In this Field Notes post, Shavon writes about her field placement working with youth at Family Alternatives, a local foster care and adoption agency.
I am a IV-E Child Welfare scholar in the MSW program at the University of Minnesota School of Social Work, and I am completing my first field placement at Family Alternatives. Family Alternatives is a licensed foster care agency that recruits, trains, and assesses foster families. In addition, they work closely with the youth placed with their families to provide support, advocacy, and coordination of services.
As an MSW IV-E intern at Family Alternatives, I have had the opportunity to participate in agency programming, staff meetings, and case consultations, as well as shadow several social workers. During the course of my placement, it has become evident that the youth they work with are at the core of all they do. Youth are given a platform to be heard, understood and allowed a voice in the decisions that impact their life. There is a level of respect and empowerment given to youth that is often foreign in our child welfare system.
Nowhere is this more evident than in their youth-driven programs, such as “Transitions.” Transitions is a group that meets weekly for four weeks. There are youth coaches that help facilitate the group and teach information related to trauma, change, and the emotions associated with transitions. During my internship I have had the pleasure of working closely with the youth coaches. They are excellent teachers, knowledgeable, and willing to share what they know. Watching them teach other youth in care and foster parents about the effects of trauma, which is a topic I am currently learning about in graduate school, was a great experience. However, listening to them share their stories and take ownership of their experiences, as painful as they may be, was inspiring. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with and learn from such dynamic individuals.
Written by Shavon, a Title IV-E Scholar