Thriving on the Front Lines

A Guide to Strengths-Based Youth Care Work

Bob Bertolino

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• ISBN:
  9781317752592
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Psychology
• Subtopic: Psychotherapy Counselling
• Index: Psychology

Youth and Family Services (YFS) are part of residential and group homes, schools, social service organizations, hospitals, and family court systems. YFS include prevention, education, positive youth development, foster care, child welfare, and treatment. As YFS has evolved advances in research have brought forth a host of promising new ideas that both complement and expand on the original underpinnings of strengths-based practice. Thriving on the Front Lines represents an articulation of these advancements.

Thriving on the Front Lines explores the use of strengths-based practices with those who are "in the trenches, " Youth Care Worker (YCWs). Commonly referred to as resident counselors, youth counselors, psychiatric technicians (psych techs), caseworkers, case managers, and house parents or managers, YCWs are on the "front lines, " often providing services 24 hours a day. Thriving on the Front Lines is an up-to-date treatise on the pivotal role of YCWs and those who work day in and day out with youth to improve their well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Unique aspects of the strengths-based framework provided in Thriving on the Front Lines include:

• Strengths-based principles informed by five decades of research;

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• Discussion of the importance of using real-time feedback to improve service outcomes and "how to" implement an outcome-orientation;

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• Exploration of Positive Youth Development;

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• Two chapters devoted entirely to strengths-based interventions;

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• An in-depth discussion of how to improve effectiveness through deliberate practice; and,

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• How to develop a strengths-based organizational climate.

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Fingerprints: Becoming a Difference-Maker

Search and see if there is not some place where you may invest your humanity.

— Albert Schweitzer

Of the many aspirations I had in my formative years, working in youth and family services (YFS) was not one of them. I landed in the field by happenstance when I answered an advertisement for a position with a nonprofit community-based organization. My aim then was simple: Find a job that would allow me the flexibility to continue my undergraduate studies and simultaneously moonlight as a musician. What followed was much more—a journey that changed the course of my life.

My career began as a resident counselor or “RC” (a position that has since been renamed, “youth care worker” or YCW) at an emergency shelter for 10–18-year-olds who were homeless, displaced, and/or in crisis. Youth who came to the “shelter” typically remained for a few days to a month, depending on their situations. Many returned home. Others transitioned to long-term settings such as residential placement, transitional or independent living, or foster care. As with all services, there were also youth who left without achieving the change or improvement we had hoped for. The purpose of this book is to provide front line staff with effective practice strategies to increase the benefit of services to youth and spell a reduction in youth who dropout or leave services prematurely and without measurable, positive improvement.

Given the substantive variation in what constitutes YFS and the capacities in which YCWs serve, we will begin with an exploration of two areas:

1. the scope of youth and family services (YFS)
2. the role of the youth care worker (YCW).

The remainder of this chapter will include the following four sections: Lessons from the Front Lines, Personal Philosophy, and Activating Your Positive Deviance, and Pillars of Positive Deviance.

The Scope of Youth and Family Services

Broadly defined, YFS include programs that provide safe and respectful education, prevention, therapeutic (treatment), and support services that foster growth and development. Therapeutic programs are perhaps the most widely utilized form of YFS; however, programs that focus on child abuse and neglect (i.e., child protection), case management, foster care and/or adoption (i.e., child welfare), court-based services, and referral and crisis hotlines, and youth development can be found through the U.S. and most regions of the world. YFS are provided in offices, homes, residential programs, schools, corrections facilities, hospitals, drop-in centers, and other settings that serve youth and families.

YFS can be voluntary (i.e., client initiated, optional) or involuntary (i.e., mandated or court ordered, etc.) with varying eligibility requirements. Some programs base eligibility on factors such as income, age, location of residence (where one lives), and severity of problem. For example, a youth may need to be assigned a psychiatric diagnosis, meet pre-established criteria (e.g., severely emotionally disturbed [SED]; severe and persistent mental illness [SPMI]), or some other form of categorization (e.g., victim of crime, sexual offender/perpetrator, etc.) to qualify for services. Some programs have few or no eligibility requirements, depending on how they are funded. Programs can be financially supported through contracts, grants, foundations, private donations, third-party payers (i.e., insurance, etc.), and may involve out-of-pocket payment by recipients.

Many organizations are multifaceted, offering a combination of the aforementioned services. These are sometimes referred to as “one-stop” organizations. YFS may also be provided through a constituency of agencies or community networks. In these instances, each agency offers a specific type of service that typically falls on a continuum of care. For example, one organization may provide residential care while another fulfills educational needs. The success of YFS is contingent on these collaborative, community-based efforts, which are often referred to as “systems of care.” As the African proverb goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” To provide the best possible continuum of care, social service and mental health organizations, educational institutions, court systems, and other providers and support services have to work together, from policy through service provision. When systems and services are inadequate and fail, more youth and families suffer. We must keep in mind, however, that systems are run by people. It has been said that failure in YFS is the result of youth falling through the cracks. Perhaps a more accurate statement is that youth slip through people’s fingers, which is an entirely preventable problem.

The Role of the Youth Care Worker

Youth in programs (most commonly out-of-home placements) that employ YCWs are very often from highly vulnerable populations. These youth lack positive support systems, experience isolation, live in fear, and are sometimes resentful (Barford & Whelton, 2010; Frensch & Cameron, 2002). In addition, they often have significant psychological, behavioral, and emotional problems, and may become verbally and/or physically aggressive, engage in self-harming behaviors, and act out sexually.

YCWs play a vital and yet underappreciated role in YFS. It is the job of YCWs to guide youth through their daily routines and for carrying out day-to-day services in runaway and homeless shelters, residential group homes, inpatient psychiatric facilities, correction centers, transitional and independent living programs, foster homes, and alternative schools. Depending on the program and setting, YCWs may also be referred to as resident counselors, youth counselors, psychiatric technicians (psych techs), caseworkers, case managers, and house parents or managers. YCWs can be found in administrative, operations, training, and supervisory capacities, however, their primary role is to provide direct service. General duties of YCWs include:

• Providing safety, care, supervision, discipline, and emotional support to youth.
• Completing and/or overseeing daily program tasks and functions.
• Conducting face-to-face or telephonic screenings and/or intake interviews (assessments).
• Meeting formally or informally with youth.
• Leading educational, support, and/or treatment groups.
• Managing crises with youth and in programs.
• Participating in the physical upkeep of facilities.
• Participating as part of a team that may include other mental health and social service workers, health professionals, and educators.

The responsibilities of YCWs do not end with formal job descriptions. To this end, most YCWs are familiar with the phrase, “other duties as assigned.” YCWs are in effect the “go-to” persons—preserving the safety and well-being of youth while juggling multiple on-shift tasks. Any given day a YCW in a residential setting could be supervising a group of youth, working to resolve a conflict between two residents, and answering phone calls at the same time; all the while, paperwork awaits. YCWs not only have numerous responsibilities, they carry out those responsibilities in environments that are fast paced and require conscientious, “on-the-spot” decision-making. The role of the YCW is uniquely multifaceted.

YCWs may also assume dual roles. For example, a YCW may, in one instance, work with a youth who is in crisis, serving in more of a “therapeutic” capacity and then be required to take a position of authority and give the same youth a consequence. This duality can pose a challenge and yet over time YCWs learn how to engage youth and negotiate such situations.

Lessons from the Front Lines

So far we have delineated the primary responsibilities and actions of YCWs. But it is what happens day by day, shift by shift, and interaction by interaction that brings the job of YCW to life. Knowledge gained through experience is an extraordinary asset that grows over time. As expected, many lessons will be learned with some being more difficult than others. I experienced this first-hand in my first few months as a YCW. A few lessons could be considered mere subtext—proverbial “learning experiences.” On more than one occasion, however, I considered leaving the field for an occupation with fewer “side effects.” The worry, frustration, and guilt were overwhelming. There were times when I would leave shifts feeling sad—like I could have done more—or ill prepared—as if I didn’t know what I was doing. Fortunately, the benefits of being in YFS far outweighed the side effects. I came to realize that there are few experiences in life that can surpass that of helping a young person in need to have the future he or she wants and deserves.

Two of the lessons I learned as a YCW remain with me today. One came fairly quickly, the other took longer to fully understand and appreciate. Both continue to serve as part of my philosophical foundation and I believe represent important lessons for YCWs.

Lesson 1: Let Youth Show Who They Are

Matt, a 15-year-old, came to the shelter after three years in residential placement, the second half of which was spent with the Missouri Division of Youth Services (DYS). DYS is a last resort for countless youth. It is prison for juveniles. Despite being separated from his family for three years and residing in settings that were at best, rough, if things went well at the shelter, Matt would return home to his family.

I wasn’t on shift when Matt first arrived but I was aware of the chatter among staff. One RC described Matt as “super quiet” and “spooky.” Another commented that he looked “suspicious.” There was more. I heard that Matt’s psychiatric diagnoses outnumbered his tattoos, which was quite remarkable since, from what I understood, he had four “colorful” tattoos on his left arm alone. The more I heard the more I wondered: What do I do with this information? Should I be cautious? Afraid? The stories of Matt told of violence and unpredictability. Even a seasoned YCW could be a little unnerved. And I was both unseasoned and unsure. Still, I was cautiously curious about Matt and what difference we, as a program, might make for him.

Aside from the stories being circulated about Matt there was his actual case file. I had grown accustomed to reading dense files and had learned that reports and assessments often provided narrow and negative descriptions of the youth we served. I wondered how labels and diagnoses could be considered science and witnessed how in worst cases they could stigmatize and demean youth. Matt had experienced this very thing when a psychologist labeled him as having a “pathological personality.” He earned this label for such frightening behaviors as laughing at things that others might not consider funny, making crude jokes, a fondness for gory horror films, and a “dislike of mornings.” The psychologist’s description of Matt wasn’t out of the ordinary for youth who came to the shelter. In much of the documentation that accompanied youth, it was hard to find anything positive. In Matt’s case, his file read like a criminal rap sheet.

To be clear, it wasn’t meeting a new youth that made me uneasy—and I was uneasy. I had met many youth. It was what I had heard and read about Matt that had me on edge. I had yet to even talk with the 15-year-old and my confidence had been undermined. I was, admittedly, “under the influence” of a perception.

Then I met Matt. Not the Matt characterized through stories. Not the Matt described on paper. I met the Matt who was nothing like what I had read or heard about. There was a quiet intensity about him that could be, and apparently had been, understood as threatening. He was a young man of few words, which again, led some persons to wonder about what kind of person he was. In a couple of shifts, I witnessed Matt’s contagious laughter and ability to engage others through his infectious stories. As we got to know each other better, Matt opened up. He talked about his hopes and dreams. He was aware of his past mistakes and owned up to them. He made no excuses for the behavior that led to his out-of-home placement. What Matt sought was an opportunity to show others the kind of person he really was. That was the very reason the shelter program existed, to help youth like Matt to show who they were and make the most out of new opportunities.

Because Matt had been in out-of-home placements for an extensive period of time, and to create as smooth a transition as possible back home, his stay at the shelter was extended to 10 weeks. This was atypical since youth rarely stayed beyond 30 days. Matt made the most of his time in the program. He excelled through the shelter’s level system to the point that a new level had to be created to accommodate his growth. He mentored other residents, helping them to learn about and adjust to the shelter program. Over the course of his stay Matt talked increasingly about his future plans and his actions revealed his growth. He completed work toward his GED (general educational development) and began to explore job options. Matt and I chatted about topics that ranged from cars to careers to what it’s like to be in out-of-home placements. He was candid about where he’d been and where he wanted to go with his life. There was every reason to believe in him.

Matt’s reunification with his family was a success. But his involvement with the agency did not end at discharge. A couple of years later Matt returned—this time as a formal youth volunteer. He went on to mentor residents at the shelter and even went to Washington, DC, to advocate for services for homeless and displaced youth.

Prior to Matt, I wondered if I had been overestimating the youth who came to the shelter. Perhaps I was too optimistic. A supervisor told me as much. Without knowing, Matt reaffirmed in me the importance of knowing who people are and separating that from what they are doing or have done. Each of us is responsible for what we do and there are, of course, consequences to actions. To help and support youth, who are among the most marginalized in society, we must focus on their capacities to make better decisions, be responsible, and grow. If we do not believe in youth, who will?

Lesson 2: Face Uncertainty with Genuineness and Sincerity

My second lesson did not come as quickly. Regardless of how may shifts I worked as a YCW, I could not shake the sensation that I did not know enough. I trusted in my ability to connect with youth yet I found myself saying, “There has to me more. I must be missing something.” I studied other YCWs intently to learn how they did the job. I paid close attention in staff meetings, trainings, and in supervision. I read voraciously and watched videos created for YCWs. I asked questions of anyone who would lend me their attention—even if it was their partial attention. These efforts did little to boost my confidence. I felt it was a matter of time before others realized I was impersonating a YCW.

I concluded that I needed to ask better questions. Surely better questions would elicit more satisfactory responses. I understood that the answers I was seeking couldn’t be found in the shelter’s written training materials, so I pressed my peers and supervisors. I asked, “How do you know when a youth is __________ (having a flashback, thinking about running away, etc.)?” and “How can you tell that ___________ (abuse, divorce, drinking, etc.) is the main issue?” and, “What do you do when a youth __________ (refuses to do what has been asked, threatens you, tries to pit you against another staff member, etc.)?” The responses of my peers fell into two general categories. The first was the “This is what you do” group. For these folks, there were specific answers to most situations. The second type of response fell into the “It depends” category. Responders in this group explained that contextual details (e.g., the personality or history of the youth; the type of problem, etc.) were strong determinants in how youth might react in given situations. In both categories of response, there were broad variations between staff, even though the questions were the same.

After hijacking the minds of numerous YIN staff, I came to realize the questions I was most interested in and that had the most influence on my confidence had no definitive answers. There were only ideas and preferred ways of doing things. I gathered that in most situations there were many possible reactions. It wasn’t necessary to know the right answer. Instead, YCWs need sound rationale, common sense, and the ability to be creative. There was one other thing that became an important lesson in my development: Face the prospects of uncertainty with genuineness and sincerity.

It is okay to not know what lies ahead and to not have all the answers. What is required of each of us in YFS is a willingness to give of ourselves, maintain an open mind, and engage others in what sometimes amounts to walking along rocky terrain without knowing how things will turn out. Poet David Whyte (2011) has spoken of the importance of taking the risk to immerse one’s self in the unknown:

If you are sincere about your vocation you will get to thresholds where you will not know how to proceed … and where you will forget yourself … and where you will start to imprison yourself with the very endeavor that was first a doorway to freedom. And if you don’t become disappointed in yourself you’re not trying. There is actually no path a human can take with sincerity, with real courage that doesn’t lead to heartbreak. It’s astonishing how human beings spend an enormous amount of their energy and time turning away from that possibility; trying to arrange for a life where you won’t be touched and where you will be left immune to the great forces and elements of life.

We enter YFS with our hearts wide open and an unwavering oath to do our best. No matter the level of commitment and preparation, there are elements of YFS that are unpredictable. At times things won’t go as planned. We may become disappointed with ourselves and perhaps even question our abilities. In the face of such challenges it is important that we maintain our courage and patience and remain unfettered in our mission of promoting well-being, building supportive relationships, and promoting positive change with youth and each other. And we are reminded of Lesson 1—setting aside any preconceived...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• CHAPTER 1 — Fingerprints: Becoming a Difference-Maker
• CHAPTER 2 — Foundations: Principles of Strengths-Based Youth Care Work
• CHAPTER 3 — Engagement: Creating and Strengthening Relationships
• CHAPTER 4 — Directions: Information-Gathering and Planning
• CHAPTER 5 — Possibilities, Part 1: Strategies for Changing Views
• CHAPTER 6 — Possibilities, Part 2: Strategies for Changing Actions
• CHAPTER 7 — Exchanges: Progress and Transitions
• CHAPTER 8 — Better: Achieving Excellence in Youth and Family Services
• Appendix A
• Appendix B
• References
• Index