Relationships

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IV              RELATIONSHIPS

Description of the Domain

Genuine relationships are a critical area of influence based on empathy and positive regard for children, youth and families when promoting optimal development.  Forming and maintaining relationships is regarded as a central change strategy in Child and Youth Care practice. This domain addresses learning outcomes for caring, teamwork, use of activities, engagement and professional relationships.

A       Knowledge Foundations

The graduate should have knowledge and comprehension of the following areas in order to achieve the learning outcomes within this domain.

1. Characteristics of healthy interpersonal relationships
2. Characteristics of a helping relationship
3. Individual counseling and communication skills
4. Activities of daily living
5. Principles of activity programming
6. Therapeutic use of activities for enhancing development
7. Nutrition: Canada Food Guide
8. First Aid, fire safety
9. Principles of the therapeutic milieu
10. Team development and roles
11. Principles of experiential learning
12. Strategies to build a professional support network

B      Caring

The child and youth care worker (recent graduate) values caring for others as an essential component for emotional growth, developing social competence, and promoting healthy development (NACP attitude 7) (outcome)

Graduates understand that relationships are developed in a safe and nurturing environment and they teach basic self-care skills to their clients, ensuring that their physical health and safety are protected. They demonstrate a caring attitude by placing the child at the centre of their day-to-day practice and encourage the child to care for others. (Alberta. Basic Care) (clarification)

Elements of Performance:

The child and youth practitioner:

1. Demonstrates that the child’s health, safety and well being are foremost in care provision (Alb)
2. Demonstrates affection and physical contact which is sensitive to cultural and human diversity as well as the  (NACP 2C)
3. Responds to help-seeking behavior while encouraging and promoting several alternatives for the healthy expression of needs and feelings (NACP 2b3)
4. Implements daily routines as both a mechanism for life skill development and a means of ensuring a stable. safe and nurturing environment.(Alb)
5. Modifies the therapeutic milieu to address the child’s needs within the context of the group. (Alb)
6. Plans for and designs activities related to good hygiene, healthy eating habits, physical recreation and other factors contributing to a healthy lifestyle. (Alberta)
7. Designs and maintains inviting, hygienic and well repaired physical environments, equipment and supplies which positively support activities of daily living, hence caring and concern. (NACP 5d)
   

C      Engagement

Child and youth care workers (recent graduates) engage in active development of therapeutic relationships and genuinely develop an empathetic understanding of the perspective of another, be it client, family, co-worker, community member or fellow professional. (outcome)

Therapeutic relationships involve a connection, alliance, or association with children, youths, families, and /or other service recipients, and providers which is purposeful, goal-directed and rehabilitative in nature and limited to the delivery of specific service. (Ontario VS glossary) While the primary focus in the work of the discipline is the therapeutic nature of the relationship, practitioners are genuinely interested in relating to others-no matter if there is a purpose or not. (clarification)

Elements of Performance

The child and youth practitioner:

1. Demonstrates that effective therapeutic relationships are focused on the here and now of day to day care and develops relationships with service recipients that are caring, purposeful, goal directed and rehabilitative in nature: limiting these relationships to the delivery of specific services. (nacp 2d rel dev) (Alb. Rel)
2. Demonstrates the capability of being a dynamic, available and accessible presence (Quebec 405-1)- based on congruence, genuineness and authenticity
3. Applies relational strategies such as consideration, safety, trust, availability and empathy (405-17)
4. Assists clients to identify personal issues and make effective and healthy choices (NACP?f)
5. Modifies decision making authority and responsibility with children and youth in a manner that is appropriate to the developmental status of the child/youth. (h)

D     Use of Activities

The child and youth worker (recent graduate) selects recreational activities and day-to-day life experiences that are opportunities for developing relationships, engaging the child or youth in social learning and developing competence in new areas. (outcome)

Elements of Performance

The child and youth practitioner:

1. Adapts skills for building relationships to a variety of therapeutic situations and in response to the child or youth’s unique mental health issues and cultural circumstances. (Ministry)
2. Makes conscious use of relationship to create changes in the child’s pattern of interpersonal interactions within the day to day environment. (Alb skills env)
3. Recognizes “teachable moments” and effectively utilizes events/situations that offer opportunities for social learning.
4. Re-arranges and re-designs the milieu so that learning situations arise.
5. Selects community based opportunities for formal and informal recreation and social interaction that promotes competency for the child and develops community supports.
   

E      Teamwork

The child and youth care worker (recent graduate) demonstrates the ability to work with multi-disciplinary teams and programming teams, assuming responsibility for collective duties and decisions as well as representing the child and youth care perspective on the team. (adapt Ontario VS) (outcome)

Elements of Performance

The child and youth practitioner:

1. Explains and maintains appropriate boundaries with professional colleagues (nacp 4 b)
2. Demonstrates an ability to establish and maintain effective relationships within a team environment by: Acting professionally; negotiating and resolving conflict; acknowledging and respecting cultural and human diversity; and supporting team members.(NACP,2h)
3. Assumes responsibility for collective duties and decisions including responding to team member feedback. (NACP4c)
4. Builds cohesion among team members through active participation in team building initiatives. (NACP4 e)
5. Understands and completes the various tasks required of him/her as a group members (ONTARIO VS 22)
6. Contributes his/her own ideas, opinions and information while demonstrating respect for others (Ministry 22)
   

F      Professional relationships

The child and youth worker (recent graduate) demonstrates an understanding of integrated service delivery by working in partnership with other professionals and community organizations. (Alberta) (outcome)

Elements of Performance

The child and youth care practitioner:

1. Establishes and maintains a connection, alliance or association with other service providers to enhance quality of service (NACP)
2. Encourages collaborative participation by professionals, client and family and community to share responsibility for client outcomes.
3. Develops and maintain relationships with community members and neighbors in order to identify community standards and expectations for behavior that enable children , youth and family to maintain existing relationships (nacp 2j)
4. Assesses the social ecology of clients by identifying relevant systems, identifying and describing the relationships, rules and roles in the child’s social systems and developing connections among the people in the child’s various social systems. (nacp 3 b Family comm.)