Educating Children in Our Care
An Inter-professional Dialogue
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/23696Keywords:
child welfare, children in care, educational child welfare, Interprofessional educationAbstract
In Canada, there is increasing recognition that poor educational outcomes of children and adolescents involved with the child welfare system represent an emerging crisis for youth, their families, and the broader society. Interprofessional education and collaboration between educators and social workers may facilitate better outcomes for children in care. Although interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) are well established in the allied health fields, there is not an equivalent acceptance within the applied social sciences, specifically in education and child welfare contexts. This may partially be attributed to the “siloed” nature of these professions, which limits both capacity and opportunities for professionals to understand each other’s mandates, roles, and policies. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a graduate elective course for social workers and educators that was geared toward educational outcomes of children in care. Thirty-eight students from both disciplines participated in a summer institute. Although participants valued the content and process of the course, it is unclear whether these types of initiatives facilitate enhanced IPC. Findings do however suggest that IPE initiatives targeted toward a specific population may have more positive outcomes, compared to general IPC.
References
Altshuler, S. (2003). From barriers to successful collaboration: Public schools and child welfare working together. Social Work, 48(1), 52-63. https://doi.org/10.1093/sw/48.1.52
Bell, L., & Allain, L. (2011). Exploring professional stereotypes and learning for interprofessional practice: An example from UK qualifying level social work education. Social Work Education, 30(3), 266-280. https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2010.483726
Bentley, M., Freeman, T., Baum, F., & Javanparast, S. (2018). Interprofessional teamwork in comprehensive primary healthcare services: Findings from a mixed methods study. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 33, 274-283. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2017.1401986
Blackstock, C. (2011). The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on First Nations Child Welfare: Why if Canada wins, equality and justice lose. Children and Youth Services Review, 33(1), 187-194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.09.002
Bridges, D., Davidson, R., Soule Odegard, P., Maki, I., & Tomkowiak, J. (2011). Interprofessional collaboration: Three best practice models of interprofessional education. Medical Education Online, 16(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3402/meo.v16i0.6035
Brownell, M., Chartier, M., Au, W., MacWilliam, L., Schultz, J., Guenette, W., & Valdivia, J. (2015). The educational outcomes of children in care in Manitoba. Winnipeg, MB. Manitoba Centre for Health Policy. https://doi.org/10.1037/e500792015-256
Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2005). Code of ethics. Author. https://www.casw-acts.ca/sites/default/files/attachements/casw_code_of_ethics.pdf
Carney, P., Thayer, E., Palmer, R., Galper, A., Zierler, B., & Eiff, M. (2019). The benefits of interprofessional learning and teamwork in primary care ambulatory training settings. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 15, 119-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2019.03.011
Christensen, T., & Lamoureux, K. (2016). Manitoba Task Force on Educational Outcomes of Children in Care: Report for the Minister of Education and Advanced Learning and the Minister of Family Services. Winnipeg, Manitoba. https://ihraamorg.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/manitoba-task-force-on-educational-outcomes-of-children-in-care-2016.pdf
Coiro, M., Kotchick, B., & Preis, J. (2016). Youth social skills groups: A training platform for promoting graduate clinician interprofessional competence. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 4, 89-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2016.04.004
D’Amour, D., & Oandasan, I. (2005). Inter-professionality as the field of interprofessional practice and interprofessional education: An emerging concept. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 19, 8-20. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781526402301.n17
Darlington, Y., & Feeney, J. (2008). Collaboration between mental health and child protection services: Professionals’ perceptions of best practice. Children and Youth Services Review, 30(2), 187-198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.09.005
Gallagher-MacKay, K. (2017). Succeeding together?: Schools, Child welfare, and uncertain public responsibility for abused or neglected children. University of Toronto Press. https://doi.org/10.3138/9781442624184
Garstka, T., Lieberman, A., Biggs, J., Thompson, B., & Levy, M. (2014). Barriers to cross- systems collaboration in child welfare, education, and the courts: Supporting educational well-being of youth in care through systems change. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 8(2), 190-211. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2014.888697
Harker, R. (2004). Taking care of education: An evaluation of the education of looked after children. National Children’s Bureau.
Healthy Child Manitoba. (2013). Education and child and family services protocol for children and youth in care. Author. https://www.gov.mb.ca/healthychild/publications/protocol_youthcare.pdf
Hsieh, H., & Shannon, S. (2005). Three approaches to qualitative content analysis. Qualitative Health Research, 15(9), 1277-1288. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732305276687
Illingworth, P., & Chelvanayagam, S. (2017). The benefits of interprofessional education 10 years on. British Journal of Nursing, 26(14), 813-818. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2017.26.14.813
Isaksson, C., & Larsson, A. (2017). Jurisdiction in school social workers’ and teachers’ work for pupils’ well-being. Education Inquiry, 8(3), 246-261. https://doi.org/10.1080/20004508.2017.1318028
Jones, J., Mcqueen, M., Lowe, S., Minnes, P., & Rischke, A. (2015). Interprofessional education in Canada: Addressing knowledge, skills, and attitudes concerning intellectual disability for future healthcare Professionals. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 12(3), 172-180. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12112
Kufeldt, K., Simard, M., & Vachon, J. (2003). Improving outcomes for children in care: Giving youth a voice. Adoption & Fostering Journal, 27(2), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/030857590302700204
Levine, K., & Sutherland, D. (2019, April 5-9). Competing discourses: Educators' and child welfare workers' perspectives on interprofessional collaboration [Paper presentation]. 2019 Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Manitoba Government. (2019a). Child and Family Services Act of Manitoba. https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/_pdf.php?cap=c80
Manitoba Government. (2019b). Manitoba families annual report 2018-2019. https://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/about/pubs/fsar_2018-2019.pdf
Manitoba Government. (2019c). Public Schools Act of Manitoba. https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/statutes/ccsm/_pdf.php?cap=p250
Morgan, A., Pendergast, D., Brown, R., & Heck, D. (2015). Relational ways of being an educator: Trauma-informed practice supporting disenfranchised young people. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 19(10), 1037-1051. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1035344
Ndoro, S. (2014). Effective multidisciplinary working: The key to high-quality care. British Journal of Nursing, 23(13), 724-727. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2014.23.13.724
O’Neill, L., Fraser, T., Kitchenham, A., & McDonald, V. (2018). Hidden Burdens: A review of intergenerational, historical and complex trauma, implications for Indigenous families. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 11(2), 173-186. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-016-0117-9
Pecora, P. J. (2012). Maximizing educational achievement of youth in foster care and alumni: Factors associated with success. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(6), 1121-1129. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.044
Piescher, K., Colburn, G., LaLiberte, T., & Hong, S. (2014). Child protective services and the achievement gap. Children & Youth Services Review, 47, 408-415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.11.004
Pratt, A. (1921). The relation of the teacher and the social worker. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 98, 90-96.
Romano, E., Babchishin, L., Marquis, R., & Fréchette, S. (2015). Childhood maltreatment and educational outcomes. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 16(4), 418–437. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838014537908
Rouse, H. L., & Fantuzzo, J. W. (2009). Multiple risks and educational well-being: A population-based investigation of threats to early school success. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 24(1), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2008.12.001
Sealey, R., George, N., Gordon, S., & Simmons, L. (2017). Dual benefits of a student-assisted interprofessional men’s healthy lifestyle pilot program. American Journal of Men’s Health, 11(4), 1133-1141. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557988315601725
Smithgall, C., Gladden, R., Howard, E., George, R., & Courtney, M. (2004). Educational experiences of children in out-of-home care. Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. https://www.chapinhall.org/wp-content/uploads/Smithgall_Educational-Experiences-Children-Out-of-Home_Report_2004.pdf
Stoddart, J. K. (2012). Using research and outcome data to improve educational services and supports for young people in care: A case study of a local children's aid society in Ontario. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(6), 1154-1160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2012.01.045
Stone, S., D'Andrade, A., & Austin, M. (2006). Educational services for children in foster care: Common and contrasting perspectives of child welfare and education stakeholders. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 1(2), 53-70. https://doi.org/10.1300/j479v01n02_04
Trout, A. L., Hagaman, J., Casey, K., Reid, R., & Epstein, M. H. (2008). The academic status of children and youth in out-of-home care: A review of the literature. Children and Youth Services Review, 30(9), 979-994. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.11.019
Whalan, F. (2012). Collective responsibility: Redefining what falls between the cracks for school reform. Sense Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6091-882-7
World Health Organization. (2010). Framework for action on interprofessional education & collaborative practice. Geneva, Switzerland. https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70185/WHO_HRH_HPN_10.3_eng.pdf;jsessionid=35BE21AB8F459D58BB7AE93ED9DB8C20?sequence=1
