SOAD4224 Interventions with Children and Young People

This topic presents students with the opportunity to increase their skills in relation to working with children and young people. Topics and programs related to children and families often have a focus on child development, family interventions, or child protection practices rather than direct skills and techniques for engaging with children and young people. This topic provides theories, strategies and practical activities which are currently being used successfully to strengthen children and young people's participation in a therapeutic relationship aimed at increasing their well-being.

This topic aims to assist students to:

• Understand a range of theoretical interventions with children and young people and the assessment criteria for the selection of a particular approach
• Review relevant literature and research which reflect the scope of work in this field of practice
• Familiarise themselves with the therapeutic services available to children and young people in South Australia or in their own locality
• Share the experience of practitioners who are engaging in therapeutic interventions with children
• Gain experiences with therapeutic activity based media, tools and activities that can be utilised with children and young people
• Identify themselves as critical thinkers and ethical practitioners with children and young people
• Empower themselves to engage with children and young people with more confidence

1. Establish a therapeutic relationship with a child or young person
2. Understand how various factors such as age, gender, ability, culture and traumatic experiences impact on children and young people
3. Delineate various theoretical and practice approaches as they apply to practice with children young people
4. Demonstrate knowledge of professional ethical guidelines and be able to analyse ethical dilemmas arising from work with children and young people
5. Conduct accurate assessments of children and adolescents
6. Appraise practice research and evaluate their own practice with children and young people