Course Description
This course examines current issues of risk in the lives of children and youth. Students will analyze areas of practice using theoretical frameworks explored in CYCC 3520 and will develop interventions appropriate to the risk issue. Students will demonstrate competence in real or simulated examples of risk situations using professional knowledge, skills, values and styles.
Course Content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course.
- An understanding of risk, protective and resiliency factors in the lives of children and youth in general with specific reference to:
- Ethnicity and culture
- Gender differences
- Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender
- Poverty
- Knowledge of current risk issues in the lives of children and youth such as:
- Pregnancy
- Depression
- HIV/AIDS
- Homelessness
- Contributions of risk research to the design of successful interventions
- A beginning understanding of assessment and intervention in areas such as:
- Emotional and behavioural disorders
- Autistic spectrum disorders
- Schizophrenia
- Depression
- Suicide
- Youth violence
- Family counselling models, including:
- Multigenerational Family Therapy
- Structural Family Therapy
- Strategic Family Therapy
- Conjoint Family Therapy
- Expressive therapies, including:
- Policies and regulations affecting specific areas of CYC practice have an impact on the lives of children and youth at risk
- Duty to report
- Parental rights/children’s rights in policy and legislation
- Responsibilities of CYC practitioner in a variety of child and youth care settings
- Integration of knowledge of theory, knowledge of self and current generic practice in the development of a personal theory of CYC counselling.
Means of Assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations.
Typical means of evaluation may include a combination of written research assignments, case evaluation, testing, and group presentations.
This is a Graded Course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Discuss current issues of risk in the lives of children and youth
- Articulate current child and youth care practice in response to risk issues in the lives of children and youth
- Articulate the relevance of their practice philosophy to current field issues and the organizations in the field of child and youth care (CYC)
- Describe themselves as child and youth care practitioners in terms of their personal philosophy of change
- Evaluate their own personal assumptions and areas of personal bias in relationship to issues affecting children and youth.
Textbook Materials
Textbooks and Materials to be Purchased by Students
Thompson, C.L., Rudolph, L.B. and Henderson, D. (6th ed.) (2004). Counselling Children. Pacific Grove: Brooks/Cole.
Allen-Meares, P. and Fraser, M. (2004). Interventions with Children and Adolescents: An Interdisciplinary Perspective. Boston: Pearson.
(or similar textbook)