An Overview of Programs for Youth at Risk in Canada
by Greg Stevenson
Programs
for youth at risk in Canada are, for the most part, run
by government or not-for-profit organizations. Many Canadians
expect programs and services for youth at risk to be free,
or at least subsidized by parties other than the direct
user. This perspective is consistent with Canadians' strong
support for a social security system that provides essential
services at no cost to those who are struggling to find
a positive and productive place in society. Any professional
who works with youth at risk knows that the majority of
troubled teens come from socio-economic backgrounds that
preclude access to expensive user-pay therapy programs.
This
sounds like an ideal system. However, a system funded
through government and charitable giving dollars is inevitably
limited in scope. Most funded programs focus on high-risk
youth and young offenders. There are many youth at risk
in Canada who do not fit eligibility requirements to access
the limited programs funded by governments and not-for-profit
groups. As a result, families of youth at risk can be
left with few options for early intervention.
School-based
and community services for youth at risk
Most youth at risk cases start in the public school system
or in community-based extra-curricular programs. While
there are differences from province-to-province, it would
be safe to say that most youth at risk are first identified
by teachers or school counselors. They are often then
placed in school-based remedial or alternate learning
environments where their special needs are better addressed
through a variety of approaches; smaller class sizes,
increased supervision, regular contact with a counselor,
slower learning pace, and so on. A few public school programs
in Canada turn to experiential outdoor learning to try
and re-engage youth at risk in the educational process
while simultaneously promoting self-esteem, improving
behaviour patterns, and helping students integrate in
positive ways with their community. Included in these
are the BC-based Vancouver Island Experiential Wilderness
(VIEW) Program at Stelly's School in Victoria and the
Take-a-Hike Program at John Oliver School in Vancouver.
The
problem with school-based services for youth at risk is
that public education funding has been significantly reduced
in Canada's decade-long battle to wrestle government deficits
under control. As a result, smaller class sizes, increased
supervision, and school counselors are more difficult
to come by. Factor in the cost of running an experiential
outdoor program and this type of service to youth at risk
is becoming harder and harder to find.
Community
programs for youth at risk
In some cases, not-for-profits have picked up the slack
left behind by cuts to school programs. There are many
highly-effective programs for youth at risk being offered
free or at subsidized prices by renowned organizations
like the Boys & Girls Club, Big Brothers & Big
Sisters, the YM-YWCA, and many others. These programs
often provide family services and the early intervention
needed to help get youth at risk back on a positive path.
Community recreation centres, which are usually funded
through a combination of government and private monies,
also offer programs that can help address the needs of
youth at risk early on. Unfortunately, again due to limited
resources, community programs often lack the duration
and scope to have desired and long-term impacts.
When
early intervention doesn't work
Naturally, many youth at risk slip through the cracks
in a system that is struggling with resources. They drop
out or are expelled from school. They fail to connect
with the programs that are available in the community.
Or they simply fly below the radar of a society that is
running at a faster and faster pace with less and less
attention to the importance of focused youth development.
Youth
at risk who do not gain access to an appropriate and effective
program run the risk of traveling further down the path
of deviant behaviour. Some may distance themselves so
much from family, school, and the mainstream community
that traditional methods will no longer be effective.
More serious intervention is required.
These
youth at risk can end up in one of three places; social
services, the healthcare system or the courts. Youth at
risk under the age of majority who experience extreme
family conflict (violence, abuse) or leave home and become
street-entrenched can access programs run by their provincial
social services ministry (Ministry of Children and Family
Development in BC). These include anything from foster
care to job training and placement initiatives. Youth
at risk that exhibit heavy drug-use or deteriorating mental
health issues like depression and unmanaged behavioural
disorders may eventually require hospitalization and extended
treatment, which is in most cases funded by the health
care system. Youth at risk whose deviant and anti-social
behaviour patterns go unchecked are likely to wind up
in court and possibly jail. These young offenders will
in some cases have access to wilderness rehabilitation
programs, such as Coastline Challenges in BC and Enviros
Project Trust in Alberta.
Are
there other intervention options for youth at risk?
Other intervention options for youth at risk fall mainly
in the private sector. These include private counseling
practices, drug rehabilitation programs, boarding schools,
summer camps, and therapeutic wilderness programs.
Therapeutic
wilderness programs for youth at risk are fairly unique
in Canada, with CanAdventure Education the only program
of this type in Western Canada. Other outdoor education
programs offer operations with some similarities but with
less of a specific focus on youth at risk. Therapeutic
wilderness programs can, in many cases, help catch youth
at risk as they are slipping through the cracks of the
public and not-for-profit program continuum.
However,
private sector programs must always consider the social
consciousness of Canadians by doing everything they can
to serve the entire socio-economic spectrum. Scholarships
or subsidies should always be in place to maximize access
to families who might not otherwise be able to afford
the entire cost of intervention for their youth at risk.
All
youth at risk deserve a chance to get back on track. We
have the ability to help.
