Community Intervention Model

Brief Description

The Community Intervention Model (CIM) helps high-risk street gang-affiliated individuals exit gang-life and become successful in their communities by connecting them to supports that meet their needs and engaging them in education and employment opportunities.

Goals

The main goals of this program are to:

1. reduce gun and street gang related violence in Saskatchewan communities; 
2. connect clients with meaningful employment and/or education opportunities; and
3. reduce client contact with the criminal justice system.

Clientele

Gang-affiliated men and women between the ages of 15-30 that are at a high-risk of (re)offending, and disengaged from education or employment systems. Clients are referred to the program by law enforcement and the justice system. There is an intake assessment component used to facilitate contact between a referral source and the service delivery provider.

Core Components

The Community Intervention Model (CIM) is a three-phase intervention model:

1. Relentless outreach and stabilization is a period of four to six months when a representative continuously and repeatedly contact clients and employs relationship building, rapport building, engagement strategies, regardless of whether that client continuously or clearly rejects outreach. During this time a need based service plan is developed and a stabilization period may be required.
2. Transformation is the second phase lasting between one to two years where clients progress through Stage Based Programing aimed at guiding client improvements in: life skills, employment status, and education status. This is made possible through Transformative Relationships. These are relationships where a significant amount of effort and time is dedicated to building rapport and trust. These intensive relationships are used to, consistently and frequently, engage clients in a variety of skill building opportunities and motivate clients to participate and decide for themselves that they want to change and take concrete actions to change.
3. Support and Sustainment is a one to two-year period where clients who have demonstrated sustained improvements in: life skills, and/or employment, and/or education status, are given reduced but sustained support to ensure that their personal transformations are sustainable.

Implementation Information

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

• Organizational requirements: Agencies must maintain a minimum staff to client ratio of 1:5. Staff must be available to clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to provide support and other services as may be accessible and appropriate.
• Partnerships: Community Intervention Model agencies networks include a broad range of partners who come from community, government, corrections, policing, and other youth-serving programs.
• Training and technical assistance: The Community Safety and Well-Being Branch offers ongoing support in the areas of contract obligations, program development and support or guidance, if requested.
• Risk assessment tools: Limited information on this topic.
• 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

In December 2019, the ministry awarded funding agreements to two community-based organizations who are responsible for providing CIM services across Saskatchewan. CIM services are offered primarily in Saskatoon, Regina and Prince Albert. 

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

No information available.

Cost Information

Two multi-year funding agreements are in place to provide a total of $3.75M in funding for the provision of CIM services from December 2019 until March 2023.

References

There is no Canadian reference available at this time.

For more information on this program, contact:

Integrated Justice Services

Community Safety and Well-Being

Strategic Partnerships

600-1874 Scarth St

Regina, SK  S4P 4B3

Telephone: 306-798-1057

Email: Jeffrey.Dudar@gov.sk.ca

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STR8 UP: 10,000 Little Steps to Healing Inc.

226 Avenue V S

Saskatoon, SK  S7M 3E3

Website: https://www.str8-up.ca/ 

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Regina Treaty Status Indian Services Inc.

4001 – 3rd Ave N

Regina, SK  S4R 0W8