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Ayrton

1. Description of the agency or organization.

2. Description of the specific program – goals and function ... how does it work?

3. Description of the client group.

4. Role of the CYC within the agency.

5. Specific job description.

Julia

1.  Academic qualifications

2. Are you a member of OACYC? Why? Why not?

3. What are the minimum requirements for hiring CYC professionals in your agency?

4. What is the salary range for CYC’s within the agency?

5. Career path

Kade

1. Describe your first CYC job in more detail.

2. How have internships impacted your career advancement?

3. Describe the benefits and challenges of your current job or the CYC field.

4. What trends do you see in the Child and Youth Care profession?

5. How has COVID-19 affected your practice? How have you adapted to those challenges?

6. What made you choose to get into this field?

Mario

1. What are some other organizations you have worked for as a CYC?

2. What was one of the most impactful experiences you’ve had while on duty?

3. What does a typical workday look like for you?

4. What do you like or dislike about your work?

5. Are there any books/journals that you would recommend that relate to this field?

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- No, he just has to wear a mask! Everything else is the same.

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Christian's Most Impactful Experiences on Duty

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Christian's Most Impactful Experiences on Duty

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- Getting family members all on the same page, as cohesive unit. To have them communicating, watching them all agree that they're going to work together, is very impactful
- It feels nice to get kudos from patients.
- There is only so much that a CYC can do at any given time, so you have to be happy with that small sliver of hope or glimmer of light that you could have possibly given somebody. It is a big step to realize this, as it makes work days a lot easier (i.e., not taking what you do home with you, leaving your work at work.)

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“Healthier Children. A Better World,” requires a multi-faceted approach: providing the best in family-centred care; pioneering scientific and clinical advancements; and training the next-generation of experts in child health."

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Job Specifics

Salary range approximately starting at $24/hr, 28-32

Requirement of a few years of experience in the field and in mental health to get hired as a CYC

Expectation of 4 years work experience

More often than not, you are helping patients in crisis: suicidal ideation, struggles with anxiety or depression, first time psychosis/manic episode

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Benefits of Working at SickKids Hospital

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Benefits of Working at SickKids Hospital

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- There is a good support system in place for workers.
- Good pay compared to positions at other places.
- Less exposure to trauma.
- Christian stated there is nothing to dislike about his current job. During other periods of employment, he didn't think his skill set was being used to its fullest extent, however, this is not the case at SickKids.

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- His first placement was at a public school, and his second placement was at SickKids Hospital in a substance abuse program.
- Sometimes became emotional working with one youth one-on-one for an extended period of time.
- It is important to constantly register where you are emotionally when working with these clients, and it is important that you don't project how you are feeling on to them.
-These impacted his career massively - he learned a lot about working with kids that are on the spectrum.

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- In the last five years, patients suffering from cluster B traits (BPD), sociopathic tendencies. These folks can be difficult to treat as they go back and forth between wanting help and not wanting help.
- CBT and DBT are becoming more prominent.
- Increase in patients with anxiety, depression and eating disorders.

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Why did Christian choose to get into the CYC field?

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Why did Christian choose to get into the CYC field?

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- It feels great to help people.
- Your best days are AMAZING!
- Hearing the feedback from clients about his contributions to their lives and how they've since improved.
- Helping folks process what they need to process in order to move forward.
- Once you've developed a therapeutic relationship with the clients, you can be very real with them.

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Improving the health of children is the focus for all that we do. That was the promise made by Elizabeth McMaster in March 1875 when she and a group of Toronto women rented an 11-room house on Avenue Street in downtown Toronto and declared open a hospital "for the admission and treatment of all sick children." On April 3, Maggie, a three-year-old scald victim, became SickKids' first patient.

Since then, SickKids has led in child health and research innovation in Canada.

To keep up with demand for its services, in 1891, under the leadership of John Ross Robertson, newspaper publisher and chairman of the hospital's Board of Trustees, SickKids moved to a four-story, 320-bed facility at the corner of Elizabeth and College Streets.

In 1909, the hospital installed the first milk pasteurization plant in Canada, 30 years before it became mandatory. The Nutritional Research Laboratory was established in 1918, and the results of research led to the development of Pablum, a precooked baby cereal that saved thousands of children from death and disease.

With the rise of the polio epidemic in the late 1930s, SickKids manufactured more than 30 iron lungs for use. Medical and nursing staff organized temporary treatment centres that cared for more than 300 children.

In 1951, SickKids moved to its current location at 555 University Avenue and in 1954, established the SickKids Research Institute . Leading our pioneering efforts in paediatric care, both the Salter operation to repair dislocation of the hip , and the Mustard operation to correct fatal heart defects were developed at SickKids. In 1968, SickKids opened one of the first intensive care units in North America devoted exclusively to the care of critically-ill newborn and premature babies.

Throughout the 1980s, advances in genetics have led to the identification and cloning of a number of genes responsible for causing hereditary diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and cystic fibrosis.

Our campus has continued to evolve its physical footprint to provide the best in care and research. In 1993, SickKids opened a new patient care wing, the Atrium, and in 2013, the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning brought together SickKids researchers into one 21-storey tower on Bay Street that has sparked collaborations and fueled innovation.

Today, our Project Horizon campus redevelopment project is building the hospital of the future, and transforming the way we deliver care as we enter the next chapter of SickKids' exceptional story.

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Improving the health of children is the focus for all that we do. That was the promise made by Elizabeth McMaster in March 1875 when she and a group of Toronto women rented an 11-room house on Avenue Street in downtown Toronto and declared open a hospital "for the admission and treatment of all sick children."

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- Groundskeeper.
- Several restaurants.
- Incoming call centres.
- PR for a film company.
- Bank.
- Taught English in Korea (learned that he liked working with kids so he thought that he might become a teacher).
- Women's shoe distribution company.
- Thought he would work with youth with special needs when deciding to start child and youth care.

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SickKids VS TheUnknown: Be A Light (Extended Version)

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555 University Ave
Toronto, ON M5G 1X8
Phone: (416)-813-1500

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Christian's Work Experience and Credentials

Diploma in Child and Youth Care (Accelerated)

CPI, First Aid, Various Restraint Trainings

OACYC member

First hand in-field experience with DBT and CBT

First placement was at a local public school within a section 23 classroom

Second placement at SickKids substance abuse program

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Who we are

Child and Youth Counsellors (CYC) are a unique group of professionals that have a long history of supporting young people and their families in managing complex needs. We develop and implement a wide range of prevention, intervention and treatment strategies to foster positive change and healthy development.

We apply principles of relational practice with young people while respecting their unique culture and diversity. We promote a strength-based approach that focuses on encouraging a young person's strengths in overcoming their struggles.

We work in many settings within health care and the community such as hospitals, residential programs, school-based programs, shelters, youth detention and many more. We do individual and family counselling, and create and implement programs that respond to identified needs of young people.

We run groups, provide assessments and crisis prevention or intervention strategies. We foster and utilize therapeutic environments to maximize learning and growth for young people. We focus on social skills, strengths-building, emotional growth and development, and overall functioning in the context of the family and social environment.

CYCs have a three-year college diploma in Child and Youth Work, graduating with 1500 hours of field work. Many have degrees in Child and Youth Care, and some have advanced degrees in fields such as education, criminology, and psychology. Many have Master's level education.

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Child and Youth Counsellors (CYC) are a unique group of professionals that have a long history of supporting young people and their families in managing complex needs. We develop and implement a wide range of prevention, intervention and treatment strategies to foster positive change and healthy development.

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- Works at SickKids Hospital in the mental health wing (7A) as a Child and Youth Counsellor.
- Primarily is in the crisis program, although also spends time with the substance abuse program, and works mostly 12 hour shifts.
- Works with youth ages 13-18 (with the majority being 14-16), mostly suffering from anxiety and depression. There are also patients that have attempted suicide, or are experiencing a first time psychosis/manic episode.
- He is known as the first point of contact for the patient.
- Is present for visits from psychiatrists, social workers, and family working visits (whoever the caretakers are for the patients).
- He also provides patients with their proper medications.
- He educates parents and patients about coping skills and how to obtain support within the system.