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Youth Transitions Services
Program Description
Purpose of the Program
To support community, educational and family transition services to young persons with detention/open custody status throughout the Greater Toronto Area, through direct service, coordination, advocacy and consultation.
Description of the program
Youth Transitions Services is a mobile team of workers that provides reintegration and education continuity support to youth who are sentenced or detained in the Open Custody/Open Detention facility. There are 5 Community Support Workers who service youth in 12 Central Region Open Custody/ Open Detention facilities. These facilities have the capacity for up to 110 youth at any one time. They are located throughout the Greater Toronto, Milton and Barrie areas. The Community Support Workers provide an initial data collection screening (profile) for every youth admitted. This includes a MAYSI screening. Workers will then develop a plan for the youth’s reintegration to their community and school in order to positively connect the youth to their community should the youth be released for custody. Community Support Workers build strong partnerships with families and community services and the facilities where youth reside. Some youth are detained for a short time while some are in custody for several months. This team works primarily with youth that are short term who have no assigned probation worker. These youth are usually on pre-trial detention or awaiting bail or sentence determination. Youth with probation workers can receive service at the request of their probation worker. To support the continuity of education and post-release services for youth in the Open Custody/Detention system, with emphasis on short term detention youth without Probation Case Managers. Community Support Workers coordinate a Community Reintegration Plan in collaboration with all partners in order to reduce the risk of re-offending. The Community Support Worker (CSW) provides services to young persons who come into contact with the youth justice system via open detention/open custody programs throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). A CSW is a key component to the youth justice system, as the worker addresses the needs of the young person, their families and community by engaging with young persons who come into contact with one of the twelve custody programs located throughout the GTA. The CSW develops a service plan to support community reintegration and education needs as well as connect the young person to community services. The process is supported through screening, assessment, services and referrals.
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