1. The Student changes self-care strategies to increase their effectiveness

Strategy: I will begin to schedule more personal and work out time in order to improve my mental health. My strategy of using iCalander to organize my life worked really well for me. 

Resource:  According to Bob Shebib (2014), “The stress of burn out may show itself as a general state of physical exhaustion, including signs of diminished health, such as headaches, sleep disruptions, and digestive upset,” (p.65).

Evidence: 

Target Date: This will be ongoing, beginning week 3 and continuing through to week 14.

2. The Student documents the impact of their social location on their professional practices through comparing it with another person’s (either a Practicum client, supervisor or team member)

Strategy: I will reflect with my supervisor on how my social location, specifically my ability to verbalize my needs and desires, contrasts with some of the people we support’s abilities.

Resource: “While infantilization may help middle-age adults maintain life course boundaries, however, it is experienced by many elderly and those with disabilities as insulting and marginalizing, as they are not taken seriously or included in decision-making,” (Jaglowitz, Amponsah, & Murtaza, 2016, p.94).


Evidence:

In this supervision we discussed how vulnerable the non-verbal population that we support is and how conscientious efforts need to be made to support them. We also discussed how these challenges that they live with are ones we cannot even begin to understand because we have taken for granted our verbal abilities all our lives. This discussion led to my supervisor and myself realizing ways in which we could be supporting our participants who are less/non-verbal more throughly. 

Target Date: This discussion took place week 7.

3. The Student uses recognized creative activities with young people to enhance inclusion and acceptance of diversity

Strategy: I will initiate programming that is developmentally appropriate to address life skills in a group format with a focus on safety, inclusion and affirmation.

Resource: Burns (2016) notes that, “The child/youth must feel safe within his environment before he can appreciate and indeed experience any of the higher needs,” which is critical when doing group work with any young people (p.24).


Evidence:







This photo is immediately after a group session I conducted on personal hygiene. This was chosen as a critical topic because some of the people we support are trying to become more independent but struggle with maintaining personal hygiene.








Target Date: I began this programming week 9.

4.The Student assesses a young person according to a developmental framework including physical, emotional, cognitive, social and spiritual functioning, from a strength-based perspective

Strategy: I will complete an ABC chart over a one week period of time in order to practice strength-based perspective and language. 


Resource: According to Shebib (2014),“Counselling is primarily concerned with individuals in a social context, with an emphasis on helping them to deal with relationship problems, crisis events, difficulties related to inadequate resources, and problems dealing with organizations such as schools or government welfare offices,” which is the ultimate goal of using an ABC chart to pinpoint the behaviours but also the context that brought them about (p.317).


Evidence:

My supervisor and I had a conversation about using strength-based language in documentation like this. We agreed that "consequence" had a negative connotation to it when what we mean is, what was the result of the actions. In future reports we changes Consequences to Outcome outright; it was left in this copy so there would be no confusion about what documentation I was completing.

Target Date: This behaviour was observed over week 8 and 9.

5. The Student applies evidence informed and relational practices to respond to the needs of young people and/or families

Strategy: I will implement and observe the effects of art therapy as a tool for working with people who have autism and developmental exceptionalities.

Resource: David Gussak (2013) states, “Integrating art therapy into unconventional settings such as schools, communities, and hospitals, in addition to psychiatric treatment programs, creates opportunities to help young people express their feelings and reflect on their experiences.” (p.243)

Evidence:

This is one of many art projects I initiated. The idea behind this one was to build a sense of community. There are two puzzles, with the initials of all the individuals we support. They selected their background and then decorated their puzzle piece to reflect their personality. The puzzles will be displayed in the front foyer of the program.









Target Date: This project began in week 9 and is still being completed.

6. The student identifies specific relational and intentional interventions used, to maintain positive relationships with children, youth and/or families

Strategy: I will use intentional interventions that involve getting the people we support out in the community, interacting with others and practicing life skills. 

Resource: Burns (2014) states that, “[Balance] is not a state of inactivity but a dynamic state that requires interaction and participation, whether internally in the individual or externally within the environment. It is a challenge to individual and group boundaries, encouraging and supporting an appreciation of the full range of experiences, but always returning the participants to that state of balance, (p.16).


Evidence:

The people we support are constantly working to build life skills. This includes going shopping for groceries and attending cooking classes. I used these opportunities to engage with the people we support to work on simple cooking skills such as cutting up potatoes and peeling carrots.





Target Date: This was ongoing however, this particular cooking class took place January 15, 2019 (week 2).

7. The Student creates a unique contribution to their Practicum workplace, to enhance relationships with other professionals and community partners

Strategy: I will help connect community living with a volunteer organization in the Oakville area to enhance community partnerships. I will communicate with the team at STEPP to assess what kind of volunteer position is appropriate for our population.

Resource: According to Carol Stuart (2013),“On a multidisciplinary team the practitioner represents the child and youth care perspective and in program teams the practitioner focuses on both individual input and collective decision making. Teamwork is essential, not just for the benefit of the young people and families in the program but also as an opportunity for group reflection and renewal,” (p.221).

Evidence: 

The following communication was had over the phone.




















Target Date: This was an ongoing effort to determine what volunteer position would be appropriate. The volunteer opportunity will begin in April and be on going over the summer.

8. The Student applies critical feedback from various sources to improve professional practices

Strategy: I will have a CYC (not my supervisor) complete a mid-term evaluation with me in order to gain a different perspective on my professional practice.


Resource: Carol Stuart (2013) notes that,“Practitioners provide high-quality care by discussing their practice with experienced colleagues and supervisors and they take responsibility for applying new learning in practice,” (p.119).


Evidence: Click to see Evidence JPEG

Target Date: This assessment took place week 6.

9. The student increases their professional skills through engaging in healthy new professional behaviours

Strategy: In order to engage in new professional behaviours, I will seek out opportunities for further learning through Community Living or in-class (i.e. the safe management program, Topic of Interests).

Resource: Carol Stuart (2013) says that,“Learning can take place conferences, workshops, training/seminars, an/or additional post secondary education courses but it can also be part of a committee work, special projects, and team meetings in the work place, (p.153).


Evidence:

In our Advanced Issues class, a group did a presentation on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. The group's objective was to teach graduating CYCs about this disorder and give us strategies for working with people who are on the FASD spectrum. This training was very engaging, they gave out worksheets and handouts so that we all might better prepared for encountering an individual with FASD in our careers. They also gave us resources for further learning.



Target Date: This presentation took place week 11.