Advanced Diploma in Child and Youth Care Sault College - Ste. Marie Campus, Canada

Professional Child and Youth Care practitioners (CYCs) specialize in helping children, youth and families improve their lives. As a student, you will receive training in areas such as counselling, addictions, sexuality, recreation, mental health and special needs. Your courses will place a strong emphasis on practice and application, including four levels of supervised field placement in a variety of settings. Unlike many other colleges, we will provide you with field placements that are scheduled alongside your academic courses so you can practice and process what you are learning. Theory and application will be woven together throughout your training so you will have many opportunities to gain hands-on experience and learn from the experiences of others.

This program has a long history of innovation and uniqueness within the Province. The CYC program at Sault College will prepare you to positively affect the lives of children, youth and families throughout your career.

Program Outcomes
A graduate of the Child and Youth Care Program at Sault College will reliably demonstrate the ability to:

• Develop and maintain relationships with children, youth and their families applying principles of relational practice and respecting their unique life space, cultural and human diversity.
• Assess and respond to the strengths and needs of children and youth, including complex responses impacted by developmental, environmental, physical, emotional, social and mental health challenges in order to promote positive change.
• Analyze and evaluate the impact of the inter-relationship among family, social service, justice and community systems on children, youth and their families and use this information in the planning of holistic care and in the reduction of systemic barriers.
• Plan, implement and evaluate interventions using evidence-informed practices in the areas of therapeutic milieu and programming, and group work to promote resiliency and to enhance development in children, youth and their families.
• Advocate for the rights of children, youth and their families and maintain an anti-oppression perspective and cultural competence in diverse cultural contexts.
• Apply communication, teamwork and organizational skills within the interprofessional team and with community partners to enhance the quality of service in child and youth care practice.
• Develop and implement self-care strategies using self-inquiry and reflection processes to promote self-awareness and to enhance practice as a child and youth care practitioner.
• Use evidence-based research, professional development resources and supervision models to support professional growth and lifelong learning.