Child and Youth Care (MA)

Major Research Paper

The requirement for MRPs is a 50-page paper on an approved Child and Youth Care (CYC) focused topic that includes a thorough literature review and an original research contribution (which could be a systematic literature review or a small qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods study). MRPs will be guided by an assigned supervisor from amongst the RFA faculty members of the School of Child & Youth Care, and will be evaluated in writing and through an oral defense by the Supervisor and a Second Reader, who could be a CYC faculty member or any Full or Associate member of the Yeates School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This is a “Milestone”

CY8000 Child and Youth Care Internship

Students will complete 225 hours of internship during this course. Advanced practice internships will take place in regulated service settings within Children’s Mental Health, Child Welfare, Education, Hospitals or Community and other major agencies in child and youth serving sectors. Pass/Fail.

CY8001 Child and Youth Care Theory

Theoretical foundations of CYC practice are explored, from its beginnings in allied disciplines to formation of field-specific theoretical and conceptual frameworks. Using classic texts that emerged from the life-space orientation of leaders such as Fritz Redl, Bruno Bettelheim, Al Treischman and Henry Maier, students engage contemporary core concepts including use of Daily Life Events, life-space intervention, relational practice, exploration of Self, Meaning Making and context of interaction. 1 Credit

CY8002 CYC Research Methods

The course enhances research design and analysis skills by focusing on a conceptual understanding of research and evaluation methods utilized in CYC contexts including narrative, appreciative, and critical inquiries, quantitative data collection, management and analysis, and metrics to evaluate broader social impact of program initiatives in child and youth serving settings. Students plan, create and undertake systematic literature review to build evidence for their Major Research Paper. 1 Credit

CY8003 CYC Adv. Therapeutic Practice

A trauma informed perspective focused on attachment, a systemic lens and a narrative approach to engagement forms the foundations of this course. Exposure to various models of clinical supervision including clinical reflecting teams, peer debriefing techniques, simulated “real-world” clinical scenarios and critical self-reflection through video clips and transcripts develops clinical skills to assess and deliver culturally and contextually informed interventions with children and their families. 1 Credit

CY8004 CYC Management and Policy Dev

This course focuses on the roles and responsibilities of program management and leadership in child and youth serving contexts. An explicitly child and youth care-informed approach to management and innovation is explored, and ultimately integrated into social innovation strategies designed to respond to specific mental health, child protection or child and youth well-being contexts. The course explores policy frameworks central to the child and youth serving sector in Ontario and Canada. 1 Credit

CY8005 International CYC Practice

This course examines use and adaptation of core child and youth care concepts like life-space intervention, use of Daily Life Events, and Meaning Making in cultural, socio-economic and resource contexts across the globe. Students explore theoretical frameworks of Isibindi (South Africa), Social Pedagogy (Germany), and professional and organizational CYC landscape in US, UK, Ireland and elsewhere. This course facilitates international placement opportunities for interested students. 1 Credit

CY8006 Supervision in CYC Practice

This course provides a comprehensive understanding of life-space approaches to supervision consistent with relational practice, so that graduates can provide effective supervision to direct care practitioners in a range of settings. The course enhances students’ knowledge of effective supervisory practice, emphasizes the use of momentary encounters to help practitioners develop skills needed within each working context and examines impact of culture, context and self on the supervisory process. 1 Credit

CY8007 Online Relational CYC Practice

Incorporating ecological-cyber systems framework and a children’s rights perspective, students examine the potential of cyberspace for intervention in the life-space of children, youth and families. Supervised online counselling simulations push students beyond the theoretical to develop cyber counselling and online relationship building skills. Strengths and limitations of electronic modalities and ethical issues like confidentiality, privacy, boundaries, and informed consent are investigated. 1 Credit

CY8008 Social Innovation in CYC

This course explores emergent social innovation concepts of collaboration, transcending deeply embedded problem structures and processes, landscape approaches to inter-professional and cross-jurisdictional work, social finance, ethical dilemmas in change-making and implications of increasing partnerships between public/non-profit and private sectors. The focus is on embedding innovation and change-oriented practices, fluid team structures and managing multi-layered complexity in CYC systems. 1 Credit

CY8009 Children’s Rights in Practice

This course examines the substantive and procedural implications of children’s rights upon practice in the field of child and youth care. Exploration includes consideration of therapeutic practice, research, management and policy through elements like language, rights-based approaches, processes, structures and monitoring results. Understanding and critical analysis of CYC issues will be advanced, implications identified, and appropriate follow-up explored from a child rights-based approach. 1 Credit

CY8010 Directed Studies in CYC

Students arrange to work with an individual faculty member on a course designed to pursue readings and learning in a specific area relevant to child and youth care. 1 Credit

CY8011 Critical Ethical Practice

Drawing from child and youth care (CYC) and allied disciplines, this course applies equitable, ethical practice principles to assessment, intervention, and program planning in healthcare, education, child welfare, criminal justice, community and recreational settings.

CYCCB Standards for Practice of North American CYC Professionals are introduced through varied lenses: Indigenous and Africentric paradigms, feminist and critical race-theories, politicized praxis and radical youth work principles. 1 credit.

CY8012 Therapeutic Practice Internship

This course explores student’s experiences in community-based placements through 225 placement hours. As emerging practitioners, students will critically assess organization mandate and culture, and identify and understand themes that arise within the placement agency at the case and organizational levels within a CYC practice framework. Students begin to develop an understanding of culturally and contextually responsive interventions that inform pathways to intentional and meaningful change. 1 credit.

CY8013 Power & Resistance in Child & Youth Care

This course critically explores how historical and current relations of power undergird social structures, institutions, and practices in Canada and examines their relations to CYC. Discussions and readings expose issues that span identities of race, gender, gender and sexual identities and orientations, cultural and religious expressions, social class and abilities/dis-abilities. Students will grapple with the multiple entanglements and ‘messiness’ inherent in exploring these discourses. 1 credit