A child and youth care professional can be described as a juxtaposition; an emotionally tough job with challenges, but incredibly rewarding and inspiring at the exact same time. Upon interviewing a child and youth care professional with 4 years of experience working in a group home, named Sarah Bakelaar at the Arrow Lodge in Edmonton, Alberta, on September 16th, 2015 at 3:30pm, it was evident that these workers require exceptional skills to help their clients. Arrow Lodge group home is an initiative through McMan Youth Family and Community Services Association throughout Alberta, serving the community by supporting individuals to reach their full potential. This particular Group Home, Arrow Lodge serves to provide a home to an all male clientele from the ages of 15-18 years of age. …show more content…
The staff members aim to help in areas such as, harm-reduction; especially for those involved in drugs, alcohol and gangs. Ms. Bakelaar indicated that many of the youth at the home were court-ordered and had a curfew as per the court. Since youth often feel comfortable and feel safe at this home, they willingly stay for extended periods of time.
Group homes tend to have a positive impact throughout the community. The effect of this particular group home that was interviewed, stated that the staff help by keeping youth out of trouble, safe and occupied. Focusing on growth and development, a common characteristic used by Child and Youth Care Professionals, is done at the Arrow Lodge by providing youth with extra-curricular activities, and engaging in sports with the youth. It was indicated that in order to create a bond with the youth, it was important to find out what they activities they enjoyed to keep them preoccupied as well as develop a sense of
The job of a child welfare worker appears to be a demanding profession that promotes the child’s safety, but also strengthens the family organization around them in order to successfully raise the children. This child welfare workers work in the system known as the Child Protective Services whose initiative is to protect the overall welfare of the child. The short novel From the Eye of the Storm: the Experiences of a Child Welfare Worker by Cynthia Crosson-Tower demonstrates the skills necessary to deal with the practice of social work along with both its challenges and its happy moments. The novel consists of some of the cases involving Tower’s actual career in social work. In reading the book, I was able to experience some of the actual cases in which children dealt with physical and mental abuse from their families that caused them to end up within the system. Also, some of these children had issues in adapting to foster and adoptive families based on the issues they faced earlier in life. As we have learned earlier in the course, the violence that a child experiences early in life has an overall affect on the person they become as they grow into adulthood. When children deal with adverse childhood experiences, they are at a higher risk for abusing drugs and/or alcohol, increased likelihood of abusing their own child or spouse, higher rates of violent and nonviolent criminal behavior, along with several other issues throughout their lifespan.
The reason for this program is to use innovative approaches in developing programs, which will teach youth alternatives to violence, substance abuse, anger issues, low self-esteem, and the consequences as a result of making bad choices. During, the program non-violence, team building, leadership development and communication skills is promoted. A neutral and positive setting is provided for young people, so they are able to come together from different gangs throughout the city to work on their issues and programs together. When a youth is referred to the program they have an Intake-Assessment with the family. “Together, a Program Contract/Service Plan will be developed based on the individual needs of the youth/family. If the youth is on probation/parole all requirements of the courts will be incorporated into their contract. Services offered are case management, mediation, innovative focus groups, presentations, collaboration with other youth service organizations, and attendance at court hearings” (Stop ABQ Gangs,
Group homes serve as a form of intervention for juvenile offenders, usually court ordered and less restrictive than other residential placement facilities and foster care placements, in which the juvenile is under 24-hour supervision (Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, n.d.).
I attended a support group at 204 S Beverly Drive 116 Beverly Hills, CA 90212. The support group takes place every Tuesday from 6PM-8PM. If a team member cannot make it on Tuesday they can also attend on Saturday from 9AM-11AM. I attended a domestic violence class. The counselor name is Dr. Gordon, his License Marriage and Family Therapist. Dr. Gordon provides the following support group domestic abuse, domestic violence, emotional disturbance, Grief, Internet Addiction, and narcissistic personality and online anger courses and self-esteem. Once you enter the office there is coaches and it feels very comfortable. The instructor was sitting on his desk going over roll call and charging the fee. Once he finished roll call and charging he
The Youth Counselor is a certified therapist originally from Attawapiskat. This team member has an understanding and sensitivity to indigenous issues after growing up in Attawapiskat and working for Indigenous Affairs in Whitehorse, Yukon. This candidate was selected for both personal experience in Attawapiskat and for extensive experience in mental health.
Therefore due to previous interaction, I decided to study the leadership of the Brantwood Children’s Home here in Montgomery, Alabama. Brantwood is a well-known children’s home that provides a place of stability, safety, and structure for abused, neglected, and at-risk children (About Us: Brantwood Children's Home, 2013). There are several types of residential programs that are available through Brantwood such as the basic residential treatment program; the transitional living program; and the independent living program. For each individual program there are age group restriction along with other restrictions. Brantwood also have an on-site educational program for grades 5th through 8th grade. According to the text book from my understanding, Brantwood is an example of the fourth type of organization that was presented.
To help measure the success of its program, medical management of the Pilgrim Center decided to evaluate 162 residents of its programs, both adolescent and adult, who left the facility between 1976 and 1995.This private residential treatment facility provides beds to 24 patients. It operates under contract with the Department of Youth Services (DYS). During its years of providing services to adolescents, the Pilgrim Center implemented a number of positive and productive components that provide services to juvenile delinquents and their families. Mandatory therapy is required for all residents and their families. There is also a special-needs school on the grounds that include vocational shops in automotive repair, woodworking, and
This paper will establish the group contract of the family group and for fostering group cohesion, and shaping norms within the family group. This paper will discuss specific behaviors to be changed by group members, activities the family can engage in the family group that are fun, and specific ways the family can demonstrate love and belonging to each other. In addition, other information to be discussed is Choice Therapy and Reality Therapy and how they may apply to the group and this will be discussed in the week three videos. Furthermore, when looking at the group Guy needs to work on self-esteem issues, Beatrice needs to learn to be assertive and Katherine (Kat) needs to learn to deal with her emotions.
In conclusion children leaving care should be safe, healthy and provided with support, equal opportunities and make positive contributions in society. Services, resources and the process of leaving care has improved alongside the after care support due to the Children and Young Persons act 2008. However, wide spread abuse and failures in care are still experienced within the care system.
The Provincial Advocate For Children And Youth. Feathers of Hope. Compiled by The Provincial Advocate For Children And Youth. Toronto: n.p., 2014. Accessed May 21, 2014. http://digital.provincialadvocate.on.ca/i/259048.
Child welfare and family services: Policies and practices, USA: Parson Education Inc. Garbarino, J. (1992) The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary' of the 'Secon Children and Families in the Social Environment, New York, NY: Walter De Gruyter, Inc. Walls, J. (2005). The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary The Glass Castle, New York, NY: SCRIBNER.
I had applied for a job at Catholic Guardian society; in 2001 I did get the job. It was working with young girls in a group home, place there by the court. A group home is a place that children are sent to, once in foster care. A child can be in a group homes for many reasons; such as running away from home, not going to school and getting being arrested. I work every shift that was allowed, sometime doing doubles. When I started the job, I learn my way around fast. My partner was Michelle S.; she was great she began working there three years before me. Our primary job was to ensure the safety of these girls; their age would range from twelve through twenty-one. Our supervisor was great or so I thought. I soon realized that she was a horrible
Juvenile’s behavior was individually tracked in a log in each cottage on a daily basis. Staff kept track of behavior through shift reports, charts, and incident notes on certain behaviors. Staff were trained differently four MHC staff and two research staff trained extensive for a total of eighty hours from Linehan and colleagues (Trupin, Stewart, Beach, & Boesky, 2002). The rest of the staff from the other cottages received sixteen hours of introductory training to DBT from the Linehan associates along with one to two hours on-site instruction and case consultation throughout the year. A Community Risk Assessment Score was measured at intake and 90 day follow-up. The Massachusetts Youth Screening Instrument (MAYSI) used to screen the mental health symptoms were measured at intake and 90 day follow-up. There were four questions asked in this study and however it brought about a mixed result. This study the MHC reduced their problem behaviors and by reducing the staffs strict and punitive responses. This study should have trained all the staff the same. If they were all trained and implemented the treatment in the same way they could change what did
The majority of youth can be served by these community-based services. Too often incarceration is used as a first step rather than a last resort. By using the money currently spent on incarceration and focusing it on community-based options for treatment and supervision that keep youth close to home should lead to more productive future adults.
In society today, we are working with families and children are more diverse than ever. We are servicing families and children from so many different traditions, beliefs and values. Every family has their own stories. We will find that families and children