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\u00a0forensic assessments, our service\u2019s primary goal is to inform the courts about the influence of mental\u00a0illness upon a young person\u2019s offending behaviour. This session will provide background information\u00a0that support the need for these types of assessments in Ontario and describe the process taken by the\u00a0North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) to develop this service for the Northeast Region of Ontario.\u00a0Participants will be provided with an overview about how the NBRHC team carefully considered and\u00a0integrated the unique needs of the Region while adhering to the Ministry of Health and Long Term\u00a0Care (MOHLTC) guidelines. In addition, the speakers will focus on how essential it was to establish\u00a0partnerships and service protocols with key internal and external stakeholders to deliver on the promise\u00a0of providing flexible care pathways to expedite the court process, minimize the disruption in the lives of\u00a0young people, and ultimately altering the trajectory of youth facing mental health issues.<\/p>\n