Reaching Out to Children and Families

Community service and learning experiences are booming as we enter the 21st century. This practical guide assists college students and other constituents as they psychologically prepare for volunteering, service-learning, practicums, fieldwork assignments, and internships in a diverse and ever-changing world. Though created with the novice community worker in mind, this book will also assist professors, teachers, administrators, and agency personnel in understanding and preparing workers for community service and learning in schools, child care centers, soup kitchens, and shelters for the homeless. Written in a practical, conversational style, this book offers the voices, issues, concerns, and resources of more than 200 previous community workers.

Community service and learning experiences are booming as we enter the 21st century. This practical guide assists college students and other constituents as they psychologically prepare for volunteering, service-learning, practicums, fieldwork assignments, and internships in a diverse and ever-changing world. Though created with the novice community worker in mind, this book will also assist professors, teachers, administrators, and agency personnel in understanding and preparing workers for community service and learning in schools, child care centers, soup kitchens, and shelters for the homeless. Written in a practical, conversational style, this book offers the voices, issues, concerns, and resources of more than 200 previous community workers. This book includes their struggles with the initial adjustment process, as well as ongoing gender, race, and class issues encountered in various service learning environments. Topics range from choosing a community service site to appropriate methods of bringing closure to the experience when it is time to say good-bye. This book in essence, provides hundreds of role models, scenarios, and worker perspectives that will help less-inexperienced workers prepare for the real-life, hands-on experiences of community engagement.

Chapter 1 Preface
Chapter 2 Introduction
Part 3 Beginnings
Chapter 4 How Do I Get Started? Getting Organized for Community Service
Chapter 5 While You Are Getting Ready: Community Service and Learning in Context
Chapter 6 What in the World Am I Doing Here? The First Visits
Part 7 Intermediate Issues
Chapter 8 Looking in the Mirror: Images of the Self, the Hero, and the Mutual Learner
Chapter 9 Is It Getting Better Yet? Building Trust and Nurturing Relationships
Chapter 10 What should I do now? Addressing Issues, Behavior, and Limits
Chapter 11 To Touch or Not to Touch? Affection and Gender-Related Issues
Chapter 12 The Melting Pot and the Vegetable Stew: Multicultural Issues
Chapter 13 Working with Individuals with Special Needs
Chapter 14 Did She Really Say That? Shocking Statements and Other Traumas
Part 15 Endings
Chapter 16 Is It Time to Say Good-bye? Arranging Successful Closure
Chapter 17 Reviewing the Community Service Adjustment Process
Chapter 18 Notes
Chapter 19 Appendix A: Journal Reflection Questions
Chapter 20 Appendix B: Methods
Chapter 21 Appendix C: Guidelines Regarding Privacy and Confidentiality
Chapter 22 Appendix D: Sample Introductory Letter to Agency
Chapter 23 Appendix E: Guidelines for Working with Children and Families
Chapter 24 Appendix F: Collectivistic Practices and Approaches
Chapter 25 Appendix G: Sample Placement Supervisor Evaluation of Worker
Chapter 26 References