Child and Youth Care (With Addictions) Support Worker

Program Description

The Child and Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker Program is designed to teach students the necessary practical skills and theory to work with adolescents, children and families with challenging needs such as social, emotional, behavioral and mental health concerns. Students will identify the importance of collaborating with colleagues within their field including educators, medical and social worker professionals, correctional staff and community partners. Networking with these professionals will assist them when implementing appropriate prevention/intervention strategies that inspire change.

As the number of children and teenagers dealing with abuse, poverty, and mental issues grows, the need for qualified child and youth care workers in the province increases. By opting for a career in child and youth care, you can make a lasting impact on the lives of those who seek guidance and contribute to the making of functional young adults in an increasingly-demanding society.

Breaking cycles, encouraging dialogues, using social differences as teaching opportunities, and leading young people into rising above their circumstances are all part of the skills that are developed as part of the child and youth care worker program. As part of the curriculum, you will learn to work with children and teenagers and their family with the goal of aiding those young people manage and develop their personal and social relationships, build their self-confidence, and think critically and independently.

In order to gain a broader perspective and learn to work with a wider variety of young people, child and youth care workers are often drawn to outreach activities. By reaching out to children and teenagers who often don’t know about the services offered to them in their community, youth care workers have a real opportunity to make a difference in those young people’s lives and turn the tides before it’s too late.

Program Courses

NOTE: Academy Canada has adopted Eastern Academy’s Child and Youth Care (With Addictions) Support Worker program.

• Student Success Strategies
• Software Lab: Computer Fundamentals
• Introduction to Child and Youth Care
• Trauma Informed Care
• Introduction to Research and Writing
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity
• Child Development
• Social Issues
• Adolescent Development
• Self-Awareness/Personal Growth
• Adult Development
• Interpersonal Communication
• Mental Health Practices Awareness
• Family Ties
• Social Training I &II
• Activity Programming
• Profession of Child and Youth Care
• Child and Youth Care Approaches
• Child and Youth Care Issues
• Individual Approaches
• Introduction to Family Work
• Family Work Practices
• Group Work
• Child and Youth Care Practices
• Psychology of Addictions
• Case Management
• Group Practicum
• Integration Seminars I & II
• Addiction Treatment
• Career Planning and Preparation Level I
• Career Planning and Preparation Level II
• Supporting Indigenous Youth
• Two Field Placement Practicums: 6 + 8 weeks

Employment Opportunities

Graduates can enjoy a rewarding career as a child/youth care worker, family support worker, student assistant, teaching and learning assistant as well as various positions within the community support sector. Work settings include residential care/group homes, treatment centres, family support programs, therapeutic foster/family based care programs, mental health outreach programs, after school programs, early childhood education centres, community based programs and schools. Many of these facilities/programs operate 24/7 with shift work being common practice.

Graduates of Academy Canada’s CYCWASW program are eligible for Level II Early Childhood Education certification for school aged children through the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Newfoundland and Labrador (AECENL). This certification allows graduates to obtain a Teaching and Learning Assistant certificate through the Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education. Teaching and Learning assistants support classroom instruction for all learners under the direction of the classroom teacher.

Entrance Requirements

• Grade 12 or equivalent or mature student status
• Personal interview
• A written personal profile
• Clear Conduct Certificate/Vulnerable Sector Search
• Two Letters of Reference

Clear Conduct Certificates: Students acquiring a Clear Conduct Certificate for admission into a program take on the reasonableness of its validity. Students are solely accountable for any offences not uncovered by the investigation being discovered and precluding the student from subsequent Field Placement or employment.

Please note: Academy Canada reserves the right to deny admission into this program based on an unpardoned criminal record that would bear relevance to the work-term requirements of the program. In addition, employers will be given a copy of the student’s Clear Conduct Certificate on file prior to accepting students into the work-term situation.