of children and families.

Personal and Professional Development Plan (Moscrip & Brown, 2002)

To assist students in transitioning to professional practice, several suggestions are provided:

1. Join a Child Care Association: Provides support, resources, and a professional community for practitioners, many of whom may work alone or one-on-one with clients.

2. Network and Job Search as a Student: Build a support system and professional contact list before graduation.

3. Be Realistic: Understand that learning is a lifelong process; new graduates still have much to learn.

4. Join Mailing Lists: Access information on training seminars, workshops, conferences, and retreats.

5. Seek Feedback: Regularly check in with co-workers and supervisors for feedback, skill development, and self-reflection.

6. Practise Self-Care: Develop interests and friendships outside the field to counteract the exhausting, emotional, and depleting nature of the work. Find balance and ways to recharge.

7. Find a Support System: Connect with people who understand the work, can share highs and lows, offer a listening ear, and exchange ideas.

National Occupational Classification Codes (NOC) and TEER System

• NOC Codes: Historically, every job was classified by a four-number NOC code, describing the industry, education, and skills required, categorized into five skill levels.

• TEER System: In November $2022$, the NOC system transitioned to the Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) classification system, which uses a numerical classification. More information can be found on the Government of Canada website.

• CYCP Classification: Child and Youth Care Practitioners broadly fall under the classification of Social and Community Service Workers (NOC $4212$).

CYCP Employment Settings and Common Duties

CYCPs are employed in diverse environments, and their job titles and specific duties may vary by setting. However, commonalities exist:

Typical Employment Settings:

• Social service and government agencies

• Hospitals

• Schools

• Group homes (residential settings)

• Private families (one-on-one work placements)

• Child protection agencies

Common Duties Across All Milieus:

• Review and understand client case files and intake information.

• Assess clients' strengths and needs.

• Determine an individualized course of action for each client.

• Provide support and guidance.

• Facilitate crisis interventions as needed.

• Make appropriate community referrals.

• Provide support and modeling for activities of daily living.

• Implement strategies for behavioral change and management.

• Work holistically with the family to ensure all members are stakeholders.

• Regularly reassess, review, and update plans.

• Maintain up-to-date and accurate case notes and files.

• Advocate on behalf of clients and model advocacy skills.

• Consult with multidisciplinary teams as required.

CYCP Employment Requirements

To be a qualified CYCP, individuals typically need to complete either:

• A $3$-year college diploma, or

• A $4$-year university degree.

Many colleges offer transfer agreements with universities, allowing students to obtain both a diploma and a degree. Some colleges also provide apprenticeship programs for supervised work experience while studying. Previous employment or volunteer work in similar fields is often considered an asset by employers.

Professional Associations:

• Council of Canadian Child and Youth Care Associations: A national networking organization promoting professional development, advocacy, recognition, and networking for CYCPs through provincial associations (website: https://cyc-canada.org/).

• Each province also has its own regulatory or associational body (e.g., Child and Youth Care Association of Alberta, Ontario Association of Child and Youth Care).

Employment Opportunities

• Interdisciplinary Teams: CYCPs often work as part of multidisciplinary teams alongside social workers, psychologists, recreation therapists, foster care workers, and teachers.

• Advocacy Role: They integrate the efforts of various professionals and are ideally positioned to help children, youth, and families advocate for themselves and take responsibility for their actions due to close, ongoing involvement.

• Comprehensive Knowledge: CYCPs must be familiar with the developmental, educational, emotional, social, and recreational needs of young people and family systems. Knowledge of native culture and language may be required in some settings.

• Labour Market Outlook: Service Canada Labour Market surveys indicate a good outlook for CYCPs across Canada. Between $2019$ and $2028$, community and social service workers are projected to have $67,700$ job openings, with $64,200$ new job seekers to fill them from graduates, immigration, and mobility.

Working as a Child and Youth Care Practitioner in Various Settings

The need for CYCP expertise is expanding as children and families face more challenges. While roles are always evolving, traditional environments include:

1. School-Based Setting

• Role Variation: Responsibilities can vary from supporting a single student (academically or behaviorally) to providing support to multiple students or the entire school.

• Examples from Experience: Heather's initial placement was observational, while her second-year placement required initiative and application of learned skills.

• Responsibilities Include:

  • Ensuring a safe and predictable environment.

  • Maintaining clear communication with students, families, and community professionals.

  • Reporting and documenting all serious occurrences and incidents related to safety.

  • Ensuring treatment components are taught and used within the academic environment.

  • Documenting recordings and treatment plans clearly.

  • Administering medication with clear documentation.

  • Maintaining up-to-date training, including diversity training.

  • Ensuring cultural competence for diverse caseloads.

2. Hospital Setting

• Focus: Often involves immediate and short-term mental health interventions for children and adolescents, focusing on stabilization, assessment, and intensive treatment for urgent emotional difficulties.

• Multidisciplinary Team: CYCPs work with nurses, psychiatrists, dieticians, educational specialists, and psychologists.

• Responsibilities Include:

  • Conducting thorough safety assessments of clients.

  • Ensuring a safe and predictable environment for clients, caregivers, and staff.

  • Being cognizant and respectful of sexual orientation, cultural, and religious beliefs with diverse populations.

  • Maintaining clear communication with clients, families, and community professionals.

  • Reporting and documenting all serious occurrences and incidents.

  • Ensuring treatment components are taught and used within the day-to-day academic environment (if applicable).

  • Providing one-to-one support as needed.

  • Assisting the therapeutic team in client stabilization.

  • Maintaining up-to-date training and seeking opportunities for personal cultural competence.

3. Residential / Group Home Setting

• Intensive Role: This setting comprehensively tests a CYCP's skills due to the significant amount of time spent with residents (day, evening, overnight shifts).

• Observing Behaviors: CYCPs observe behavioral and mood changes related to family visits or weekdays vs. weekends.

• Professional Boundaries & Cultural Competency: Maintaining appropriate professional boundaries is crucial to prevent youth from perceiving the CYCP as a family member. Diverse and extensive cultural competency is essential, as the CYCP essentially becomes a