Training Resources for Youth (T.R.Y.), Help Eliminate Auto Theft (H.E.A.T.) and Genisis

Brief Description

These integrated case management and employment readiness (or return to school) programs are exclusively for justice involved youth. Several programs fall under the ‘employment readiness’ category, including T.R.Y. VIP, H.E.A.T. and Genesis (a social enterprise).  In addition to structured classroom and job placement, youth have access to a wide range of supports and programming that address criminogenic need and risk factors.

Training Resources for Youth (T.R.Y.) – The T.R.Y. program is designed to provide young offenders with the opportunity to develop employment, job search and interpersonal skills necessary to obtain employment or return to school.  Participants are aged between 16 and 19 years old. Services include in-class training; life-skills training; work experience at a job site; and counselling, support and advocacy. Participants of T.R.Y. have dropped out of school and are looking for a new direction in their life, either by returning to school or developing the skills to find a job.

Help End Auto Theft (H.E.A.T.) – The H.E.A.T. program is a coordinated strategy to eliminate vehicle theft by working with young offenders to prevent further crimes. This program is characterized by continuous intake and highly responsive programming. H.E.A.T. is designed for young offenders (involved in auto theft). Like T.R.Y., youth are able to develop employment, job search and interpersonal skills necessary to obtain employment or return to school. 

Genesis – Genesis is a social enterprise which provides paid work opportunities for participants in various trade areas. Through Genesis, participants are able to develop soft and hard work skills and gain meaningful employment despite criminal records and other barriers. By addressing a wide range of barriers to employment in a supportive learning environment, participants experience financial security, building of self-confidence and self-esteem, and a different, enhanced vision of their future (SiMPACT Strategy Group, 2015). All income generated by Genesis is reinvested in the enterprise which in turn creates additional employment opportunities available to participants from other programs funded by Manitoba.  

Goals

The main goals of these programs are to:

• Help participants become employment ready;
• Improve participant school and work performance;
• Improve health and mental health outcomes through access to individualized clinical services (addictions counseling; anger management; trauma, and mental health counseling);
• Improve pro-social involvement through participation in recreational activities; and
• Improve individual sense of self and belonging through participation in cultural practice(s).

Clientele

The appropriate clientele for the T.R.Y., H.E.A.T and Genesis programs is high risk youth between the ages of 16 to 24. The programs are appropriate for youth from various populations and socio-economic backgrounds.

Core Components

Core components of these programs include the following:

• An integrated case management strategy that will incorporate a thorough intake, assessment, selection and intervention approaches;
• Access with continuous intake  to employment programming through:
• The provision of a module-based pre-employment/life skills curriculum to provide participants with the necessary skills to find and maintain employment and/or to assist the participant to return to school;
• Community based work experience placements.
• Access to Genesis, a Social Enterprise providing on the job training and mentoring;
• Access to individualized clinical services (addictions counseling; anger management; trauma, and mental health counseling);
• Access to recreation programming, with continuous intake. Recreation programming should provide positive role models to participants and connect participants to pro-social resources and activities; and
• Access to cultural programming.

Implementation Information

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

• Organizational requirements: Adequate organizational structure and infrastructure to manage finance, human resource, and operational requirements; ample and skilled staffing for delivery of comprehensive services, including multidisciplinary expertise in clinical services (mental health education, case management); community employers and school liaison; opportunity for cultural and recreation program; data collection analysis and evaluation; adequate financial resources to provide comprehensive supports that will address basic needs of participants; internship and paid work experience; expertise in area of social enterprise (labour and trades, food handing and hospitality); and organizational understanding of complex needs (including mental health, FASD, addictions, neurological, etcetera).
• Partnerships: Collaborative relationship with referral sources, collateral and supports; community employers and school liaison; local academia (to support research, mentorship, volunteer and practicum opportunities); other social serving agencies and systems (including community health clinics); collaborative relationship with funders.
• Training and technical assistance: The requirements for the aforementioned programs are a degree/certification for clinical programs and being a certified teacher for academic/curriculum based program.
• Risk assessment tools: The risk assessment tool used in the programs is the Level of Service Case Management Inventory (LS/CMI) completed by Manitoba Justice to determine risk to re-offend (to determine eligibility for program).
• Materials & resources: Academic assessments; essential skills assessment; pre-employment inventory and assessments; clinical assessments; and addictions assessment are all used in the programs.

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

The Province of Manitoba provides annualized funding to an external agency (New Directions for Children, Youth and Families) for the ongoing delivery of these programs.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

Study 1

This report evaluated the value created by purchasing services from four social enterprises: Building Urban Industries for Local Development (BUILD), Brandon Energy Efficiency Program (BEEP), Manitoba Green Renewal (MGR) and Genesis.

Genesis – Social Value Created:

Genesis creates value for the participants, their children and the Province of Manitoba, by employing and training individuals whose barriers would have otherwise prevented their employment.

Genesis focuses on construction-based training. These skills are important and create value because they enable an individual to move into full time employment in the private sector.

Learning on-site allows for mistakes to be treated as opportunities to improve skills and teach others. Staff are available to problem solve, listen and support employees through issues at work and in their personal lives. These supports are invaluable to the successful development of skills and self-confidence.

For more information, refer to SiMPACT Strategy Group (2015).

Study 2

Dr. Carolyn Peters, MSW, PhD, Director of Alternative Solutions, Therapy Services, Agency Training and Evaluation at New Directions, completed an Evaluation of outcomes for employment readiness programming including for T.R.Y., H.E.A.T. and Work.2.It.  The evaluation reflects a time period of between July 2014 and July 2015 and represents a random sample of 100 participants.

The evaluation concluded the analyses were positive overall with noteworthy changes in both acquisition of knowledge and behaviour change.  Another area of substantive change was in criminal activity and gang involvement where both were found to be considerably reduced following program involvement.  In addition, a statistically significant reduction in the number of barriers the youth were experiencing was noted, as was improvement in global self-esteem and feelings of self-efficacy. 

Noteworthy statistics include:

• 19% of program participants attended sessions with the in-house addictions counselor;
• 30% reduction in gang involvement;
• 95% did not receive new charges while in program;
• 16 new charges occurred during time in program (6 were fail to comply charges);
• 93% of property offenders did not receive new charges;
• 95% of participants without weapons offences at program commencement remained weapons offence free;
• 10% received new probation related charges (fail to comply);
• 0 new auto theft charges during the program period;
• 95% of participants did not receive new offences against person related charges;
• 1.2% of participants received new drug related charges;
• 18 participants had a mental health diagnosis (24 suspected); and,
• 6 participants were suspected of having FASD (3 were confirmed with diagnosis).

For more information, refer to Peters Carolyn (2015).

Cost Information

The cost of these programs ranges between $7,000 and $10,000 per participant.  Cost will vary based on community organization, staffing costs, and the number services, such as addictions and recreation workers integrated into the program.

The SiMPACT Strategy Group completed a Social Return on Investment (SROI) exercise on behalf of New Directions.  They concluded that with a total investment of $485,000.00 in 2015, the Genesis (social enterprise) program generated a social and economic return with a total present value of $750,571.00.  This indicates that for every dollar invested into Genesis there is a return of at least $1.55 in social and economic value.

References

New Directions for Children, Youth, Adults & Families (n.d.) Annual Report 2015-2016. Available from: http://newdirections.mb.ca/materials/   

Peters Carolyn (2015). Evaluation of Outcomes for employment readiness programming. New Directions.

SiMPACT Strategy Group (2016). The Social Return on Investment of Four Social Enterprises in Manitoba – Final Report. Available from: https://ccednet-rcdec.ca/sites/ccednet-rcdec.ca/files/mbh_final_report_draft_jan_19v2.pdf

For more information on this program, contact:

Manitoba Justice, Community Safety Division
Todd Clarke
Executive Director
Crime Prevention Branch
Telephone: (204) 945-6884
E-mail: todd.clarke@gov.mb.ca 

New Directions for Children, Youth, adults & Families
500-717 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3G 0M8
Telephone: 204-786-7051
Website: http://newdirections.mb.ca/