As a part of my one year Intensive training to become a Social Service Worker I get one semester of Placement. This placement takes place from may until the third week in August. So right now we are doing field placement preperations. Getting read and choosing where we want to do these placements. With my experience this summer I really wanted to go to Children's Aid Society which is equivalent to Child Protection Services in the States. Anyways I really really wanted to go there and want to work there when I am done school. So I figured getting my placement there would be a for sure foot in the door. My second choice was to work with criminal youth.
So yesterday I get a call from my Placement Supervisor saying that she had good news and bad news. Bad news being that there was no way I could go to CAS for my placement. There were 7 people in my class who requested it and honestly she thought that due to my experience at CAS that I would be bored. You see when I volunteered there I had a lot of leeway and I was doing things for the staff that normally volunteers and even students wouldn't do. In fact my working there as a student would give me less learning opportunities and less freedom than my volunteer experience there. But that a great ulternative was found.
They are wanting to place me at a Non-Residential Attendence Centre, this is where moderate to high risk young offenders would receive intensive community based interventions. Some of the group intervention strategies and topics are ABC's of Risky Thinking, Cognitive Self Change, Anger Control Training, Bully Prevention, Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Parenting Program and many more. Each youth will have a risk/need assessment completed and an individualized intervention plan that targets the areas that place them at risk of further involvement in the criminal justice system.
I am really excited about this. Some of my other duties would include co-facilitation within group workshops, may work supervised or independantly with clients, attend collateral meetings, court sessions, attending plan of care meetings. I think these are all things I would be great at doing. Anyways I was excited also a little nervous, I guess it is always a little nerve racking when you are about to jump in feet first into an area that you have not had much experience. Atleast this opens up many more doors for me and willlook good on my resume. Anyways I need to get ready for an appointment I just wanted to share my news.
Yesterday ||Tomorrow
