Child, Family & Community Studies

Code Course Description
CFCS 1110

Introduction to Community

This course will focus on the development of a professional identity through examination of values, worldviews, and personal ethics in context of the professional ethics in education and human services. In forming strong and healthy communities, factors related to diversity, self-determination, social and economic justice, and power relations will be examined. Using the concepts of critical thinking, students will explore and reflect on historical and current perspectives and ethical decision-making. Current legal and policy trends will be discussed in relation to significant social and cultural issues.

CFCS 1112

Working in Communities

This course will focus on working with communities in a good way. Students will enhance their professional identity through examining their own values, worldviews, and ethics as well as the professional ethics of their field of study. Using the concepts of critical thinking, they will explore and reflect on community diversity, historical events and systemic oppression through a social justice lens. Current legal and policy trends, as well as political systems will also be discussed.
CFCS 1120

Self and Others: Wellness

This course emphasizes a developmental approach to self-awareness and interpersonal understanding promoting a balanced personal and professional lifestyle. It will provide students with a framework to explore wellness themes.

CFCS 1121

Personal and Professional Development

This course emphasizes self-awareness and interpersonal understanding promoting a balanced personal and professional lifestyle and skillset. Using contemporary theories it will provide students with a framework for personal and professional development.

CFCS 1130

Change and Development Lifespan

This introductory course explores how human development changes across the lifespan. Drawing on major developmental theories and the lived experience, students will investigate human development in the context of biological, physical, emotional, cognitive, contextual and cultural influences. Emphasis will be placed on major transitions from fetal development to death. The impact of ethnicity, psycho-social and cultural factors will be examined.

CFCS 1142

Introduction to Aboriginal Child, Youth and Family Practice

This course provides an introduction to Aboriginal child, youth and family work. Students will gain an understanding of the history of colonization and the impact of residential schools on many peoples and the implications of this for their work. Students will observe and discuss professional practice and develop observation and assessment skills in an Aboriginal context. Students will also explore values and ethics in relationship to working with and for Aboriginal families and communities.

CFCS 1160

Introduction to Professional Practice - Teaching and Learning

This course provides an introduction to Early Childhood Education and Child and Youth Care practice. Students will examine the role of the early childhood educator and child and youth care counsellor in a broad range of settings. Students will develop observation skills including information gathering, reflection and interpretation. Individualized planning skills will be introduced and practiced in this course.

CFCS 1220

Working with Others

This methods course emphasizes the development of communication versatility in working with people. Students will explore and apply interpersonal and facilitation skills such as information gathering, perception checking, goal setting, active listening, assertiveness and conflict resolution. Models that promote empowerment and awareness of self and others will be presented for examination and application to practice
CFCS 1221

Wellness: Self and Professional Practice

This course emphasizes a developmental approach to self-awareness and professional practice. It provides students with a framework to explore community wellness themes.
CFCS 1242

Practicum

This course provides opportunities for students to translate theory into practice. Students will practice skills in selected sites under supervision. Students will integrate and reflect upon their educational, personal and professional experiences in practicum and seminar.

CFCS 1260

Continuum of Substance Use

In this course, students will explore various theoretical perspectives of substance use and apply a holistic, integrated approach to understanding processes of harm reduction. Students will examine their own conceptualizations of addiction and explore the role of youth workers in supporting positive growth directly and through appropriate referrals to the continuum of addiction services.

CFCS 2212

Aboriginal Children, Youth and Families: Transforming Legislation and Policies

This course will examine the policy, legislation and practice standards that have led to and support the transformation of BC’s Aboriginal child, youth and family services. The course will review the imposition of colonial legislation and policies on the lives of Aboriginal children, youth and families in British Columbia and will examine the current legislative and policy context.

CFCS 2330

Change and Development: Families

This course explores the nature of families, their commonalities and diversity. This course will give you the opportunity to reflect upon your own personal experience of family in order that you might identify the attitudes, values, beliefs and feelings you bring to your work with families. An emphasis on family strengths, natural support networks, and the challenges of family life cycles will provide practitioners with a perspective from which to begin their working relationships with families.
CFCS 2332

Strengthening the Family Spirit – Working from Aboriginal Perspectives with Elders’ Teachings

In this course, students will examine how the legacy of colonization and Indian residential schools impacted families, and how intergenerationally, many First Nations, Métis and Inuit families have been left with a broken spirit. They will also examine families from mainstream systems perspectives and diverse Aboriginal perspectives. Starting with the student’s own families, participants are offered tools to use in understanding and reflecting on their own family experience, identifying family gifts, strengths and resilience. The results of having a broken family spirit will be explored, as well as pathways to holistic wellness, with recognition that spirituality is a foundation to wellness.

CFCS 2333

Change and Development Families: Working From a Family Perspective

This course explores families from a variety of theoretical perspectives including: ecological model, Indigenous and diverse lived experience and systems perspective. Starting with students' own families, participants learn and use several frameworks in mapping, understanding, and reflecting on their lived experiences and how they may engage with families in professional practice. The concepts of identity, culture, and family as social constructs will be explored in a Canadian context.
CFCS 2390

Directed Studies in Community Practice

This course provides opportunities for individualized study which meet the learning needs of students at different points in their course of study. Working with program faculty, students will develop and complete projects/portfolios which meet individually identified criteria for which there is no existing course offering. Maximum credits in a directed studies mode is six.
CFCS 2391

Directed Studies in Community Practice II

This course provides opportunities for individualized study for students who have successfully completed CFCS 2390. Working with program faculty, students will develop and complete projects/portfolios which meet individually identified criteria for which there is no existing course offering. Maximum credits in a directed studies mode is six.
CFCS 2410

Advanced Issues: Reflection and Integration

This course explores how practitioners respond to and influence change within the community. Students will have an opportunity to explore, at an advanced level, issues of diversity, collaboration, idealism, ethics and advocacy in the expression of their personal model of professional practice.
CFCS 2460

Family Violence, Abuse and Recovery

In this course, students will examine a broad range of abuse issues in the lives of families, children and youth. The role of the practitioner in assessing the indicators of abuse, reporting abuse, providing support and referral will be examined from a practice and policy perspective. The course will also explore how our attitudes, values, and experiences affect our perceptions and judgments when dealing with the subject of abuse.
CFCS 3040

International Service Learning Experience

This course is designed for students who are engaging in an international service learning experience in a developing country. Facilitated seminars address: (1) 5 key themes (motivation, cultural competence, balance and reciprocity, sustainability, and witnessing and observing); (2) the social, cultural, political and economic contexts of the developing country; (3) the development of a student learning plan in collaboration with a local community agency; and (4) the risks and realities of sustained work in a developing country. Students are then placed in a developing country and will work on a community development project alongside a local community partner. Within this context, students will work collaboratively with members of their host organization, develop their understanding of local challenges, and enhance their understanding of small-scale ethical projects. Students will complete pre-placement assignments, in-placement assignments, and participate in a post-placement debrief.

CFCS 3900

Perspectives in International and Community Development

This course is designed to prepare students who have an interest in participating in international learning experiences in developing countries. Students will develop an understanding of the language, history, culture and religious practices of a number of developing countries. Attention will be given to the effects of personal values and beliefs and the power of privilege when engaging in international experiences. The principles of sustainability and do no harm will be used as the cornerstones for understanding community development in other countries.