Clinical social work and community practice with children and youth through Carrier Sekani Family Services

In this report I weave the practical skills and knowledge I gained from my practicum with Carrier Sekani Family Services (CSFS) with theory related to child and youth mental health. I present human ecology as my grounding conceptual framework in my approach to wellness. I explore theoretical foundations for clinical social work, therapeutic modalities, rurality and cultural diversity through a literature review and build on these to support my practice experience. I include sections on youth mental health, Indigenous issues, ally-ship, trauma informed practice, attachment theory, connectedness, tele-mental health and rural social work practice. Services offered through Carrier Sekani’s counselling program that I have practiced include outreach, assessment, treatment planning, safety planning, referral and discharge. I connect practical experiences of working within Carrier culture as a mental health clinician to the literature and explore how I make sense of the shared and created knowledge.