Over the past decade, considerable resources have been spent to implement and validate innovative programs and strategies in youth justice. As these evidence-based programs have proliferated and matured, the need for research to understand the conditions and processes necessary to sustain them has also increased. This workshop will present research findings from a pilot study that explored the barriers and facilitators in building a mental health screening model for youth in the justice system. In 2015, the Niagara community launched a new model, the Niagara Youth Court Screening Initiative (NYCSI), where first appearance youth at court are screened for mental health and addiction issues. This intervention has seen great success in Niagara, and has been scaled up in other youth courts across Ontario. The study describes first hand perspectives of personnel and community stakeholders who were involved in developing and implementing the screening model. Participants will learn about the key ingredients that have made this intervention sustainable over time, and they will be able to use this knowledge in developing similar sustainable interventions in their own communities.
Presenters: Marla Banning, Debbie Chiodo, Mike Taylor
