Listen to thisIn this article I discuss my personal journey as a relational Child and Youth Care (CYC) practitioner. I utilize a metaphor of climbing a management ladder and the importance of relational practice being an integrated approach, regardless of my role within a therapeutic campus-based setting. Additionally, this article calls attention to the benefits and drawbacks of a management approach that is aligned and embedded in relational CYC practice.
Keywords
Relational practice, Keyworker, Therapeutic relationship, Life-space
Introduction
Does relational Child and Youth Care (CYC) practice look different based on the job description? Do opportunities for relational CYC practice change whether an individual is a front-line worker or in a management position? Even with the best of intentions, do we lose opportunities to be relational with youth the further we move away from front-line?
In this article I attempt to reflect on these questions. I provide stories and experiences of relational CYC practice as a front-line practitioner and the changes I experienced within a management role. I utilize a metaphor of climbing the rungs of a CYC management ladder within a therapeutic campus-based setting, and the commitment made to ensure that relationship is evident throughout all areas of my practice regardless of the position being held.
Establishing a Sturdy Foundation
When I started as a front-line CYC practitioner, I was excited to work with a variety of youth within therapeutic campus-based settings and group care models of practice. I enjoyed learning about youth, what made them tick, and learned to be an attuned and supportive caregiver. I was eager to be hired as a relief staff, and quickly picked up as many shifts as possible. From there, I finished my degree in CYC, embarked on my masters in CYC, and was quickly offered a full-time position ‘earning my stripes.’ I became a keyworker for several youth and often set up key kid outings such as going to the movies, time at the zoo, science centre, corn mazes, concerts, and sporting events. Keyworkers are often a youth’s main caregiver in a home or placement. They are often the go-to person or main link pertaining to any information about the youth from their medication, shoe size, allergies, directives, contacts, favourite food, favourite music, and most importantly, they are key in establishing a purposeful therapeutic relationship. The keyworker provides intentional space for one-to-one support, emotional holding, and unconditional positive regard (Bhagat, 2023). I attended all doctors’ appointments, camping trips, and excursions to West Edmonton Mall (the world’s largest shopping and entertainment complex). At the mall I found myself riding the upside-down boat, screaming at the top of my lungs, while my key kid laughed hysterically. I was present and supportive during crises and an empath and nurturer in the aftermath. When overnight staff would call in sick, I found myself ‘sleeping’ on the office floor in a sleeping bag. Most overnight ‘asleep’ shifts involved everything but sleeping. No matter how tired I was, or how many people called in sick, I was committed to being there for youth.
I believe I had a natural ability to build relationships with others and I also believe it was quickly noticed by my superiors. My supervisor at the time, asked if I was interested in shift leading and I jumped at the opportunity. One evening, while shift leading, two staff had called in sick, I found myself on meal preparation, barbecuing 15 hamburgers, and putting out multiple emotional fires of both staff and youth. I was also planning the recreation activity for the night (floor hockey with multiple youth on restitution). Colleagues knew that I had tickets to the Rolling Stones concert that week, and at the end of the night, one colleague called me the Mick Jagger of the program. This comment made me reflect. Mick Jagger was and still is an excellent musician, great at his craft. If I am the Mick Jagger of the program, what exactly was my craft? Was it multitasking? Was it wearing a smile when faced with adversity? Good sense of humour? Thriving under pressure? Dissociating? It could be a variety of things, however, I quickly learned my craft was building relationships.
No matter the situation, my intent was to be relational, and to remind myself that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have. “A relational approach is one that prioritizes relationships and social interactions as the primary pathway for promoting healing and healthy development, rather than focusing mainly on reducing problem behavior and maintaining order” (Izzo, et, al., 2022, p. 2). In the situation noted above, I knew the potential for group contagion. It may have been easier to call a ten second rule, and shuffle everyone off to their rooms. However, individual needs were the priority and my ability to work well with youth was noticed. My continued focus throughout evenings similar to this one, was to ensure needs were met and individuals felt validated. I was responsive and empathetic, however, mindful of dynamics and what was in my control. Management proceeded to say encouraging words regarding my practice and proposed opportunities to take on a leadership role.
Climbing the Ladder
The leadership opportunities presented were based on a level system, like what we propose to youth within treatment settings. Youth acquire more independence and responsibility as they illustrate the desired behaviour and are granted an increase in privileges and freedom. The same for myself as a CYC practitioner and is also typical within any workplace. As I moved through the system or in this case, the rungs of the ladder, I noticed a gradual shift away from the life-space and therapeutic milieu, to showing others how to demonstrate effective front-line work. I became specifically responsible for supporting and training staff and managing daily program operations. There was an increase in administrative work and taking on supervisory duties. Continuing through the rungs of the ladder, I noticed emphasis on effective management and administration of the program in collaboration with external stakeholders. I found myself overseeing treatment implementation and promoting professional development of colleagues. In addition, there were opportunities to evaluate programming and outcomes. While all of these pieces were important, there was a predominant shift away from doing with the youth and collaborative efforts with colleagues, to behind-the-scenes work.
As time went on, the dialogue continued of how to go about working with individuals in practice with little to no interaction with youth at all. I was attending more meetings, consulting with other managers at the agency, discussing organizational challenges, policies, and procedures. This was important to create change in programming however, this meant an absence from meaningful relationships with youth.
My regular afternoon and evening shifts were designed to meet a nine-to-five schedule to accommodate interdisciplinary consultation and meetings. Most of my days were spent in an office, consumed by administrative tasks. I managed referrals coming into the program, which involved receiving file information and a request for services. I had conversations with various referral sources to see if individuals may be a good fit for the program. I set up meetings with youth outlining services they would receive via programs and/or outreach services through CYC workers. This involved filling out consent packages, and not meeting with that same youth until six weeks after their intake. From there, quarterly meetings would take place to discuss progress in goal areas. Other times I would meet with youth if there was a colourful expression of feelings in the form of property damage or if they were absent for extended periods of time and their bed was on the verge of closing, to provide notice of discharge. After a while I realized the further up the ladder, the further removed I was from sharing a space together with the youth and other front-line staff. Freeman (2019) affirmed “the characteristics that support a relational way of being are easy to describe. Love, hanging out, flexibility, being in relationship, working in the now – these are not obscure concepts. They are also deep, complex, and take experience to develop” (p. 7). These elements were not necessarily present. I was swooping in with news and making decisions which would provide a trajectory for subsequent life events. I was viewed as the person who either brought them into a program they did not want to come to in the first place, the person who would lead quarterly meetings to talk about goals, or the one to let them know they were being discharged. There was little to no hanging out, working in the now, nor time to develop a relationship before entering predominantly one-sided conversations, which needed time and consideration.
View from the Top
Eventually as a director of programming I was able to see the lay of the land. I was learning more each day and was dedicated to the importance of ethical service delivery, program development, budgets, schedules, being on-call, and supervision. All these important components were essential for me to understand how an organization runs. The intricate and delicate parts regarding sources of funding, human resources, training, collaborative efforts to provide effective programming and treatment for individuals was a humbling experience. Throughout my time in this position, I longed for time within the program. I would meet with staff for weekly and monthly supervision, and hold large quarterly staff meetings, however, I continued to feel disconnected. Freeman (2019) stated “the way in which we choose to be with others, meaningful interpretation of what is occurring, and intentionality in what we do can become our central ways of living out relational care on a daily basis” (p.7). I took steps to ensure relational practice with youth continued as the forefront of my work. So, I made a commitment to spend more time in programs.
Back In the Trenches
I did not necessarily climb back down the ladder, I jumped off, back into the trenches. This is a CYC term that I find endearing and appreciate. I started a vocational program for youth and young adults who had challenges in attending traditional school and employment environments. I put together the fundamentals for the program with a small group of youth attendees and listened to their preferences. “Partnering with young people to challenge the world as it is and as it impacts them in particular, is one core element of being with young people as they live their lives” (Garfat et al., 2018, p. 22). On a daily basis I worked in the program. I was there for morning coffees and small talk, completed jobs with youth, prepared and ate lunch, spent the remainder of the day completing additional jobs or spending time outside. I took part in daily sign outs where youth would tell me how much money they ought to earn for the jobs they completed. I fundraised, applied for grants, and secured funding to pay the youth. I set up a payroll system and a sign out process where they would meet with me every two weeks and sign for their money earned during that pay period. This meant I was also present to pay them every two weeks. I would set up the pay station and they would come and gather their well-earned funds. Now, I admit they were more excited to see me on payday, than any other day, however, I was part of their everyday world. I was in also in a position to advocate and make changes at a management level. There was some crossover with youth within this program. I would meet youth for intakes or administration pieces, chair the quarterly meetings and discussing progress on goals, and deliver the bad news when necessary. However, there was intention here. If I happened to deliver challenging news the day prior, I was with them the next day at their vocational program. We would make lunch together, spend time in conversation, share a meal, talk about life, and continue to build a relationship, despite the previous interactions we may have had.
I recall when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, our vocational program was shut down. Instead of cancelling all programming, we made a commitment to offer on-line cooking classes, weekly trivia games, and daily exercise. Staff members and I went grocery shopping, made large quantities of food within our work experience kitchen, and provided deliveries to residences. In addition, care packages consisting of colouring books, mindfulness and self-regulation activities and favourite treats were delivered on a weekly basis. I knew that access to supports would be minimal, and a higher level of isolation and risk was inevitable. I signed up for shifts with the community housing programs, and ensured I was a constant presence on doorsteps, online, or whatever was required. The pandemic gave me the option to stop being relational; it would have been easier to become a recluse. Establishing my foundation of CYC practice, earning my stripes, being present in various therapeutic milieus provided me with optimal moments to be relational. A combination of my relational practice and climbing the ladder gave me the credibility to support others to do the same. When I requested staff to support youth in a variety of ways, I was not asking them to do something that I had not done already.
Safety Inspection
I reflect on some of the challenges in my approach of jumping back into the trenches and refer to the lack of my safety inspection in the use of my ladder. Although, I am no expert, I am aware that one should always face a ladder whether climbing up or down and to hold on with both hands to ensure balance. I am not sure I did either of those.
I recognize that what I committed to in developing a program was a tad bit overzealous, as I essentially immersed myself back into front-line work, while still maintaining responsibilities of a management role. I recognize that I may have overextended myself for quite sometime, multitasked, and longer than I would like to admit. However, I believed it was necessary for me to return to building relational practice with youth. This helped remind me of what is important regardless of the position I held.
I wanted to be present for all aspects and within the life space. Whether it was sharing a coffee, signing an intake package, making lunch, mowing a lawn, delivering a 30-day discharge notice, talking about goals, working through a crisis, or being present on payday. Being present more often and being in the now, created a relational space and my management philosophy.
What I realized over time in juggling both positions, is that the pendulum was not required to swing from one extreme to the other. I inserted myself back into front-line whole heartedly due to many factors. We had a skeleton management team and a lack of resources, our youth and young adult population were often a demographic who got lost in the shuffle, and we needed another option for youth and young adults to access for day programming, so it was a combination of the perfect storm. However, plunging back into front-line was meaningful for me in order to return back to my roots of CYC practice. How did I move so far away from working the floor, and having fun? How did my role end up being predominately administrative? If the staff team from many years ago could see me now, would I be referred to as the Rolling Stones Manager to book all the tour dates? Had my role shifted too much behind the scenes?
Step Stool is Preferred
I have noted that my journey in CYC practice started by establishing a sturdy foundation. This was a place where I could rest my ladder. I then started to climb up the rungs, with an important focus of advocacy and change making. The higher I climbed, the further away I was from my foundational CYC practice. I am a firm believer in front-line work and management move together interchangeably.
Over time, I realized that working both front-line and a senior management position was not necessarily feasible, however, a combination was. Morning rounds at work experience and sharing coffees were the highlights of my week. I increased overall staff moral by being present, taking shifts within programs and clearly identifying being present as an important value during staff meetings and supervision. I modeled relational practice within interactions with youth, young adults, colleagues, peers, and executive management. Youth could rely on me in crisis whether at work experience or walking by my office. I was a phone call away and present within programs for every intake, orientation, and payday. It was not necessary to be working front-line every day to ensure I was relational in my practice. I believe I needed a reminder that CYC practice should be visible throughout all areas of my practice.
My recommendation is the steps of front-line work and management should be closer together. We all want a seat at the management table for advocacy and change, however, we appear to be quite removed from front-line. In knowing this, we should not ask someone to do something we would not be willing to do ourselves or have not done before.
Establishing my foundation, climbing the ladder, getting a lay of the land, and in hindsight, after completing a safety inspection, I have come to realize that a step stool is preferred. It is flexible, adaptable, can be taken to many locations and can thrive on tough terrain. With a step stool, you do not have any rungs above you, or anything to hold on to, which provides the opportunity to multitask and or your hands readily available for whatever may come your way. This sounds awfully like a relational CYC worker and manager.
References
Bhagat, Y. (2023). Exploring family support work and its staff in children’s therapeutic residential care. Residential Treatment for Children & Youth, 40(1), 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/0886571X.2022.2038339
Freeman, J. (2019). What keeps us from relational child and youth care? Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, 32(4) 6-12.
Garfat, T., Freeman, J., Gharabaghi, K, Fulcher, L. (2018, October). Characteristics of a relational child and youth care approach revisited. CYC-Online, (236) 7-45. https://cyc-net.org/cyc-online/oct2018.pdf
Izzo, C. V., Smith, E. G., Sellers, D. E., Holden, M. J., Nunno, M. A. (2022). Promoting a relational approach to residential childcare through an organizational program model: Impacts of CARE implementation on staff outcomes. Children and Youth Services Review, (132) 1-15. https://doi-rg.libproxy.mtroyal.ca/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106330
From: Relational Child and Youth Care Practice, Vol 36, No.2, pp36-45
