Evaluation of the Youth Justice Initiative

Appendix C: Case Study Summaries

Case study: British Columbia Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services

The Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services (YFPS) is a provincial program of the Ministry of Children and Family Development in British Columbia, operating under the Specialized Intervention & Youth Justice Branch. The YFPS provide specialized assessment and treatment programs and services for youth involved in the youth criminal justice system. Utilizing a multidisciplinary approach, the mission of YFPS is to provide high quality court-ordered and court-related assessment and treatment services to young persons in conflict with the law pursuant to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. In addition, YFPS assess the fitness capacity of young persons to stand trial and performs Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder assessments under the mental health provisions of the Criminal Code of Canada. Direct client services are delivered by an Inpatient Assessment Unit located in Burnaby and eight outpatient clinics located in cities throughout British Columbia. Clinical services are provided by multidisciplinary teams (psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and social workers) based on a comprehensive assessment and individualized treatment plan and interventions. Treatment using various modalities is provided for youth who have offended sexually, violently, and/or have serious mental disorders.

Methodology for conducting the case study

The methodology for conducting the case study included a document review and staff and stakeholder focus groups and interviews.

  • Documents reviewed included, for example, YFPS annual reports, and research and evaluation reports and materials;
  • Six virtual focus group discussions with YFPS managers and staff; and
  • Three virtual focus group discussions/interviews with external stakeholders (i.e., representatives of organizations that interact with/refer to the YFPS.

Key Observations

Reflecting national and provincial trends, the YFPS are receiving fewer referrals for court-ordered and court-related assessment and treatment services, although youth clients are becoming much more complex and clinically challenging. In response, YFPS have reoriented their services away from more generic program-based offerings to more individualized treatment and interventions. A priority for the organization is strengthening their responsiveness for Indigenous youth to engage with Indigenous communities and in remote or rural areas such as the Northern region to improve the cultural relevance of the YFPS approach.

There is an opportunity for YFPS to do more work with a broader spectrum of youth. Currently, the YFPS mandate prevents assessment or treatment services for youth at a pre-charge stage (that is, those who are diverted or referred to extrajudicial measures). These youth, some of which may have mental health issues, are not receiving treatment that could be beneficial as other mental health systems are overburdened.

YFPS assessment and treatment services are generally viewed as effective by clinicians, stakeholders and youth themselves. Program evaluations and research conducted internally suggest that the YFPS are having a positive effect on aspects of youth rehabilitation and reintegration (e.g., improved mental health). However, the impact on re-offending is not known as recidivism studies are not available due to their expense.

Success Factors and Challenge

The increasing complexity of cases has been met with an individualized and comprehensive assessment and treatment services. Other strengths of the YFPS include:

  • Dedicated and expert staff working in a holistic, multidisciplinary, team-based approach, coupled with investments in training and annual training events;
  • Province-wide service that allows for continuity of service when youth move within the province;
  • Development of collaborations with other service providers; and
  • A program evaluation team with academic research focus that provides linkages to university academic research, ethics review and forensic practicum placements that support evidence-based learning and adaptation of practice based on new evidence.

There are few challenges for YFPS. Where the organization sees challenges, they include:

  • Enhance current practices and provide additional resources to serve youth in rural and remote communities;
  • Mitigate impacts of gaps in the system (e.g., loss of therapeutic placements, lack of integrated care addressing addictions and mental health); and
  • Dealing with youth who are transitioning to the adult system or who are common clients with other service providers (e.g., social services) is a priority area of strengthen relationships.

Case study: Yukon Youth Achievement Centre

The Youth Achievement Centre (YAC or the Centre) is a non-residential attendance program operated by the Yukon Government, Health and Social Services, Youth Supports and Services. The Centre has two target groups: youth sentenced under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) (priority target group), as well as other at risk youth. While designated as an attendance program under the YCJA, referrals to YAC typically fall under open custody sentencing, diversion, an undertaking or other order under Section 6 (Warning, Cautions, Referrals) and Section 10 (Extrajudicial Sanctions) of the YCJA. The mandate of the organization is: The Youth Achievement Centre strives for the enhancement of youth potential by providing a safe, structured, and engaging program environment that promotes and develops levels of trust, respect, and responsibility. The Centre offers diverse prevention and early intervention programming focusing on education and tutoring support, vocational training, life skills, recreation, art, psychoeducational programs and supervision. The goal of YAC programming is to reduce risk factors (to young persons and the community) by building protective factors to reduce recidivism in young persons.

Methodology for conducting the case study

The methodology for conducting the case study included a document review and staff and stakeholder focus groups and interviews.

  • A review of documentation about the YAC, including programming information, caseload data and an internal research study;
  • One group interview with YAC staff; and
  • Five interviews with YAC management and external stakeholders (probation officers, partners).

Key Observations

The case study of the YAC provided an illustration of programming that includes preventative initiatives for youth at risk, while also providing supervision and day programming for youth referred under various sections of the YJCA. Reflecting trends nationally, the number of youth being sentenced in the Yukon under the YCJA and referred to YAC is declining. This trend has been countered with more referrals coming from the community and greater investments in programming hours per youth.

The impacts of YAC were examined in an internal research study that showed that most youth do not re-offend while they are attending YAC, but there is limited information after they complete the order. Anecdotally, staff have seen many success stories and some youth continue to maintain their connections with the Centre informally after their time there.

Success factors and Challenges

Trained and dedicated staff who ‘go above and beyond’ and develop supportive relationships with youth which also supports and reinforces case management by the probation officer;

  • Emotional support and providing healthy role models for youth using a strengths-based approach and the trauma informed Risking Connections framework were emphasized;
  • ‘One-stop’ with diverse and flexible approaches that can be individualized or conducted in small groups and that combine practical life skills with education and employment skills and recreational opportunities;
  • Building connections with community partners, and between youth and their community;
  • Early intervention and prevention with at risk youth; and
  • A welcoming, family-like physical space.

In terms of challenges, there are some practical limitations in access and outreach at YAC. For instance, YAC does not have a website or social media presence and much of the programming occurs during the day, Monday to Friday (a downside for some youth). Other challenges that were identified had to do with gaps in the collective community response to youth at risk, and ensuring that needs are addressed for high needs youth and for young adults who age out of YAC and the YCJA.

Case study: Ontario Single Case Management Model

The Single Case Management Model (SCMM), implemented in 2004, is managed by the Youth Justice Division of the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS). The SCMM is the service delivery approach used to plan and deliver services to youth. The Model provides the process for effective, evidence-based case management that involves: Risk/Need Assessment (RNA), Planning, Implementation and Supervision, and Review/Evaluation. The probation officer is the youth’s case manager for the duration of their youth sentence and is responsible for planning and/or delivering services/interventions.

The SCMM aligns with principles and provisions set out by the Youth Criminal Justice Act such as implementing rehabilitation and reintegration programs and services (in the community and in custody) through interventions that are assessment-based and focused on the individual rehabilitation and reintegration needs of youth.

Methodology for conducting the case study

The methodology for conducting the case study included:

  • A review of documentation regarding the SCMM, including background information and foundational documents;
  • Interviews with management representing the Ontario YJD senior executives/managers;
  • Focus group activities with MCCSS probation officers and management; and
  • An online survey with probation officers in Ontario.

Key observations

Probation officers apply the principles of the SCMM across case management activities, which include assessment, planning, services and interventions delivered to youth with the intent of bringing positive changes in youth behaviour that reduce the likelihood of re-offending. The SCMM is used in all five regions of Ontario, which are North, East, Central, Toronto, and West. There are 61 probation offices across all regions and five direct-operated secure custody/detention youth centers, 12 secure custody/detention facilities and 35 open custody/detention facilities.

Documentation shows that not only has the number of youth in conflict with the law decreased, the number of youth court cases and the incarceration rates has declined in Ontario. Probation officers in Ontario indicated that lower caseloads allowed them additional time to respond to increasingly complex and diverse needs of youth.

Both the Risk Need Assessment (RNA) and the Case Management Plan (CMP) are key tools that probation officers use to implement the SCMM. The RNA includes information about the youth’s criminogenic risk factors (youth’s prior offences and attitudes, characteristics, relationships, or circumstances), needs, and the youth’s responsivity factors to an intervention. The CMP identifies the planning structure for the types of services/interventions and programs that would reduce the youth’s risk of re-offending. The probation officer in his or her advocate role is responsible for creating the youth’s CMP with the youth, and through engagement with various stakeholders, to support case management planning. Although the RNA is a key assessment tool to identify the youth’s risk and responsivity factors, it does not capture all types of criminogenic risks to reoffend (e.g. sex offences). Further updating and enhancing the RNA could support how probation officers respond to the complex needs of youth.

Success Factors and Challenges

The SCMM service delivery model supports a youth justice response that is proportionate to the severity of the crime (i.e., reserve the most intensive intervention for youth assessed to be at highest risk of re-offending and the least intrusive approaches are used when the crime is less severe).

In addition, providing continuity of care is key to the success of the SCMM. A single probation officer is assigned to a youth’s case for the duration of the youth’s entire sentence, which contributes to continuity in relationship building and planning. Nevertheless, there are situations where continuity is not possible (e.g., when a youth transfers to another jurisdiction or to the adult system). Transfers of case management oversight within Ontario and to other jurisdictions are planned and coordinated. That said, changes in professional relationships for youth can be disruptive to a youth and their family. As such, transitional planning and continuity of care provided by probation officers are critical to ensure services to youth have minimal impacts.

Likewise, recognition of the differences in the availability of services in different geographic regions is important. Community agencies who deliver services and programs across Ontario are not standardized, thus there can be variation across the province. Services suited to the language/ethno-cultural needs of youth, especially in rural and northern areas, can be limited and may rely on the skills and expertise of probation officers to identify appropriate and available services for the youth within the local area, or outside as needed. Furthermore, the RNA and CMP do not necessarily reflect all elements of intersectionality, such as cultural and community dynamics, which could be considered when modernizing the RNA.

Case study: restorative practices at the Nova Scotia Youth Centre

The Nova Scotia Youth Centre (NYSC) opened in 1988. It is located in Waterville, approximately 100 kilometers south-west of Halifax. The NSYC accommodates male and female youth serving open or secure custody sentences, as well as youth in remand. Today, this is the only youth facility in the province. The NSYC consists of a main administration building and five cottages. Within each cottage are two self-contained, 12-bed living units. The majority of youth in the facility are male and amongst them, the majority are deemed to have committed a serious offence or a violent offence, while a minority of them are deemed to have committed a serious violent offence (e.g. manslaughter). A variety of youth services are available (e.g. health and mental health services, education programs, guidance for developing individual reintegration plans).

Methodology for conducting the case study

The methodology for conducting the case study included a document review and stakeholder interviews.

  • Documents reviewed comprised of background information regarding the implementation of restorative practices, staff training and program planning materials, website information, evaluation reports and aggregated Statistics Canada data.
  • Stakeholder interviews were held with NSYC management, front line staff, service providers, probation officers, subject matter experts and NS Justice Department representatives.

Implementation and Achievements

A decade after having first introduced a restorative justice program in the province of Nova Scotia (NS)Footnote 46, in 2011 the NSYC went further by implementing a pilot project to implement restorative practices (RP) throughout the facility, with the intent of changing the culture in the Centre. According to the information obtained, the RP approach is innovative and goes beyond what is typically involved in adding restorative justice measures in a residential institution. Before the implementation of RP, the approach to managing youth within the facility was more punitive and authoritarian, where the response to problematic behaviour emphasized isolation rather than engagement. The current RP approach appears to have been designed to involve a response that is more proportionate to the behaviour of the youth, more adaptable and involves more engagement with and by the youth. The RP measures, along with the other programming, are more likely to encourage effective rehabilitation and reintegration of young persons into the community. A 2016 evaluation of the NYSC has also concluded that the overall achievements of this RP approach have been the effective implementation of major changes to the practices and culture of the organization, and the ongoing evolution to support and continue to improve and expand the RP.

Success Factors and Challenges

An incremental and continuous approach (pilot projects, evaluations, further implementation, continued training for staff) and individual advocacy and commitment (management supporters of the RP, front line staff personal commitment) are key to the success of the RP approach. The initial implementation of the changes involved a period of adjustment by staff. More specifically, staff had been trained in theory, but when the time came to implement theory into practice, it was a drastic change to shift away from existing (disciplinary, punitive) mechanisms. In addition, programming offered at NSYC has considered the needs of diverse youth, and there has been an effort over the last five to eight years to be more culturally specific in programming and staff training, and so these approaches continue to evolve.

Case study: Prince Edward Island (PEI) community-based, prevention-focused youth justice services

This case study focused on three prevention-focused youth justice programs delivered by PEI.

  • The Community Youth Worker (CYW) Program is designed to support high-risk youth who are at risk of being, or already are, involved with the justice system, in order to prevent them from entering or re-entering the system. CYWs provide one-to-one casework and support services to both youth and their families. They also facilitate prevention programs and participate in community programming initiatives designed to support youth. Some examples of preventative programming include anti-bullying in schools, adventure-based learning, programming specific to Indigenous youth, and preparation for independent living for older youth.
  • The Youth Intervention Outreach (YIO) program is a voluntary program open to youth who have had contact with police. The program is run by ‘Police Outreach Workers’: civilian employees based out of municipal police departments or RCMP detachments. Referrals to the program are from police, as an alternative to formal charges, or when police agencies encounter youth they expect need support. The YIO program provides police with a positive alternative when responding to youth, an extrajudicial measure designed to provide youth with support to prevent future illegal behaviour, as well as to promote awareness, knowledge and sensitivity among police officers regarding the needs and issues facing youth.
  • The Student Well-Being Program is a recently developed approach that establishes a collaborative team of inter-disciplinary professionals responsible for a ‘family’ of 8-10 schools, from kindergarten to grade 12. The teams bring together mental health clinicians, school outreach workers, school health nurses, school family ties workers, counselling consultants, and occupational therapists.

Methodology for conducting the case study

The methodology for conducting the case study of PEI’s community-based, prevention-focused youth justice services included a document review and staff and stakeholder focus groups and interviews.

  • Documents reviewed included those provided by the PEI Department of Justice and Public Safety, such as a 2017 review of PEI Youth Justice Services and PEI government website information.
  • Interviews and a virtual focus group were conducted with staff at the PEI Department of Justice and Public Safety and youth service providers.

Implementation and Achievements

A 2017 evaluation of PEI Youth Justice Services found that the Community Youth Worker program and the Youth Intervention Outreach program had positive results in terms of prevention of involvement of youth with the youth justice system. Guardians, youth workers and youth themselves reported improvements in many pro-social behaviours and skills. Case study interviewees felt that the shift in recent years to an outreach model and prevention focus has contributed to the reduced use of formal court processes and custody in PEI.

Success Factors and Challenges

Some of the success factors of the programs reported by case study participants included:

  • The funding available from YJSFP has allowed for increased training for those who work with youth, increasing their skills and capacities in order to provide an evidence-based, modern approach to understanding and serving youth;
  • The flexibility of the YCJA funding resulted in the successful use of non-traditional interventions including equine therapy and music therapy. These are evidence-based, therapeutic programs; and
  • The ability for youth-serving workers to provide outreach, travelling to youth and to families outside of the school and justice office environments increased their ability to reach their clients and to work effectively with them and their parents/guardians.

Some challenges identified include:

  • The small size of the provincial population means that members of clinical teams must be able to address issues that would typically be addressed by specialists in larger provinces. With the small population size, there are no, or few, practitioners in some specializations; and
  • PEI has not, to date, had youth sentenced with an IRCS (Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision) designation and its associated funding. However, there still exist very high-risk youth with complex needs, even though they do not meet the IRCS serious violent offence threshold.
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