DISCUSSION
Below you will find a brief summary of some of the topics raised, or discussed, on CYC-NET during September.
As always, if you want to pick up on a previous discussion, or re-visit a topic, you should feel free to raise it again in the discussion group. After all, it is your discussion group. We realize that his summary is only that, a summary. We are only trying to give you an idea of the discussion of the past month, not to reproduce it. And we have kept any editorial opinions to a minimum.
Outreach identification
One member, representing a team, asked CYC-Net members for input in to
the question of whether or not the workers should wear jackets, marked
Outreach, when they were on the street. Responses varied from suggesting
that youth may not like the identification if they want to talk to an
out reach worker, to the fact that someone else could easily imitate the
jacket and thereby take advantage of youth through deception. Someone
else suggested that we ask the youth their preference. This seemed to be
one of those issues where the pros- and the cons- were equally balanced,
requiring the exercise of sound judgement, and ultimately, personal
values.
Chat rooms
A reader, concerned about the possible impact or influence of chat-rooms
on youth wrote expressing her interested in investigating this
possibility and asking for readers inputs. As one reader responded, "As
caregivers it is up to us to ensure that they use the web constructively
and that we provide supervision as well as options for non computer
based social interaction, teach them about life away from the screen."
Another reader suggested a site which deals with the issue of
internet-related personal problems, including addiction
(www.netaddiction.com). It was also noted that there is some interesting
material on Internet safety, a European perspective, from a conference
held by the Centre for Europe's Children on 9/9/98. It is at
http://Eurochild.gla.ac.uk/
CYC-Net mentor class
On Sept 06, 1999, the first Mentor Class exercise was introduced to
CYC-Net, with Penny Parry as the responding mentor. Due to the number of
new members joining in September, the response time was extended by one
week.
A book - lost and found
A subscriber wrote asking for copies of the classic book by Fritz Redl
and David Wineman: Controls From Within (ISBN 0-202-36033-4).
If anyone has copies I am sure he’s still looking.
From the comments of others it seems that he is not the only one looking for this classic. The Ohio Association for Child and Youth Care Professionals, Inc. (http://www.helpingohiokids.org) training foundation, TRAIN, Inc. has over two cases of this fine text, Redl and Wineman's Controls from Within, for sale. Cost is $20.00US plus shipping. If you are interested, please contact OACYCP at info@helpingohiokids.org or webmaster@helpingohiokids.org.
While this book may be hard to find another was recommended which draws on the works of Redl and Wineman Residential treatment of adolescents and children : Issues, principles, and techniques by Stein, J.A. (1995), published by Nelson Hall. ISBN: 0830413782
Swearing
Youths’ swearing. Does it bother you? It did one youth care worker so
she wrote looking for other peoples reaction to what she experienced as
excessive swearing in her program. Someone responded that this might be
related to the culture which has developed in the program suggesting
that perhaps it is 'just the tip of the iceberg’. Someone else suggested
that when we work with kids in group care we enter in to their space and
this is a part of the reality of that space. Some others suggested that
the swearing is perhaps a reflection of the world from which they come
and in to which they will return. In keeping with this a number of
writers suggested that the swearing is the least of our concerns and
should not be a primary focus of our interventions. One suggested that
focussing on respectful ways of living in community and not being
abusive towards each other, gives meaning to the attitude behind some
forms of swearing. As well, it was suggested that we need to help young
people understand how they will be perceived by others.
Not all writers agreed that there should be a limited focus on the swearing — for some it was seen as very inappropriate. As one writer put it, to ignore the swearing is to encourage the youth to have difficulties in other areas of their life, especially if such swearing is habitual. As he said, ignoring tends to work when the swearing is for reaction and not a part of the acceptable norm of the place or habitual on the part of the user. Another writer suggested that it is our responsibility to set boundaries with youth and we need to be careful that we do not allow the temptation of "being with them" to cause us to throw out the value of good values. There are many other ways to "be with them" and still set reasonable limits.
And finally, one reader suggested that it is a matter of moderation and context as with any behaviour. There is a difference between the group setting and one to one conversations — swearing may not be permissable in general group living, but may be totally ok when having a candid one to one conversation with a child ... which stimulated the original writer to end the month with a comment that she was still confused and she was requesting help in deciding when one should focus on something and when one should let it go.
The discussion continued ...
Negative symbols
The discussion on swearing prompted on reader to ask how programs deal
with negative symbols representing such things as racism, sexism, etc.
in their work with youth. Someone responded suggesting that this all has
to do with the creation of a 'safe’ program for youth and staff. A
further comment noted that we can only put limitations on the things we
as a team or residents in our program find offensive, negative or
degrading; we certainly cannot control or have limits on what the
adolescents do or see outside of our presence.
Music
One subscriber connected the issue of youth swearing to the types of
music they listen to, raising as well the question of the images and
stereotypes about other issues such as sexism and racism which might be
conveyed in some music. In her program they restrict such music because
of these reasons.
Physical interventions
One subscriber put out a request for information on models of physical
intervention used in programs. Information was sought on a number of
issues, including restraint and the use of isolation rooms? One response
highlighted the Safe Physical Management Technology training and
interested readers were invited to connect with the author directly.
Because of the current relevance of this topic, we
asked Nick Smiar of the University of Wisconsin at Eau Clair to respond.
His full response to the initial question is reproduced in a separate
chapter of this month's issue:
PART –
Physical Assault Response Training.
Where are the men?
A reader wrote sharing his perception that there are very few males
teaching pre-school and he wondered if others might shed some light on
this phenomenon. One subscriber suggested that it is the fact that the
pay is next to nothing and society doesn't value working with children,
which caused another writer to ask if he was suggesting that the reason
why there are so many females in the field is because they like
lower-paid, lower-status jobs? The original writer explained that what
he meant was that most men do not value youth today or see that
care-giving is a high priority. Someone else asked for a clarification
of why the original writer thought that men did not value children.
One writer commented that there is a belief that is being fostered in western societies that men are not nurturing and do not care about children and families, I think. This belief takes many forms and it is being actively promoted for various political and social reasons by different individuals and groups.
Another said that if we look back over history, you will see that women have had many doors completely closed to them, and when women opened various professional doors, "we were met with hostility, wariness, and occassionally abuse". The writer was also prompted to ask of the initial writer if he feels "discriminated against because you are a man because there are mostly women in this field? Do you feel your pay is on a lesser scale than a woman with the same abilities?"
The final comment for this month comes from Heather
who reminded us that this is just one of the many areas in which women
and men act differently. Areas of work often have a lot more of one
gender than another, but it affects almost every area of life. It's all
about how we socialize children in society ... none of this will change
until we all look at this issue and change the way we do things.
Models of practice
A subscriber wrote asking about models of practice. Like many of us he
finds that his education tends to focus on models of practice from the
traditional counselling field and he is frustrated by his lack of
exposure to models for youth care practice. He was looking for input to
help connect himself to more appropriate models.
Distance education
A writer from Zambia wrote looking for addresses of
colleges/universities which offer courses related to social work by
correspondence. Four replies suggested the writer consider the following
programs: School of Social Work at the University of Victoria in BC
Canada,
www.hsd.uvic.ca/sw/sw.htm; The University of South Africa; Ryerson
University in Toronto, Canada,
http://www.ryerson.ca and the University of Waterloo in Ontario,
Canada http://dce.uwaterloo.ca/
Cameras in our work
Someone wrote in sharing a thought he had about picture-taking as a
shared activity with youth and wondered if anyone had any experience
with this as an activity. It seems that cameras are not foreign to youth
care work and a number of writers indicated how they had used them,
including taking pictures of each youth who came to a program and
creating a 'wall of fame’; recording and sharing pictures of special
events or moments, taking many pictures throughout a youths stay and
giving each departing youth a picture album of her/his stay as a memory
book.
Below are two of the responses received, posted here in greater detail,
because of how they emphasize the manner in which the use of photographs
might help to establish a sense of history for a person.
Lifebooks
One of the uses of photography not mentioned was the creation of life
books for persons who come into the care system and who will never know
their families as they will be permanent wards or adopted children.
In Alberta, the Social Services Dept. creates lifebooks for as many of these children as possible. The books contain not only any photos that the worker may be able to collect of the child and of the family of origin but also letters and notes to the child from care providers who provided care during the child's upbringing. The book is given to the child at 18 yrs.
Often the book contains medical and historical
information that the child would otherwise lose.
For the men that I care for we have created photo albums that contain
pictures of significant events in their lives. These are their albums
and contain their pictures. Events include special olympics
participation, friends met at camp, trips, etc. We also have a small
supply of disposable cameras that we give to them for their use. The
pictures that they take are all included in their albums and the ones
that they select are enlarged for their rooms.
***
Photo history
I think that photos help to anchor us in place and time. They assist us
to establish an identity and provide some benefits to the possessor of
such images that help create resiliency in people. An interesting
project currently on the table in BC matches a cyc student with a child
in care. The task is to track down and/or create a photo history for the
youth. The pictures might consist of parents, siblings, families, foster
homes, workers, friends etc. Too often in the past a child would be
moved from one home to another with little remaining of the
relationships and connections built in the previous home. Even clothes
and favorite toys were often left behind. Now each child will possess an
album of their own which will move with them. It seems only a natural
next step that the youth begin to take some photos for themselves.
Writers were sensitive to two particular issues which might arise in the use of cameras: there are issues of confidentiality and consent which might be involved and some youth may react in a non-positive manner to having their pictures taken and this could be pursued in terms of what it means about their previous experiences, or their experience of themselves.
Child and youth care work with families
In one program the team is having a discussion about the role of youth
care workers in working with families: should they be uninvolved? Should
they only do certain tasks under the direction of a social worker, or
should they have a more complete role in interventions with families?
Several responses indicated that the role of youth care work with
families is as varied as could be, ranging from dealing from behavior
management, parenting techniques, to trauma counseling, wife/ child
assault, etc. More than one writer commented that the role of the youth
care worker is different, but equal to, that of the social worker and
that we need to remember that the youth care worker’s role is focused on
the youth as the entry point for family work. The work is not about
territory but about a philosophy and an approach to the care of children
and youth. As one writer said ... the bottom line is that often
our "professional roles" get in the way of the humanness or human
dynamics of "normal" co-creative connection devoid of position and
status power.
School avoidance
A reader wrote in with a question regarding adolescents refusing to go
to school. She noted that in their program school attendance is
considered mandatory and that while they have begun to implement an
incentive program, it appears that those with school avoidance issues
have shown no inclination to respond. It was suggested, by a reader that
we need to assess whether or not a youth’s emotional needs are being met
within the school program. It may be important to understand what is
motivating the students' behavior (avoidance of bullying by other
students at school? a critical or punitive teacher/administrator? boring
and irrelevant education?), rather than responding only to the behavior
(truancy and school refusal). One worker, situated in a special
education program commented that incentive programs are very important
as is meeting the clients special learning needs. Perhaps meetings with
teachers, and clear program support would help. There needs to be very
clear communication with each school, and the program needs to be ready
to back up school expectations. Whether that includes consequences
and/or rewards, the child needs to see the staff team and educators as a
consistent team.
One reader was prompted to comment that "kids no doubt come into your programme because they are not managing their lives too well. Attending school regularly, on the other hand, is a sign of a healthily functioning kid. Maybe there is a mismatch in making regular school attendance a non-negotiable of the programme? Like admitting a kid with a broken leg to an orthopaedic ward but insisting that he take part in sports and gymnastics?"
Some children, a reader suggested, are not
school-ready regardless of their age and perhaps we need to focus on
school readiness, rather than school attendance. Finally, one reader
disagreed with the idea that programs should follow the lead of the
school staff with regard to this issue. He commented that "all too often
we try to take an educational philosophy and try to work with children
who need a treatment philosophy"
Other comments or requests
In this section we mention some of the requests, questions, etc.
which were posted on CYC-NET this past month but which were not
responded to, or had a limited response. We post them here in the hopes
that if you have something to say about one of them, your will post your
response on CYC-NET.
A subscriber repeated her request for information
about the American Youth Work Center.
Another requested information about the possibilities of working as a
cyc in Texas, and how one would go about it. Yet another wants
information on possibly working in New Zealand.
Varda Mann made a request for cyc professionals who
might be interested in making a presentation at the pre-conference
session at the Together 2000 International Child and Youth Care
Conference. The Conference website address is. http://
www.geocities.com/~beardy/
cyc2000.html You can contact Varda at
varda@vax2.concordia.ca
One reader wanted to know if August Aichorn himself was ever analyzed? Or was he (as I seem to recall) a person who studied Freud's ideas but never got on the couch himself?
A subscriber wants to know if there is anything published on case management and adolescents. The book Accountability Case Management by Frances Ricks,Ph.D was recommended by a couple of readers. Frances can be reached at Fricks@uvic.ca
An organization was wanting a classification system for youth care workers according to a common scale and asked cyc-net members for input.
One reader would like information concerning international volunteer opportunities: I am interested in Africa, AIDS research, and at risk youth.
_____
Next month
There were a few questions raised right at the end of the month. Because
the discussion of them will fall in to October, we have held the summary
of the discussion for then. So, jump in.
Brian and Thom