This research explores the experiences and needs of five young people with FASD in care. Data was gathered through personal interviews with youth in care, guided by an anti-oppressive research philosophy. The findings suggest that youth in care with FASD experience a myriad of challenges throughout their journeys in care with regard to placements, caregivers, and the transition to adulthood for which the impact for young people was difficult to understand. The high degree of secondary disabilities of FASD was found to be alarming in this group of young people. The study also found that those with more of an awareness of their disability had the capacity to speak to some of their support needs. All of the youth revealed strengths within themselves and reported having goals and dreams for their futures. A number of recommendations, which include input from participants, are highlighted, with the intention of providing some suggestions for best practice with our young people with FASD in care and policy changes within the systems working with this population.

This research explores the experiences and needs of five young people with FASD in care. Data was gathered through personal interviews with youth in care, guided by an anti-oppressive research philosophy. The findings suggest that youth in care with FASD experience a myriad of challenges throughout their journeys in care with regard to placements, caregivers, and the transition to adulthood for which the impact for young people was difficult to understand. The high degree of secondary disabilities of FASD was found to be alarming in this group of young people. The study also found that those with more of an awareness of their disability had the capacity to speak to some of their support needs. All of the youth revealed strengths within themselves and reported having goals and dreams for their futures. A number of recommendations, which include input from participants, are highlighted, with the intention of providing some suggestions for best practice with our young people with FASD in care and policy changes within the systems working with this population.

No description available.

In Manitoba, as elsewhere, there is a growing trend towards the use of pharmaceuticals and medical technology (pharmaceuticalization) on children and youth in care (C/YIC). As legally mandated guardians and trained experts on children and youth, social workers in Manitoba may play pivotal roles in the decision to medicate C/YIC with psychotropics. Yet there are no studies on Manitoba social workers’ experiences with medicated children/youth or on their perceptions and attitudes towards medicating C/YIC with psychotropics. Using a multilevel Social Structure and Personality analytic, I explored what Manitoba social workers from various fields of practice have to say about this trend. Data consisted of five in-depth interviews and 29 self-completed questionnaires. Findings highlighted that social workers in Manitoba are dealing with increasingly complex cases within a system of residual social welfare. Funding and resource constraints, lack of skilled medical professionals and educators quick to refer all contribute towards medicating C/YIC.

This dissertation draws on semi-structured interviews with 20 former youth in care to examine their experiences in Ontario’s child welfare system and the long-term impacts of those experiences. Using a symbolic interactionist approach, the study analyzes the biographical disruption that experiences in the care system represented for participants and how this affected their life trajectories. The findings are organized and discussed around three themes: a) participants’ involvement with the system – how they experienced entering, being in, and exiting the system; b) the stigma participants experienced while in care, and their efforts to neutralize or manage the stigma; and c) the impact that their care experiences had on participants as adults. The data reveal a range of challenges that participants encountered while they were in care, including loneliness, isolation, neglect, general mistreatment and in some cases, abuse. Particularly damaging were the stigma and assaults on “self” that participants experienced as a result of their care status. The data also reveal that in one way or another, these early experiences followed participants into their adult lives, leaving them with a myriad of issues and concerns. The dissertation ends with a discussion of the substantive and theoretical contributions of the findings, as well as a section that addresses the policy implications of the research. / Dissertation / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This dissertation draws on semi-structured interviews with 20 former youth in care to examine their experiences in the care system and the long-term impacts of those experiences. Participants described their time in care, including the stereotyping, stigma, abuse, and general mistreatment they encountered, as well as the loneliness and isolation they experienced. Leaving the care system also came with a distinct set of challenges that often persisted into their adult lives. The analysis focuses on impacts relating to identity, self-perception, and material circumstances for those who pass through Ontario’s child welfare system.

The study of resiliency theory allows for an examination of successful processes people have relied on to overcome difficult situations. In this study, former youth in care who have demonstrated resilience through educational success as defined by enrollment in post-secondary educational programs, were interviewed to gain an understanding of the factors that contributed to their resilience. Nine former youth in care participated in this study. Analysis of the transcripts from the conversations resulted in several factors that the participants identified as promoting resilience. These included supportive relationships, self advocacy, externalization of perceived negative attitudes, a high value placed on education, and access to community support through Amandas Gift, a bursary program available to former youth in care.

The study of resiliency theory allows for an examination of successful processes people have relied on to overcome difficult situations. In this study, former youth in care who have demonstrated resilience through educational success as defined by enrollment in post-secondary educational programs, were interviewed to gain an understanding of the factors that contributed to their resilience. Nine former youth in care participated in this study. Analysis of the transcripts from the conversations resulted in several factors that the participants identified as promoting resilience. These included supportive relationships, self advocacy, externalization of perceived negative attitudes, a high value placed on education, and access to community support through Amandas Gift, a bursary program available to former youth in care.

Photocopy of typescript. / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Este trabalho teve por objetivo investigar e discutir as imagens sociais atribuídas às instituições de acolhimento e aos jovens institucionalizados, a partir de dois estudos empíricos exploratórios. O estudo I investigou as imagens sociais atribuídas às instituições de acolhimento. Participaram da pesquisa 202 adultos selecionados por conveniência, com idades entre 16 e 69 anos (M=32,76, DP=11,67), sendo a maioria do sexo feminino (79,2%), solteiro (51%), com ensino médio (48%) ou curso superior (37,6%). Os participantes responderam a um questionário aberto utilizando até cinco palavras para descrever uma instituição de acolhimento. O estudo II investigou as imagens sociais atribuídas aos jovens em acolhimento institucional. Participaram 224 adultos selecionados por conveniência, com idades entre 18 e 71 anos (M=33,97, DP=11,42), sendo que 68,4% já tiveram contato com adolescentes em situação de vulnerabilidade e risco. Foi utilizado um questionário fechado, com 37 palavras para descrever os jovens típicos e em acolhimento, com itens em escala Likert. Os resultados do primeiro estudo indicam que as imagens sociais sobre as instituições de acolhimento, em geral, são positivas e que predominam as percepções relacionadas ao acolhimento/proteção e à organização. Os resultados do segundo estudo apontam que as palavras consideradas negativas foram significativamente mais associadas aos jovens em acolhimento institucional, indicando haver uma imagem social negativa desta população. Embora as mudanças legais e políticas referentes à proteção infantojuvenil venham contribuindo para a qualificação dos serviços de acolhimento, permanecem os estigmas que classificam os jovens inseridos nesse contexto. É importante que se faça uma reflexão social coletiva sobre essa realidade a fim de que se encontrem estratégias de modificação do imaginário social que ainda rotula e discrimina essa população. / This study aimed to investigate and discuss the social images associated to the residential care institutions and the young people in care through two exploratory empirical studies. The first study investigated the social images assigned to the residential care institutions. The participants were 202 adults selected by convenience, aged 16 to 69 years old (M=32.76, SD=11.67), mostly female (79.2%), single (51%), with high school (48%) or higher education (37.6%). The participants answered an open questionnaire using up to five words to describe a residential care institution. The second study investigated the social images assigned to young people in care. The participants were 224 adults selected by convenience, aged 18 to 71 years old (M=33.97, SD=11.42), 68.4% of them have already had contact with teenagers in vulnerability and risk situations. The instrument was a Likert scale questionnaire with 37 words used to describe young people in general and in care. The results of the first study indicated that social images are generally positive, prevailing perceptions related to care/protection and organization. The results of the second study indicated that the negative words were significantly more associated with young people in care, indicating that there is a negative social image related to this population. Although legal and political changes concerning children and youth protection have been contributing to the qualification of residential care institutions, the stigmas that classify young people inserted in this context remain. It is important to make a collective social reflection about this reality in order to find strategies to modify the social imaginary that still labels and discriminates this population.

No description available.