Domenica Giacomini CYW 300 November 27, 2014
The therapeutic milieu is an environment where a client and health care professional interact in the course of alteration and growth. A child and youth worker takes on a critical role in the process of educating, healing, recovering and rehabilitation. The environment is divided in to five fundamental elements which are; physical, emotional, social, cultural and ideological. They are shown overlapping each other in the text because each is dependent on the other. If the environment does not meet the need of a child during treatment under these elements, the …show more content…
process with be a failure. Within the elements three needs from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs are promoted. They are; safety, inclusion and affirmation needs. My placement setting takes places at elementary school in a kindergarten class. I will be describing how the environment is now and how it can be modified. The physical environment in a therapeutic setting can be designed to benefit troubled children and youth and can have a powerful effect on the enhancement of the therapeutic process. The way in which children experience life in their physical surrounding contributes directly to the development and self-worth. The physical milieu, due to its concrete nature, is the easiest element of the environment to influence and change thus is the first step in our efforts to positively affect the therapeutic milieu (Burns, 2006). The classroom promotes physical safety in various ways. Many kids are easily fascinated by fire and are drawn to what it can do because of its power. That is why the classroom environment has smoke detectors, sprinkling systems and a fire extinguishers placed throughout the milieu. The fire safety equipment is maintained by professionals for the children’s safety. The staff is trained to use the fire extinguishers but the children are not yet due to their age. Around the classroom and school are emergency exits and safety routes marked so that the children know where to go in case of an emergency. The school as a whole has fire drills to educate the children what to do and where to go when there is a fire. In the classroom there is a path to the doorway that is clear for quick entering and exiting but at times while the children are playing they move around the toys that sometimes block off the entrance. Over the duration that I was at placement there was not a discussion with the kids talking about fire safety. There are no lighters or matches, candles and any other fire-hazards in the class so the kids do not have access to them. Drugs, medication, cleaning supplies, paints and aerosol cans are not locked up but put in a high area that are out of a childs reach. Also painting supplies like felt pens, markers and paints are non-toxic for the children to use. Devices such as tools, knives and machinery are locked away but scissors are not because they are the safety ones for kid’s to use. Floors are not padded and there is not non-slip materials preventing falls. Stairs have railings and slip-free treads indoors and there are no outdoor stairs. For the time I been at placement I have not seen anyone check the furniture for sharp edges and flaws but I myself have noticed a sharp edge that could damage a glass window and I regularly check if there is distance between them, next time I will be reporting this. Also when toys are broken, the staff temporarily fix it and repeat but they do not replace it when it should be. The class does not have any boundaries set with designated marks but there are rules placed for when the children leave the room, for example kids are not allowed to use regular washroom in the hallways but the designated one by their class. There are no cubbyholes, closets and storerooms and areas under stair cases where kids can escape, everything is out in the open for supervisors to see. Trained certified staff in first aid CPR and CPI are available and first aid facilities are in the main office where children can go to if they are ill or have been injured. Staff also have duties for traffic and pedestrians safety during the morning drop off, outdoor breaks and after school pickups. For the time I have been there, there has not been a training for water safety concerns. Playgrounds and rec areas are free of safety hazards. While children are playing outside there are boundaries set where children cannot cross. The kindergartens do not use sporting equipment except for balls they have in their own class which are checked for damages. The children do not leave the building and do not participate in high risk activities, therefore are not trained in “street-smart behavior”. Physical inclusiveness is portrayed so that a child feels safe and included. The classroom as a whole does not look pleasing. The tables and chairs are durable and appropriate when they are in use, such as for snack or lunch time and play time. Mats, blankets, pillows provided for nap time are appropriate and comfortable. The heating and cooling system is regularly adjusted to insure comfort. Lights in the room are on when students arrive and continue to stay on until after lunch when they are turned off to help the children fall asleep for nap time. Natural light is brought in when the sun is shining bright. The classroom walls are painted white and the hallways, including the tiles are a light shade of cool blue which is very calming. The classroom and hallways have colorful and happy paintings hanging up, which include stain glass work. The children most of the time are using their indoor voices and can hear the teacher and myself when speaking to them but during playtime is when a lot of the shouting, screaming, crying occurs which can take a while to stop. Songs played and sounds made by hands help in directing students with the instructions given. The classroom floor consists of tile and carpet which allows different textures for the children to choose from. They are also given a variety of textures in paper, boards, pencils, toys and other supplies to make things exciting and a little out of usual routine. In the building and classroom so far there has not been any offensive or toxic smells, neither are any types of aromatherapy used. When some students are absent the flow of traffic is efficient but when all students are present the classroom does get a little crowded and cramped due to it being a small room. The room is included with shelves that are used to place decorations and student work. The storage cabinets hold all new and extra supplies. Toys and materials used in the classroom are all appropriate for student’s developmental stage and they all are eager to use them. Physical affirmation in the environment lets children feel special and valued. All students are given their own cubbies and hooks where they can place all their belongings and organize them however they please. They like to be in the classroom majority of the time because they feel safe and can trust the environment to meet their needs. They enjoy playing with each other and utilizing the whole classroom. At the end of every activity or break they have a positive attitude to clean up their area and return things to where they were when they started. On the inside and outside of the classroom artwork is hung up which is done by kids. Each proudly like to point out their own and show it off. Some recommendations that I have to help strengthen the value of the physical milieu are; for safety reasons the water table on wheels in the classroom for the children to play in should either have locks placed on it or replaced since it tends to move every time the children lean against it while playing. This can cause destruction of other property or injury students. A couch or bean bag should be placed in the room as a spot where a child can just relax and have some alone time. Pictures of students playing or doing work should be placed on the outside of the classroom for affirmation needs. The emotional environment of a therapeutic setting is designed to treat troubled children and youth, it is one of the most important aspects of milieu therapy. The emotional setting strongly determines the child 's ability and degree of opportunity to express and deal with emotional trauma (Burns, 2006). Emotional safety is a big part of the class. They are safe to express their emotions and learn more about them. Children in class express their emotions freely and often. When children are expressing their emotions they sometimes do it in an appropriate way but on the other hand some children express it inappropriately. For example when someone is angry they tend to throw things and are violent but some kids say what they are feeling instead of looking at it violently. In the classroom environment the children and are encouraged to express their emotions but in a healthy way. The children are not punished but praised if they express their emotions. When they express them violently there are consequences. The way a child is feeling and how he or she is experiencing the moment they are not judged as proper or improper. They are told that their feelings are understood but also given advice on a more positive way to experience it. There are many ways the children are taught about emotions. In the class puppets, cue cards and visual diagrams are used to teach, such as posters. Students are provided a smart-board in their classroom and every time they run activities on it they are questioned if they feel happy, angry or sad afterward. Adults in the school environment express their feelings with other adults appropriately. Children are given variety of ways to express their feelings like drawing, painting, a conversation with an adult and any other way they feel comfortable expressing them. Emotional inclusiveness is portrayed in the classroom. The children are starting to understand how others feel in certain situations and how they have in past experiences. An example of this which I have observed is a child was crying because they missed their mom and another student approached them and explained I know how you feel I miss my mom sometimes to. Each child’s emotional experience is not treated as unimportant but important since it can lead to many positive or negative things. Emotional affirmation needs in the classroom are regularly encouraged. The teacher and I are curious and interested in a childs emotional life. Want to figure out how a child is feeling and why he or she is feeling like that. Students as a whole classroom are also encouraged to express emotions, for example at carpet time they are asked how their day went and how they felt. From observation students appear confident in expressing their emotions freely when they need to. Recommendations to help strengthen the value of the emotional milieu are; children should regularly be instructed on emotions: how to identify them, how to determine where they have come from and how they should be expressed. These lesson should be presented daily for a short period of time until they have a clear understanding of emotions. Continuous use of visuals to help describe emotions in a healthy way will be very beneficial, the children will constantly read and look at them which will help memorize what is right. Explain different ways a child can react in a situation by presenting it through an age appropriate game or activity, for example a puppet show of a real life scenario.
The level and quality of the social interactions within a therapeutic setting can be extremely influential on the effectiveness of the various therapeutic interventions used with troubled children and youth (Burns, 2006). In a social safe environment there are no threats of physical or emotional harm. There is no tolerance for destructive criticism, shame, and ridicule. In the school environment the children are free from physical harm or any other one. They are free from any kind of threat like physical or punishment from someone else. Children cannot verbally, psychologically and emotional abuse another child. To keep this in place rules are set to maintain them. Students have to keep their hands and feet to themselves, no bullying, no swearing and no talking when someone else is. In the class no group member appears to feel unsafe in the social milieu, but if someone does they are asked to say what they feel. If someone is physically threatened or emotionally abused the adult would consult them first and then deal with the person who hurt them. Secondly they would find a solution so that there won’t be a conflict the next time. When someone has been threatened physically and or emotionally I usually do agree with the way the adult handles the problem. They have experience with situations and know how to calm the situation down and figure out what happened and that makes me comfortable with how everything was handled. In the social environment of a classroom inclusivity is encouraged since it is not meeting the needs of particular students. A clique is starting to be formed within the girls which isolates some of the other students. This tends to cause arguments at the moment but can lead to a wide range of other issues in the future. One student currently is ignored and is the one usually blamed for anything negative that takes place in the class. For example if something is lost or misplaced everyone blames this student of stealing it. One student in particular withdraws himself from the group and chooses to take part in another class because he feels that his needs are meet there. A socially affirming environment is critical because students are confident to communicate with one another and work on finding solutions for a problem. Decisions in the classroom are made as whole no one’s input is left unheard. The current problem solving strategy is come speak to an adult and have them make a decision. For example when someone is not sharing, the students come to me or the teacher and say that he or she is not sharing, so do something. We ask right from wrong and explain why it matters and then go through with a solution like taking turns. When it comes to recognition of positive behavior, the students praise one another and give compliments. “You draw so well” for example. Overall the adults and majority of students work as one unit and the outcome is positive for them and their surroundings. I am also aware that some students feel a sense of affirmation because they are familiar with people who they socialize with outside of the milieu. Recommendations to help strengthen the social milieu are; all the scapegoating needs to be confronted by the adults and addressed with the students individually as well as with the entire class. Encourage the natural leader in the class to lead positive direction since the children are more likely to follow one of their own. Continue recess time for the kindergarten class at a separate time from the whole school.
The cultural environment is really an aspect of the social environment (Burns, 2006).
A safe cultural environment is a place where there is no physical or emotional threatening because of individual differences. The classroom is very diverse due to the fact that the community the school is placed in is multicultural. In the classroom there is no emotional or physical harm because of someones racial, ethnic or group membership. No group member seems to be withdrawing from the social milieu because of his culture or differences because once again the class is diverse. While I have been in this class I have not heard an adult or student make a comment that is racist. If someone was to make a racist comment, the adults will for sure respond immediately, it would be taken very serious because every human being has the same rights as the next one does even if they are not from the same background. Cultural inclusiveness is cultural awareness and diversity training introduced to members. Students talk about their cultures openly. For example they talk to each other about what they do over their holidays. The children seem interested in each others cultural differences especially when it comes to the fun festivities. At the moment there is no time set to discuss issues about cultural diversity. One thing which takes place in a lot of schools and communities is stereotyping, in this classroom there is no one in the classroom who is stereotyped because they have not been exposed to …show more content…
it. No individual in the class is neglected because of their culture, there are no minorities or subgroups. Biases related statement that I heard was that every culture eats different food and not two cultures have the same kind of food. Cultural affirming is the feeling of connection and trust within the class. The room itself does not but in the hallways visual poster and artifacts are displayed which allow the children to understand information about other cultures. An example of this is, when you enter the school welcome is written in several languages. Everyone is eager to ask each other of what their background is and are willing to listen and find out more about it. Recommendations to help strengthen the cultural milieu are; staff members from minority groups and mixed backgrounds who speak more than one language should be recruited at this school to have a diverse facility like the children are, so they can relate. At the beginning of the school there should be a talent show or show and tell where students are encouraged to bring in something that represents there culture. Staff should mention holidays that are cerebrated in the community by other cultures since there is such a large population of them.
The ideological element within the therapeutic environment are the body of ideas, beliefs, and attitudes that each individual within the milieu deems important and essential to their well-being (Burns, 2006).
Safety in the ideological element of the environment is existing. When children share their ideas or present their current beliefs, they are encouraged to stick with them and not discouraged. These ideas, topics and beliefs of a child are valued. Inclusivity exists for example if I child believes that Santa Claus is real he or she is able to talk openly about it with others. The students are aware of the rules and regulation of the school and they thus far have agreed to them. The school could strengthen their value to meet affirmation needs. Recommendations to help strengthen the ideological milieu are; sometime during the day should be used to discuss things which are taking place in society and in their lives. Children should be included in the process of revising rules. Allow students to take part in their spirituality at
school. This is the assessment of my placement setting. Explanations are given to how the five elements of a therapeutic environment and three critical fundamental needs played a role within each other. I strongly believe that my recommendations and chosen activities will be an asset to the classroom.
References
Burns, M. (2006). Healing Spaces. Toronto: Child Care Press.