C2Y: Discussions on Child and Youth Care

Searching For Home: Beyond Adultism

On this episode of Your Right to Speak, Chelsea, from the Ontario Provincial Advocates Office, talks about a new report called Searching for Home. Taking into consideration the voices of young people, the report looks at barriers within the child welfare system. Chelsea discusses why “family” is not defined in the report, the lack of young people’s voice in developing “Plans of Care”, and how adultism impacts young people. 

Searching For Home Report: http://provincialadvocate.on.ca/documents/en/ResidentialCareReport_En.pdf 

If you are a child/youth that would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email Sammy and Josh at yourrighttospeak@gmail.com  

Drama Therapy and Ethnodrama with Dr. Stephen Snow

In this episode Dr. Stephen Snow talks about the evidence base for Drama Therapy, what it is, and why it is an effective way of working with people. He then goes on to explain a research process called ethnodrama and discusses two ethodrama projects he has been a principle investigator on. One with young women in youth protection and the second with family members who are care gives of people with mental illnesses.

Dr. Snow has developed a specialty in therapeutic theatre. In the past twenty years, he has directed over 25 theatre productions with diverse casts, including persons with mental health challenges, developmental disabilities, young people, and the blind. He has published articles and lectured on various aspects of Drama Therapy, both nationally and internationally, he’s been the principle-investigator in several ethnodrama research projects and is the former Chair of the Department of Creative Arts Therapies at Concordia University.

In the interview Dr. Snow mentions a few authors and the new Drama Therapy journal. Here are some links.

Ethnodrama: An Anthology of Reality Theatre

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2033617.Ethnodrama

North American Drama Therapy Association- http://www.nadta.org/

The Department of Creative Arts Therapies at Concordia University - 

https://www.concordia.ca/finearts/creative-arts-therapies.html

Drama Therapy Review- 

http://www.intellectbooks.co.uk/journals/view-Journal,id=241/view,page=0/

Being Black in Care, a conversation with Denise and Priscilla from the Hairstory Project

For this black history month episode of Your Right to Speak, Sammy and Josh welcome back past guests Denise and Priscilla. The conversation begins with the meaning of the term black and the impact on young people in the social service system. The discussion then turns to issues the black community faces in the child welfare system. There is also talk around how the system needs to move away from a cultural competence framework, and the need for better ways to understand the different culture perceptive. An interesting point was made that the term neglect needs to be redefined to better fit different cultures. It was stressed that public services and policy makers needs to take into consideration the day to day experiences of communities that policy impacts. 

Supporting People in Post Disaster Contexts, a conversation with Serena Thomas

Serena Thomas speaks about working with people in post disaster contexts. She discusses some of the unique perspectives being a cultural anthropologist provides, and what all who work with “others” can learn from this perspective.

 

Serena Thomas has worked for several years with people experiencing complex trauma and grief in post-disaster situations.

Speaking About Mental Health, a conversation with Jenn

On this episode of Your Right to Speak Sammy introduce Josh, the new co-host for the show. Sammy and Josh talk with Jenn about stigma faced by people who are members of the mental health community. Jenn discusses the negative impact young people often experience when they disclose that they have mental health issues. She stresses the importance for people working within the mental community to have strong active listening skill and for workers to see the positive side of people who live with mental health challenges.

 

If you are a child/youth that would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email Sammy and Josh at yourrighttospeak@gmail.com

Youth Work and Faith a conversation with Naomi Stanton

In this podcast Dr. Naomi Stanton discusses the book she recently co-edited Youth Work and Faith: Debates, Delights, and Dilemmas, as well as her own research on youth work and the Church. Dr. Stanton elaborates upon diverse faith-based youth work practices as well as some of the tensions of working in faith-based contexts.

Dr. Stanton is a researcher, educator, and community youth worker in the UK. She’s currently a research fellow at Middlesex University in London. Much of her research has focused on Christian youth work, past and present. She’s also worked directly with young people in both secular and faith-based contexts.

Stigma Within Communities that Fight for Equality

In this episode of Your Right to Speak, Sammy talks with his colleague from the Ontario Provincial Advocates Office, Josh. The conversation covers many issues gay black youth face from within gay and black communities. Josh discusses racism, shadeism, class, homophobia, pornography, and whiteness. He stresses the point that the 2SLGBTQ+ community is very diverse and needs to stop working in silos. He ends the conversation talking about how to support the diverse needs of children and youth without reproducing oppression.

Supporting Children, Youth and Refugee Families, a Conversation with Adrienne Carter

In this episode Adrienne Carter speaks about her work with refugees and displaced people in a variety of countries and contexts. She shares stories, wisdom, and practice-based evidence from years supporting children, adolescents and parents who are dealing with trauma from both natural disasters and war. She talks about the similarities and distinctive aspects of both experiences. Adrienne Carter also discusses effective therapy interventions and unique cultural factors when providing mental health services in different contexts.

Adrienne Carter is a psychotherapist and educator. She has worked with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), The Centre for Victims of Torture, and The Child and Youth Mental Health Centre in Victoria, Canada. She has supported refugees in Kosovo, Sri Lanka, and Kashmir among other locations. Adrienne has recently returned from Jordan where she was training people who are working with refugees from Syria. 

Hairstory: Black Families in the Child Welfare System a conversation with Denise, Priscella and Erica

On This episode of Your Right to Speak, Sammy talks with Denise, Priscella and Erica who are members of the Hairstory team at the Ontario Provincial Advocates Office. The conversation is about the many issues black children, youth and families face within the care system. They discuss the over representation of black children and youth in the care of Children’s Aid, the racial bases staff have towards black children and youth, and the importance of cultural competence and cultural compassion in the care system. The interviewees stress the need for more black families to become foster parents and the stigma within the black community about the care system.

Let’s Raise Awareness Together!    

You can follow Hairstory on facebook : 

https://www.facebook.com/storyofmyhair

Also through the hashtags:  #hairstory, #blackyouth #untanglingtheroots, 

If you are a child/youth that would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email Sammy at yourrighttospeak@gmail.com

The Isibindi Model, a conversation with Zeni Thumbadoo

Isibindi is a Zulu word that means courage. It is also an innovative and life-changing model, developed in South Africa, for working with children, youth, families, and communities. While supporting young people, the Isibindi model simultaneously provides training for unemployed community members leading to accreditation and employment in child and youth care.

There is a tremendous amount for practitioners, policy makers, and politicians to learn from the Isibindi model. This interview, with Zeni Thumbadoo, is a short introduction to the program. I encourage you to look at the links below for more information about Isibindi. Zeni Thumbadoo is the Deputy Director of the National Association of Child Care Workers in South Africa, and an instrumental person in the creation of the Isibindi program. 

National Association of Child Care Workers: ISIBINDI – Creating circles of care: http://www.naccw.org.za/isibindi/

The Path of Courage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MriK1u_ij_w (12 Min.)

The Isibindi Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1D2DUFbzhc (25 Min)

 NACCW Isibindi King Williams Town: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb7akwCXpNA (6 Min)

Impact in Child Welfare with Sheldon from Our Voice Our Turn

Sammy speaks with Sheldon who works at the Ontario Provincial Advocates office for Children and youth. Sheldon is a team member of Our Voice Our Turn. This project goal is to elevate the voices of young people within the child welfare system. Sheldon talks about a recent update about the project and the impact the project has had on the Ontario welfare system. Sheldon also talks about a new release from the Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services and the changes that have been made. 

My real life book report:http://www.provincialadvocate.on.ca/documents/en/ylc/YLC_REPORT_ENG.pdf

If you are a child/youth what would like to be on the show or if you have an idea of what you think we should talk about please email me atyourrighttospeak@gmail.com  

Four Perspectives on CYC Professionalization: A Panel Discussion

This week I am posting a very long episode it is about an hour and forty-five minutes. It is a recording of a panel discussion, which took place at the National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW) conference in Cape Town, South Africa in June & July 2015, about CYC professionalization in the USA and Canada. There were four panelists and a moderator. The moderator was Zeni Thumbadoo and in order of speaking the panelists were Kelly Shaw, Wolfgang Vachon, Heather Modlin, and James Freeman. The panelists give a brief introduction to themselves in the podcast. 

I encourage you to post this podcast on your preferred form of social media or otherwise promote it. We’d like to get to 1000 listens a month, right now we are averaging a little over 900 between the two sites, any help you can give would be appreciated.

Emancipatory Youth Practice with Dr. Kim Snow

On this episode we talk with Dr. Kim Snow, a professor at Ryerson University in the Child and Youth Care program. Dr. Snow explains the sigma that children and youth in the care system face and the importance for young people to have a sense of belonging. She also brings up the importance of how language is used and the impacts it has in children and youth.

If you have any suggestions on what topics we should talk about on the show, if you would like to be on the show, or if you are a child/youth who would like to express their views please email Sammy at yourrighttospeak@gmail.com  

Refugee Children and the Isibindi Model with Monika Sandvik-Nylund

We are continuing to upload some of the presentations from the 20th biennial South African National Association of Child Care Workers conference that took place in June of 2015.

This episode is a presentation by Monika Sandvik-Nylund. Sandvik-Nylund is a senior advisor with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), her portfolio focuses on specifically children. In her presentation she gives a clear overview of what the UNHCR does, some of the challenges facing refugee children and then discusses the South African Isibinidi program as a possible model for working with children in refugee situations.

For those not familiar with Isibinidi I posted a video about the program on CYCpodcast.org in the July 2015 podcast (episode 57).

Discussion of Child/Youth Rights with the Ontario Provincial Advocate Irwin Elman

Ontario Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth Irwin Elman talks about child/youth rights and advocacy. He discusses how child rights can coexist with culture, how adults can elevate the voices of children up to age 11, the importance of using activate listening when advocating with children and youth, and what “advocacy” means to the Provincial Advocate.

This episode marks the inaugural Your Right To Speak podcast by Sammy D’Agostino. Know Your Rights will be posted the second Wednesday of each month.