ISSP The Intensive Support and Supervision Program (ISSP) is the newest addition to the Durham Family Court Clinic. A joint proposal by the Durham Family Court Clinic and Peterborough Youth Services received approval by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Youth Justice Branch. The ISSP is an option of the Youth Criminal Justice Act which attempts to address the underlying causes of youth crime. The ISSP: • Addresses criminogenic risk factors in the context of the young person’s needs; • Considers factors in the young person’s environment that are contributing to his/her offending behaviour; • Offers individualized, youth-specific mental health intervention; • Treatment plans are developed in collaboration with the young person, family and others; • Builds on the strengths of the young person and family to make and sustain change; • Employs interventions that are evidence based; • Establishes a treatment plan to engage ongoing community support beyond the young person’s sentence. Services are intended to: • Reduce the risk of recidivism through targeted and effective rehabilitation and reintegration strategies; • Provide community safety through monitoring compliance with Court orders and reinforcing accountability; • Expand the range of appropriate alternatives to custody in Ontario and reduce the use of custody in circumstances where it is not determined to be the most effective measure; • Respond to the identified need for intensive support and supervision for young persons with mental health or other special needs entering the youth justice system in keeping with the prohibition of the use of custody as a substitute for appropriate mental health or other social measures (section 39(5) YCJA). The ISSP will provide clinically focused, community-based individualized programs designed to deliver services appropriate to the young person’s level of functioning and to target those specific needs or problems that are recognized as contributing to the young person’s offending behaviour. The intent of the ISSP is to provide service to youth in conflict with the law who have serious mental health issues and, based on the seriousness of their offence(s) and offence history, would likely have been sentenced to custody. The young person must have one or more of the following disorders to be eligible to participate in the program: Early Onset Major Psychiatric Disorders: • Schizophrenia spectrum disorders • Mood disorders (major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder which may include chronic suicidal or self harming behaviour) • Severe anxiety disorders (post traumatic stress disorder, severe social anxiety disorder, obsessive/compulsive disorders) Developmental Delay: • Pervasive Developmental Disorders (e.g. Asperger’s Disorder) • Global Intelligence Delay (mild retardation, borderline IQ) Dual Diagnoses: • Developmental Delay and Early Onset Major Psychiatric Disorders The goals of the ISSP are: • To provide intensive services to assist the young person and their family with their identified needs and the young person’s mental health issues; • To strengthen emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of the young person; • To reduce re-offending; • To reduce the reliance on the use of custody sentences for the young person; and • Transition planning to other mental health services. Referrals are made by Case Managers as a condition of a Probation Order. Inquiries For more information about the ISSP and referral process, please contact the DFCC’s ISSP Worker at the Durham Family Court Clinic 905.436.6754.