Who are Child and Youth Services?
Child
and Youth Services is composed of Child & Youth Workers and Child &
Youth Counsellors at the TDSB and are part of
Professional Support Services. We are part of school
based and mental health teams that provide services to enhance school
performance and improve academic achievement.
We provide support to many students in a wide variety of educational
settings.
What We Do
Child
and youth care is based in ecological and strength based approaches. Support is provided to students using life
space interventions with an anti-oppressive lens within the context of the
school community, the family and the peer group. We support students in the moment and in the
space where the support is needed.
In
collaboration with inter-disciplinary school teams, child and youth care practitioners
strive to provide successful experiences at school by building relationships
with children, youth and their families.
Child
and youth care practitioners help with social, emotional and academic growth by
fostering effective coping, life and social skills within caring, safe and
stimulating environments. In addition, we advocate on behalf of our students
and their families to provide an equitable environment in their educational
pursuits.
We
assess strengths and support students in achieving short and long term
attainable goals with an understanding of the underlying and systemic issues
faced by them on a daily basis. Based on the unique needs of our students we
create and implement individualized and group programs
.
Contributing to the Success of
Children and Youth
The
role of Child and Youth Care Practitioners contributes to the success of
children and youth in the school system. We believe this is because:
- Our
practice is relational. To be
effective we must develop relationships with the children and youth we
support, who benefit from relationships with caring adults.
- We
practice in the life space. Child
and Youth Care practice is about supporting children and youth through
everyday life events, challenges and successes. We are in the school where children and
youth spend many hours of each day
- We
act as an Advocate. Our role as
advocate for the children and youth we work with is important to ensure
that their voices are heard and needs and responsibilities are respected.
- Our
practice is based in Theory. Our
approach is proactive, strength based and holistic. We work from an anti-oppressive,
developmental and ecological perspective understanding that children and
youth belong and interact within many different systems (peers, teams,
home, neighbourhood, cyberspace, etc.) as they grow and develop.
We are skilled in Crisis
Management, Behaviour Management and Skill Building. Child and Youth Care Practitioners have the
educational background and ongoing training to ensure they are able to
deescalate crisis, provide guidance, problem solving opportunities and goal
setting.
- We
believe in the benefits of Collaborative Teamwork. We often work in collaboration with
teachers in the classroom or with other professional colleagues. We maintain contacts with community
agencies, programs and resources and share this information with staff,
students and families who need to access services in the community.
Where We Are
Child and Youth Services staff can be found throughout the system working in elementary and secondary
schools. We are assigned to schools, classrooms
and individual students through SIP grants or work with students by
referral.
CYS staff also work in
specialty schools/programs, such as:
- Caring and Safe Schools;
- Alternative and Year
Round Schools;
- Urban Indigenous
Education Centre;
- Centre of Excellence for
Black Student Achievement;
- Behaviour Regional
Services Team; and,
- the Autism Spectrum
Team.
While services are provided to
groups and individual students, an effort is made to enrich the school
community, focus on mental health and wellbeing, and enhance student and school
safety.
Child and Youth Workers
- Provide
behaviour management programs to identified individuals or groups of students
of all ages.
- Focus
on behavioural, social and emotional development with attention to
communication,
personal management and
social skill acquisition.
- Provide social skill and life skill development
programming for individuals and groups.
- Respond
to immediate concerns and needs using life space interventions.
Child and Youth Counsellors
- Work to promote the social and emotional growth
of students in the secondary setting to maximize educational
opportunities.
- Assist students in the acquisition and
maintenance of academic, communication, social and personal management skills.
- Provide support to the school community with
school avoidance, bullying, healthy relationships and friendships.
- Provide group and/or individual short term
goal-oriented intervention/conflict resolution counselling.
** Follow
us on
Twitter @TDSB_CYS and Instagram
@TDSB.CYS
For further information, please contact:
Koryn
Marshall,
Manager
of Child and Youth Services LC 1 & 4
Koryn.marshall@tdsb.on.ca
416-801-5206
Christine
Gaitens,
Manager
of Child and Youth Services LC 2 & 3
Christine.gaitens@tdsb.on.ca
416-788-1465