Youth Intervention Program (YIP)

Brief Description

The Youth Intervention Program (YIP) program involves collaboration between Grande Prairie Crime Prevention, the RCMP, and partnering community agencies. It takes a preventative and intervention approach by diverting youth away from the criminal justice system, as well as helping them to change their behavior and develop coping skills.

Modeled after the Ottawa Community Youth Diversion Program, the Grande Prairie YIP aims to implement a community-led program that provides police officers with the tools to identify youth who are at risk to offend and direct them to community resources that best address the root factors of their conduct/behaviour, while addressing community reparation needs.

Goals

The main goals of the YIP program are to:

• Implement a community-led program that helps youth change their behaviour and develop their coping skills, thereby reducing recidivism through positive measures while still holding the youth accountable for his/her actions; and
• Provide police officers with the tools to identify youth who are at risk to offend and direct them to community resources that best address the factors that fuel their conduct/behavior, while addressing reparation needs at the same time.

Clientele

The appropriate clientele for the YIP is at-risk youth aged 12-17, but youth as young as 8 years old have benefited from the YIP program.

The youth are referred to the program through the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) (before or after charges), families, and teachers. The youth are assessed using standardized assessment tools. Mental health, addictions, and/or family issues are addressed through referral programs.

Core Components

The YIP consists of:

• Receiving referrals from parents and youth; and
• Providing multiple interventions for youth.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

• Organizational requirements: The program involves streamlining referrals made to the RCMP towards local intervention programming.
• Partnerships: The program involves collaboration between Grande Prairie Crime Prevention, the RCMP, and partnering community agencies.
• Training and technical assistance: Limited information on this topic.
• Risk assessment tools: Standardized assessment tools are used (but the names of these tools are not specified).
• Materials & resources: Limited information on this topic.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
• Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
• SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

YIP was implemented in Grande Prairie, Alberta from May 2009 – July 2012.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

No information available.

Cost Information

The SROI ratio, which is based on the total value created divided by the total investment, indicates that over the three-year pilot, the average social value of investment in the Youth Intervention Program is $5.46 for every dollar invested. This calculation considers four youth profiles:

• Youth with Mental Health and Addictions;
• Youth with Family and School Issues;
• Youth with Cognitive Disabilities; and
• Youth that have been victimized.

Primary funding was provided by the Safe Communities Innovation Fund (SCIF), Government of Alberta.

The organization also received $186,000 of funding from City of Grande Prairie and $555,000 of in kind contribution from RCMP & Agency.  The total 3rd party funding is $741,000 (or 69%) of overall project budget, which met the payment requirement as stipulated in grant agreement.

References

Alberta Community Crime Prevention Organizations. (2015). Social Return on Investment (SROI) Case Study: Youth Intervention Program. Recipient of Safe Communities Innovation Fund, Government of Alberta. Available from: https://open.alberta.ca/publications/safe-communities-innovation-fund-pilot-project-executive-summaries 

For more information on this program, contact:

City of Grande Prairie – Community Action on Crime Prevention

Dawn Elliott

Telephone: (780)830-7094

E-mail: delliott@cityofgp.com