A Day in Your Life as a Child and Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker

If you are looking to become a family support worker or a child and youth care worker, you will have a critical role to play in the lives of children, adolescents, and their loved ones as they face social, emotional, behavioural, and mental health concerns. Within an addictions support worker program or youth service worker course, you will learn how to provide counsel, assess and implement appropriate prevention and intervention strategies aimed to inspire real and lasting change, and provide support to foster healthy child development and address family dynamics and addiction. You will also work in close collaboration with other professionals in your field including medical and social workers, educators, correctional staff, and community partners.

But if your vision is to serve your community in this way and embark on such an assistant youth worker program or mental health support worker program, then you will want to know what to expect in your day to day, so that you can make an informed decision.

Here is precisely what you need to know about what a typical workday could look like for you.

A Day in Your Life as a Child and Youth Care (CYC) Worker.

• Review and Welcome in New Clients – Engage in the client selection process by preparing, familiarizing yourself with a client’s background information and treatment history and then interviewing the new client to obtain pertinent, first-account details. You will use this info to make your selection and if the client is a good fit, you will then have what you need to fill out an intake report.

• Client Assessment and Plan – On an ongoing basis you will review a client’s needs, strengths and skillsets and assess to be able to set out a plan of action to provide the appropriate assistance and support.

• Client Counselling – You will work closely with clients and even their families and support systems to discuss their goals, challenges, and any barriers they may have, and engage in dialogue to encourage communication and provide the most appropriate support needed.

• Client Supervision – If you are working within a group home you will be required to supervise and advise clients on their behaviour and provide guidance when needed.

• Program Assessment – You will assist in the evaluation of current client programs and make recommendations for enhancement or changes based on program effectiveness for the individual. You will do this by tracking and documenting client responses to support and intervention, and behavioural and lifestyle changes.

• Skills Development – Design, develop and implement workshops on life skills, behaviour management, youth services and substance abuse, and connect clients to community, social services and healthcare programs that best address their situations.

• Special Services Support – As you become familiar with a client’s individual situation you will be able to determine what support you can offer and that which is best referred to outside community services and programs. You will research options and make referrals to those who can best serve your client with various services, from medical and financial assistant, transportation, daycare options, and housing to financial and legal assistance.

• Special Services Assessment – You will also be responsible for connecting and communicating with those you refer your client to. You will look to receive feedback on how a client is responding to support and track progress within those referral programs and services to ensure all is in alignment with the client’s overall goals.

• Volunteer Activity Connections – Where applicable you will look to connect your client to various volunteer opportunities within healthcare facilities, human service agencies and sports and arts community organizations and programs. This helps to enrich your client’s overall experience.

• Advocating – In addition to all you provide by way of plan, counsel, support and assessment, you are also ever on the lookout for opportunities to encourage the understanding, acceptance and integration of your clients into the environments they frequent in their lives. From schools and the workplace to services and programs, you are advocating for your clients and encouraging and mentoring them on how to advocate for themselves.

• Overall Evaluation and Progress Tracking – You will be a master record keeper, tracking details of the support and services your client receives, your reviews, assessments, and recommendations so that you can contribute to research and statistical analysis.

While CYCs work in a variety of environments with diverse groups of individuals and teams, this offers an overview of what your day and week may typically look like in this profession. If you are still determining if your interests and skillset align with this work, take the “Anderson College Child & Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker Discovery Quiz”.

If you’re ready to explore the powerful and purposeful service you can provide to your community within a child & youth care with addictions support worker career, book a virtual appointment with our Admissions team today. We’re here to help you navigate your way from program selection to crossing that stage for your diploma and landing your dream job. Reach out to us and let’s get you launched.

Quick Links to Fuel Your Success!

We want to make sure you have what you need to succeed! Check out these reference links:

• Anderson College Child and Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker Program
• Anderson Blog – 5 Reasons to Become a Child and Youth Care Worker
• Anderson Blog – 3 Steps to Becoming a Child and Youth Care with Addictions Support Worker