Many programs talk about the challenge of hiring appropriate staff – especially for programs that want to offer culturally appropriate programming to specific target groups – Indigenous youth, visible minorities, and immigrants from specific cultural groups for example.
Several programs struggle to retain staff and high turnover creates gaps in service levels.
High staff turnover undermines trust, as youth are frustrated to lose staff with whom they have developed close relationships.
Referrals
Several programs describe challenges with their referring partners. In some cases, contracts are cancelled or partner organizations are re-organized. Several groups received fewer clients than expected or fewer clients that met the expected profile for their specific program.
In some cases, service providers are prepared for clients with specific needs (substance use or addiction, gang affiliation for example), but they receive clients with different needs (trauma, mental health, lower or higher risk than expected) that the programs are not designed to serve.
A few programs face resistance from youth families or referring organizations who are concerned about exposing low risk clients to higher risk youth.
Funding
Concern over inconsistent funding is common.
Lack of funding affects whether programs have access to suitable meeting spaces or adequate technology for service delivery.
Many service providers express frustration with the fact that funders often dictate terms of projects, and that funding is often limited to short-term projects and does not promote long-term stability of the projects/programs.
Tracking participants after completion of program or sentence
Several programs struggle to maintain contact with participants, especially those dealing with substance use and mental health issues since many live rather transient lives and are difficult to track.
Privacy requirements limit researchers’ ability to measure recidivism once youth graduate to the adult CJS.
