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Grande Prairie Community Youth Intervention Program

Grande Prairie Community Youth Intervention Program. A Safe Communities Initiative . Crystal Hincks Research Associate Centre for Criminology and Justice Research- Mount Royal University. Safe Communities Initiatives.

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Grande Prairie Community Youth Intervention Program

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  1. Grande Prairie Community Youth Intervention Program A Safe Communities Initiative Crystal Hincks Research Associate Centre for Criminology and Justice Research- Mount Royal University

  2. Safe Communities Initiatives • Collaborative effort between provincial and municipal governments, law enforcement agencies, community groups, the business sector, and social agencies in Alberta • Focus on developing long-term solutions to reduce crime and create safer communities • Prevention, enforcement, treatment • $60 million dollars distributed annually to 30 programs in order to address multiple crime issues and target groups

  3. Target Issues & Groups • 14 (47%) projects deal with at-risk youth and 6 (20%) deal with at-risk families • 7 (23%) projects respond to those with addictions and mental health problems • 4 (13%) projects utilize multi-disciplinary response teams • 6 (20%) projects focus on community engagement in high needs areas • 14 (47%) projects have an Aboriginal focus (both on and off reserve) • 12 (40%) projects are using a model (proven) program to preventing crime • 6 (20%) projects address family violence and 3 (10%) deal with sexual violence • 4 (13%) projects address the needs of offenders • 11 (37%) projects enhance access to treatment services • 9 (30%) projects respond to at-risk students • 3 (10%) projects respond to crises in the community • 9 (30%) projects focus on the needs of diverse cultures and 3 (10%) deal with immigrant and refugee needs • 25 (83%) projects focus on crime prevention and 4 (13%) deal with enforcement • 5 (17%) projects focus on gang prevention • 2 (7%) projects focus on at-risk homeless populations • 3 (10%) projects are developing Safe Community plans

  4. Grande Prairie Program Overview • Restorative measures modeled after the Ottawa Community Youth Diversion Program (est. 1975) • Goal:implement a community led program which will provide police officers with the tools to identify youth who are at risk to offend…[and] direct the youths to community resources that best address the factors that fuel their conduct/behaviour as well as addressing reparation needs when applicable • Scope: offering non-punitive justice options for youth aged 12-17 who come into contact with the Grande Prairie RCMP

  5. Program Continued… • Addresses the needs of youth and their families by referring them to various resources • Mental health • Addictions • Learning services • Family services • Referrals typically come from the RCMP, but have started to come from schools and the families themselves. • All youth and their families are served by a single program coordinator • Completes assessment, referral, follow-up

  6. Evaluation of Year One • Goals for Year One: • 50 participants • Train RCMP officers to complete referrals • Network with relevant agencies • Methodology • Qualitative interviews- program staff, stakeholders, parents • Quantitative data analysis- statistics on participants • Social return on investment- social value created

  7. Successes • Positive feedback from interviews with stakeholders, program staff, and parents • Overall impression was that Grande Prairie was in definite need of a youth intervention/diversion program • Creation of a unified network within the city • Referral of 101 youth to various community resources (just over double their anticipated goal) • Change in scope and mandate

  8. Social Return on Investment (SROI) • Achieved a return of $4.96 for every $1 invested • Program budget of $304,204 saved $1,509,256 in the long run • $464,416 in police costs • $730,000 in correctional service costs • Not to be compared with other programs • Individual program narrative • Goals for future years is simply growth from each previous year

  9. Growing Pains • Constant changes to mandate and goals • Utilization of all programs and services • Lack of knowledge about program • Partnership with the RCMP • Movement from detachment • Preparing for sustainability • Program is clearly needed

  10. Future of SCIF programs… • Avoidance of ‘death by pilot program’ • Creating sustainability • Development of new and unique projects • Overlapping of services • Funding of research initiatives to determine current and future needs

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