Youth Justice Initiative Evaluation

Appendix C: Youth Justice Fund Case Study Project Descriptions

John Howard Society of Ottawa (JHS) – Summerville Supportive Housing (pilot project; 2009-2012)

The Summerville Supportive Housing Project was funded by the YJF and also received partial start-up funding from the City of Ottawa through the Homelessness Partnership Initiative to construct the building. The project has expanded since July 2012 and has been renamed Windrose Supportive Housing for Young Women. The project’s objectives were to provide young women with access to safe and affordable housing; to provide young women with opportunities for vocational success through education and/or employment placements; to increase skills and strategies for personal, relational, vocational and social success; to evaluate the effectiveness of the program; and to undertake program research to determine if safe housing contributes to the positive life changes (i.e. career, family, community and self) for the young women.

During the period of YJF funding, the Summerville facility accommodated 8 young women at a time in self-contained one-bedroom furnished apartments. As of July 2012, the project had served 27 young women with an average residence stay of 8.5 months. Since the expansion of the facility after July 2012, the project includes 22 self-contained units, as well as common areas. The current average length of stay is approximately 18 months. Each resident develops a personalized goal plan with the Program Coordinator and an assigned Support Worker (formerly Case Workers). Staff are on hand to provide counselling and arrange opportunities for positive personal development, such as educational upgrading (on site or off), employment, links to the community, and substance abuse and trauma counselling. Some activities are done on an individual basis and others in a group setting.

Partners in Process Equine Learning Centre - Connecting Youth in the Justice System with Equine Assisted Illicit Drug Addiction Therapy (pilot project; 2008-2011 and 2013-2016)

The two “Connecting Youth in the Justice System with Equine Assisted Illicit Drug Addiction Therapy” pilot projects, run by Partners in Process in Owen Sound, Ontario, aim to assist youth in Bruce, Grey and Owen Sound Region with substance-abuse problems to reintegrate and rehabilitate through equine assisted therapy. Each youth participates in up to eight 1-1½ hour interactive sessions with a horse or horses, facilitated by the Program Director and Life Skills Facilitator. Oftentimes, sessions involve family members. Through working with the horse and staff, the young person learns more about communications, life skills, self-respect/self-esteem, assertiveness, peer pressure, and the like, all of which assist in reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors. A total of 100 youth participated in the two pilot projects.

Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area - Edmonton Urban Games Youth Business Development Project (pilot project; 2009-2011)

The Urban Games Project was a one-time innovative approach to engaging high risk youth in opportunities to connect with others in ways that demonstrate their talents/skills/abilities, through planning, implementing and evaluating an Urban Game Festival. The objective was to raise the youths’ self-esteem and start them on a positive path, and at the same time raise awareness among all participants in the event about at-risk youth as having capacities and having something of value to offer.

The Urban Games journey brought together nine high risk youth with open files in the justice system and mentors from various businesses and non-profit agencies. The youth participated in activities that required interaction with each other, youth from a variety of settings, volunteers, mentors and the public.

McCreary Centre Society – PLEA Community Services - Programs for High Risk Youth with Drug Addictions (research; 2011)

This project centered on a survey of high risk youth with addictions who were in the justice system and receiving services at PLEA Community Services, a B.C. community organization that provides residential and non-residential services including detox, counselling, parent-teen mediation, education assistance and reintegration support. Douglas College was also a partner, with students there involved in the research. The objectives of the research were to gain a better understanding of PLEA youth and of what may facilitate positive change, improve service delivery, enhance youths’ monitoring and awareness of their own behaviours and functioning, and improve knowledge transfer among agencies working with youth at risk.

Youth were engaged in helping design the research, and then participated by completing detailed surveys at in-take, discharge and six-months follow-up. There were 261 youth participants in the surveys. A key finding was that youths’ voices were not being heard, and that for PLEA managers and staff, the survey data was a real eye-opener as to how the youth described their realities and the underlying traumas they were dealing with.

British Columbia Ministry of Children and Family Development – Awareness Motivation and Engagement (AME) Process (development and implementation of training; 2010-2014)

The AME Program uses the principles of Motivational Interviewing in training youth probation officers (YPOs) and other front-line workers to prepare offenders for formal substance abuse counselling/treatment. The Program is based on data showing that YPOs with AME training have a statistically significant impact on lowering the substance use of the youth they work with. The purpose of the training was to allow numerous communities in the province to have multiple workers trained in AME to provide consistent messaging to the youth and to allow the opportunity for "communities of practice" to develop for ongoing collaboration. Many of the training sessions were hosted in Aboriginal communities to ensure that training took into account the specific needs of Aboriginal youth and Aboriginal service providers.

Two-day AME training sessions took place in 20 different locations across British Columbia over a one-year period. The training was attended by YPOs and other government and non-government professionals (e.g. guardianship workers, addictions counsellors, Intensive Support and Supervision Program workers, Aboriginal youth workers, alternate school instructors) who primarily work with youth in conflict with the law and criminally at-risk youth. Each AME event had between 15 and 20 participants.

Healthy Aboriginal Network – Droppin’ the Flag (information sharing; 2011)

This project was based on recognition that youth gangs and the associated violence and proliferation of drugs are increasing and attracting many young people, including many Aboriginal youth, to lives of crime. The project engaged youth involved in gangs and in custody to design a comic book with a narrative intended to discourage gang involvement. Through the course of the project, it was decided to also produce a video with the material, to maximize exposure. The comic book and video were made available on the Healthy Aboriginal Network website and have been widely distributed to youth detention centres and other youth justice venues.

Youth Justice Policy and Youth Justice Fund

In addition to the ongoing collaboration on individual projects between the YJF and Policy Unit, specific issues have also been addressed. Below are three specific issue areas where collaborative work has been done.

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

While no longer an emerging issue, FASD is an ongoing challenge for the youth justice system. Besides research and webinars conducted by the Policy Unit, 41 FASD projects spanning from 2004 to 2016 have focused on providing more appropriate supports and responses for youth with FASD who are in conflict with the law. Projects have included pilot projects to test innovative ways of working with this population, training/conference/workshops for those working with these youth, research/evaluation on best practices and other types of projects (e.g. website revision, strategic planning). Funding recipients have included provincial and territorial governments and NGOs representing the vast majority of provinces and territories in Canada. The YJI case study focused on two of the most recent projects in Manitoba, as described below.

The 2008-2011 Manitoba Department of Justice’s “Understanding Youth with FASD Making Accommodations” Project, involved the development of a “This is Me – My Life Book” tool by each youth in conflict with the law who was diagnosed with FASD. This tool aimed to help educate the youth, youth correctional services, their caregivers, and other community members in understanding the needs of and best approaches with these youth. The project also involved recreation activities, a review of the physical environment at the Manitoba Youth Centre by an occupational therapist, implementation of recommendations from that report, and the production of an informational DVD.

The Addictions Foundation of Manitoba’s current (2013-2016) FASD Addictions Services (aka “Starfish”) pilot project provides addictions services for youth living with FASD who are involved with the justice system and have problematic substance use. Participants receive one-on-one counseling, participate in small groups, and attend recreation and leisure activities. Participation involves one to four sessions a week initially, moving to less frequent sessions as participants progress through the program. The project also supports ongoing participation by providing transportation, appointment reminders (via text or phone), non-traditional meeting places and times, and inclusion of support persons.

Cyberbullying

In response to the emerging issue of cyberbullying, a call for proposals was put out to the provinces and territories to develop and/or implement fair and effective youth justice system responses in cases where cyberbullying amounts to conduct that involves, or could lead to involvement with, the youth justice system. This call was for projects up to $30,000 with funding available in fiscal year 2013-14. Projects could include exploring current trends, developing protocols, or undertaking community assessments with respect to cyberbullying in jurisdictions. A designate representative could undertake the work on their behalf.

The cyberbullying call for proposals funded six projects from January-March 2014 in five provinces. Activities ranged in nature, including research (e.g., literature reviews, background paper, surveys); development of information materials; training and awareness-raising events (e.g., development of e-learning modules, training manuals, consultations); other awareness-raising activities (e.g., mobile device bands, video development, t-shirts); and policy/procedure development. Primary target populations varied according to each project, but overall included justice personnel such as police, school administrators, investigators, youth workers, and other professionals who work with youth in conflict with the law.

YCJA Amendments

In 2013-14, a second call for proposals was undertaken with the provinces and territories to update existing, or develop new, materials on the YCJA in light of the amendments made to the Act as a result of Bill C-10, the Safe Streets and Communities Act, which came into force on October 23, 2012. Funds of up to $10,000 were made available to assist jurisdictions in making changes in content, format, approach, etc., of existing materials or to develop new materials related to the legislative amendments. Projects could include website or web-accessible materials, printed materials, and/or other suitable information products. Provinces and territories could designate a representative to undertake the work on their behalf.

In addition, a call for proposals was also sent to the provincial and territorial designated PLEI associations for the updating and development of youth justice PLEI materials to reflect the provisions of Bill C-10.

All of the provinces and territories who received funding updated their YCJAPocket Guide to reflect the provisions of Bill C-10. The majority of the PLEI organizations updated or developed materials on the YCJA to reflect the provisions of Bill C-10. The types of activities varied according to each PLEI organization, and included the development, updating and/or production of fact sheets, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), booklets, pocket cards, teaching guides and student guides, articles, books, activity workbooks for youth, and videos.

Several of these materials were made available online on each PLEI organization’s website. Materials were made available in both French and English for PLEI organizations in New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. British Columbia produced its print materials (but not videos) in both official languages with this funding.