The Youth Forensic Service is a new provincial ministry initiative, intended to provide alternate care pathways for youth with mental health disorders who find themselves in conflict with the law. By way of forensic assessments, our service’s primary goal is to inform the courts about the influence of mental illness upon a young person’s offending behaviour. This session will provide background information that support the need for these types of assessments in Ontario and describe the process taken by the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) to develop this service for the Northeast Region of Ontario. Participants will be provided with an overview about how the NBRHC team carefully considered and integrated the unique needs of the Region while adhering to the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) guidelines. In addition, the speakers will focus on how essential it was to establish partnerships and service protocols with key internal and external stakeholders to deliver on the promise of providing flexible care pathways to expedite the court process, minimize the disruption in the lives of young people, and ultimately altering the trajectory of youth facing mental health issues.
Building Integrated Youth Forensic Services – The Journey – 2015-11-17
