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James Freeman
Location: Southern California, USA
Biography
I grew up in southern California where the weather is usually perfect
and both the beach and mountains are always in view. My wife, Julie, and
I have three kids, Ashlyn, Alec, and Andrew. They like to ride bikes,
wrestle, and go on adventures. I have a master’s degree in
organizational leadership from Biola University and am a member of the
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. I enjoy spending time with
family, friends, and the outdoors.
How I came to be in this field
As a young boy I was in a weekly after school program where my peers and
I connected with each other and the counselors running the program. It
meant a lot to me that the counselors really were interested in us. We
went on camping trips, to amusement parks, and spent a lot of time just
hanging out. I became a counselor-in-training and thought it was the
greatest time. I took some time to try out other things – I worked for a
private detective, worked in a beef jerky factory, and owned a
restaurant to name a few – but nothing was as engaging as working in
child and youth care. I started a summer camp in a rough and low income
neighborhood where I lived, did an internship in central Mexico, and
since then have worked across a number of practice settings – schools,
summer camps, after school, family camps, international sports, and
children's mental health. As the training director for a cutting edge
children’s mental health organization and president of the Child and
Youth Care Certification Board, I have had an amazing opportunity to
serve the field and invest in the futures of young people and those
promoting their development.
A favorite saying –
“Men make history and not the other way around. In periods where
there is no leadership, society stands still. Progress occurs when
courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for
the better.” – US President Harry Truman
A few thoughts about child and youth care
What other calling or profession is a better investment in the future of
our world?
Last thing I read, watched, heard, which I would recommend to
others
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise
Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa
Ross. It is a though provoking book really got me thinking of the pace
of life and the over stimulation so many young people face in life. It
helped me slow down and focus on the things that really matter to me.
Payne started his career in group care and brings a deep empathy and
kindness to his work.
A favorite Child and Youth Care experience
One of my colleagues and fellow counselors, who has since passed away,
taught me how to not take myself too seriously and to try things outside
of my comfort zone. We did the craziest things trying to give young
people a fun time and connect with them – dressing up as superheroes,
hosting variety shows, mud and water balloon battles, and so much more.
My favorite experiences are when a young person today tells me about
some memory they have of a specific interaction or moment that has meant
something to them over the years.
A few thoughts for those starting out
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Flexibility is required. Learn it early.
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When you feel tired and burned out, take time to do something else for a while. It doesn’t help anyone to trudge along without joy and energy in your work. A career in child and youth care is a marathon not a sprint.
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Don’t take things personally. Let negativity roll right off your back.
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Don’t forget what brought you into the work you are doing. Loosing sight of that is the first step in loosing your focus and purpose.
Recommended Child and Youth Care reading link
www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/cycol-0303-belonging.html
My favorite Child and Youth Care related link (after
CYC-Net)
www.thempra.org.uk
Some writing of my own
Moments of Growth in Child and Youth Care
www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/aug2013.pdf#page=5
Being, Interpreting, Doing: A Framework
for Organizing the Characteristics of a Relational Child and Youth Care
Approach
www.cyc-net.org/cyc-online/jan2014.pdf#page=23
