Course description
This final practicum course in the program completes the BACYCC degree. It builds on CYCC 4410 where the emphasis continues to be on professional consultation, clinical functioning, ethical practice, and reflective integration of theory and practice. Students are now additionally expected to work independently, show leadership, and integrate supervisor and faculty feedback into their practice.
Course content
The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:
- Practicum provides the student with opportunities to have direct experience with children, youth and families under the supervision of professionals at the placement and Douglas College faculty. By the end of this practicum, students will be working at a level of independence appropriate to professional child and youth care providers in the setting.
- The ability to work in a child and youth care setting and maintain a level of quality work over the course of the whole practicum is a basic expectation of professional practice.
- Child and youth care assessment requires knowledge of general assessment criteria in order to effectively use a field based assessment tool. Fourth year child and youth care students will demonstrate increasing independence in assessment, planning, intervention and evaluation skills and, under supervision, will initiate and organize these activities in their setting.
- Appropriate professional and ethical behaviour in the practicum setting requires a knowledge of professional practice codes of conduct and knowledge of agency and governmental policies. Discussion and analysis of professional and ethical behaviour will focus on ethical dilemmas where several values are often in conflict. In all cases, professional and ethical practice on practicum is a requirement of practice.
- Feedback on practice from experienced supervisors and faculty provides the student with immediate learning in a real setting where learning can be put into action.
- Practitioners develop an understanding of their professional role and learn to understand and appreciate the roles of allied professions. In human services, child and youth care practitioners work with teachers, social workers, psychologists, health professionals and many others in developing a teamwork approach. Experience and discussion provide opportunities to articulate the child and youth care role and the roles of allied professions clearly.
- In this final practicum, child and youth care students will demonstrate increasing levels of responsibility, self-direction and autonomy.
Means of assessment
This course will conform to Douglas College policy regarding the number and weighting of evaluations. Typical means of evaluation would include a combination of:
- Professional development plan
- Self assessment
- Field assessment
- Assignments
This is a letter-graded course.
Instructors may use a student’s record of attendance and/or level of active participation in a course as part of the student’s graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation must be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Develop and implement a learning plan with the site supervisor and course instructor outlining personal goals that reflect professional competencies.
- Establish therapeutic relationships with children, youth, and families that honour their identities, lived experiences, and social contexts.
- Demonstrate increasing levels of responsibility and self-direction within their practicum site, practicing according to anti-oppressive and trauma-informed principles.
- Integrate relevant theory in their practice by designing and facilitating site-specific activities and initiatives.
- Articulate their own social location and positionality—including the intersections of race, class, gender, culture, and colonization—and critically examine how these shape their perspectives, biases, and relational practices in the field.
- Seek out and incorporate feedback from children and youth, site supervisors, and course instructors in ways that demonstrate CYC perspectives.
Textbook materials
Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.