Services delivered: diversion programming for Black youth

Component: Alternatives to Custody and Community Interventions

Legislation: Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA), 2017 Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA)

Transfer Payment Recipients will follow the Youth Justice Services Manual (YJSM) that was first issued April 1, 2006, and all subsequent revisions. Contents Applicable to All and the Transfer Payment Community Based Programs and Services sections outline minimum requirements for the Transfer Payment Recipients.

Service description

New, culturally relevant, and community-based diversion programming to improve outcomes and opportunities and address the overrepresentation of Black youth in the youth justice system by

• Providing culturally relevant programming for Black youth
• Providing diversion programming (pre-charge measures and/or post-charge sanctions), to address the overrepresentation of Black youth in the justice system by diverting them at the earliest opportunity
• Through a Community of Practice, leverage expertise from community organizations, families, and justice sector, for expert advice on improving youth outcomes and opportunities
• Enhancing cultural connections by linking Black youth to wrap around services that are designed and delivered by Black-led and Black serving organizations
• Promoting partnerships and communication between community-organizations and justice sector actors to enhance referral and care pathways
• Increasing access to culturally grounded, strengths-based, family and community-oriented services for high need Black populations and communities

People served

At-risk and high-risk Black youth (ages 12-17) and their families in the Northwest areas of Toronto.

Program/service features

• Programs will provide community-based, culturally relevant wraparound services, supports and opportunities and/or leverage existing culturally relevant community partnerships to support the youth and their parents/guardians
• Programs will deliver targeted community services that focus on changing views and behaviours, building skills and competencies and/or creating awareness and resiliency through the provision of information, education, and programming to defined at-risk populations
• Programming may be delivered in-person, virtually or through a blended model
• Provide an effective and timely response to offending behavior
• Identification of the needs and risks of youth in the program and response with
• appropriate diversion supports, including referral to other community services and supports to address issues that are underlying risk factors linked to the probability of (re)offending
• Measures and/or sanctions are determined on an individual basis and encourage Black youth to demonstrate responsibility in the community, while providing an opportunity for the individual to recognize their skills and abilities and encourage constructive use of their leisure time
• The program should be designed to encourage Black caregivers/families, communities, and support systems–including extended families where appropriate– to become involved in the design and implementation of those measures and/or sanctions
• Program Delivery will be supported through a Community of Practice (CoP) to
  • develop and share common tools, frameworks, and processes to support program development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability and
  • share and disseminate information, resources and lessons learned for planning and delivering prevention programming for at-risk and high-risk Black youth between organizations and across the youth justice sector

Program goals

• Focus on targeted interventions to reduce reoffending behaviours and future involvement of client in the justice system
• They are culturally grounded and based on principles such as Anti-Black Racism, Anti-Oppression and Anti-Colonization
• They use a strength-based approach, which focuses on building a case management relationship with youth and their families to emphasize existing strengths, needs, ambitions, ascribed meaning to experiences, accumulated knowledge, and talents
• They will involve the youths local community and contribute to long-term growth of knowledge and skills among clients and communities
• Introduce concepts to provide greater understanding of the impacts of intergenerational trauma and violence, colonialism, and racism
• Revitalize youth sense of purpose, self-esteem, and self-value to help youth reclaim and take pride in their identity and strengthen their connection to their family, community, and culture
• Disseminate new, evidence-informed research and best practices in providing targeted, culturally relevant services that can be shared to increase the capacity and responsiveness of Ontario's youth justice services system over the long-term

Ministry expectations

• The service helps children/youth and their families and increases their resiliency by building their skills and competencies
• The service identifies the objective of the prevention activity and is designed to counter or mitigate a significant risk factor without stigmatizing the children or youth
• Deliver targeted community program services in an evidence-informed manner, using evidence-informed tools and practices to support positive outcomes for children and youth
• Review clients’ progress on a regular basis and adjust services, as needed
• The approach to the delivery of targeted community program services will be strength-based, and centered on individuals, considering, and respecting their needs and preferences
• Will provide its clients with information regarding additional community services and supports that may be suitable and, where appropriate, supported in accessing these services (e.g., through a referral)
• Will be delivered by individuals with an appropriate range of skills, abilities, and cultural competency necessary to respond effectively to the needs of children, youth, and their families
• Sensitive to the social, linguistic, and cultural diversity of families and communities
• The intervention/treatment process will promote client involvement, partnership, and shared decision-making so that all parties understand the goals and desired outcomes
• Will bring key partners in multi-disciplinary service delivery together, where appropriate, to provide an integrated and coordinated service response to help meet the needs of children, youth, and their families
• Aligned with Anti-Racism, Anti-Oppressive, Anti-Colonial and human rights principles to challenge racism and oppression in all its forms
• Aligned where appropriate to support the achievement of the Youth Justice Division's four outcomes for youth
  • Improved functioning and positive social behavior
  • Increased skills and abilities
  • Increased youth engagement with supports and
  • Decreased re-offending
• Responsible for completing reporting requirements that demonstrate program metrics such as utilization, outcome achievement, evaluations and other reports as required by the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS)

Reporting requirements