BV2600 Psychosocial perspectives - Social-therapeutic work with children, young people and their families Course description

This course will provide an introduction to social therapy with children, young people and their families, with emphasis on work in child welfare institutions. It covers different perspectives on children and young people’s mental and physical health, and how neglect can affect their psychological development and health. The students will also be introduced to various theoretical perspectives underlying social therapy in order to facilitate children and young people’s development and growth.

The student must have completed and passed the first year of the Bachelor Programme in Child Care and Welfare.

Knowledge

The student

· has knowledge of the possible consequences of neglect on children’s physical and mental health, and how this can be expressed in children and young people

· has knowledge of trauma, possible causes, forms of expression and consequences, and how to work with children and young people who have experienced trauma

· has knowledge of different perspectives that form the basis of social therapy

· has knowledge of necessary relational and care-related conditions that enable facilitation of children and young people’s development and improvement of mental and physical health

· has knowledge of work with unaccompanied minor asylum seekers in institutions

· has knowledge of working with families and networks and of interprofessional cooperation in the field of social therapy

· has knowledge of professional ethics, ethical values and dilemmas and issues that can arise in social therapy work

Skills

The student

· can apply a multidisciplinary knowledge base to practise systematic social therapy with children and young people

· can apply relevant and applicable legislation, rules and guidelines in social therapy work in institutions

· can apply knowledge of substance abuse and criminality and knowledge of social and emotional challenges in children and young people in social therapy work in institutions

· can apply knowledge from children, young people and their families to ensure their participation and co-determination in social therapy work

· can apply knowledge of cultural diversity and demonstrate cultural sensitivity in social therapy work

· has insight into and can analyse and critically reflect on documentation that forms part of social therapy

General competence

The student

· has insight into their role as child welfare officer when working with children and young people living in institutions, including their own preconceptions, attitudes and values, and can reflect on how this affects the relationships

· can use knowledge, skills and experience to demonstrate understanding, empathy and recognition when working with children, young people and families in vulnerable life situations

The teaching methods vary between lectures, group work, self-study, written assignments, skills training with and without the use of filming and fellow student supervision.

The course includes skills training in writing and documentation carried out across the three courses: BV2200, BV2300 and BV2600, and skills training in professional communication carried out across the same three courses: BV2200, BV2300 and BV2600.

The course focuses on planning, documentation and evaluation of interventions based on applied behaviour analysis. The primary focus is to promote mastery of functional skills, independence and improved quality of life for service recipients. Students are expected to integrate knowledge from previous courses and explain their choice of assessment tools, target behaviours, mearsurement techniques, experimental designs, and interventions. Social validity must be assessed, and the choices must be in accordance with the applicable rights and legislation. In this course, students will put several of the theoretical principles from VERB2200 into practice. The course is taught over ten weeks.

Passed the first year of the programme

On successful completion of the course, the student has the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can describe the responsibilities of different parties and professions in a professionally sound target selection process
• can explain how to facilitate supported decision-making, participation and self-determination in a lifespan perspective
• can explain how skills can be established and maintained in a lifespan perspective
• can outline how to facilitate maintenance and change of behaviour at individual level through assessment and testing, description of interventions and evaluation of results
• can describe functional assessments
• can describe interventions based on behaviour analytic principles to prevent and reduce challenging behaviour
• can describe how to implement behaviour analytic principles in staff training
• can describe lawful and professionally sound case processing for individual decisions concerning services pursuant to the Health and Care Services Act

Skills

The student

• can apply selected assessment methods to prepare interventions based on behaviour analytic principles
• can carry out, in cooperation with others, a satisfactory planning and target selection process with an emphasis on the service recipient's wishes and self-determination
• can formulate goals at different levels in interventions based on behavior analytic principles
• can determine appropriate methods for collecting data and selecting a design, and present data from interventions
• can apply up-to-date knowledge of the health and welfare system, legislation, regulations and guidelines in their practice to ensure that service recipients receive equal and professionally sound services
• can apply up-to-date knowledge of laws and relevant guides in relation to coercive measures and use of force
• can provide behaviour-specific feedback to fellow students in connection with oral presentations

General competence

The student

• can discuss academic, ethical and legal issues associated with interventions based on behaviour analytic principles
• can communicate academic subject matter orally and in writing
• can explain methods for systematically obtaining information about the experience and knowledge from different parties

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Submission of written preparatory work to supervised group work in groups of six, up to 1,500 words
• 100% attendance in supervised case-based group work
• Oral presentation of case analysis, selection of target behaviours and training curriculum in supervised group work
• Individual oral presentation of target behaviour and training curriculum based on case analysis in groups of six students. Feedback from fellow students based on set criteria.
• Individual project description for self-modification project, up to 1,000 words
• Individual oral presentation of self-modification project in groups of six students. Feedback from fellow students and lecturer based on set criteria.

Individual written home examination over five days, up to 3,200 words

All material allowed.