Future Forward

Brief Description

The Future Forward project is a life skills and employment readiness program for young offenders and at-risk youth (ages 12-25). Within cohort settings (e.g. alternative schools, community outreach and 1-on-1 support), this program integrates primary, secondary, and tertiary crime prevention methods by targeting underlying criminogenic factors and increasing protective factors that affect at-risk youth, while also providing one-on-one support to youth involved in the Criminal Justice System in order to reduce recidivism.

Program strategies include: job employment; mentoring – tutoring; skills training; social emotional learning; academic support; community mobilization; juvenile justice; truancy prevention; multi-agency collaboration; community service awareness; tenancy and driving education.

Goals

The main goals of the Future Forward program are to:

1. Reduce the likelihood of gang involvement, crime, and crime recidivism among young offenders and/or at-risk youth by targeting underlying criminogenic factors

• Increasing social competencies and prosocial identity through participation in the program
• Improve self-management and emotional regulation skills
• Improve likelihood of school and employment success
• Complete trainings and improve life skills knowledge

2. Increase multi-agency collaboration approach

• Develop and maintain partnerships within the community
• Integrated approach to addressing youth’s needs
• Connecting participants to community services available in the area

Clientele

The demographic targeted by the program are mixed (males and females) adolescents and young adults (aged 12-25).

Coordinator receives referrals for the program through various methods including:

1. Referrals from Integrated Youth team (prolific offenders), Ministry of Children and Family Development, the CDC’s Intensive Supervision and Support (ISSP) program for youth on probation.
2. The program also receives referrals from students and teachers at the alternative school for at-risk youth after they attend an Information Session (delivered twice a year)
3. The referral process for high-risk youth also includes clients on the CDC’s caseload across multiple disciplines (e.g. Child and Youth Care, Youth Counsellor, Youth Forensic Psychiatric Counselling program, Youth Navigator, and Youth Outreach Worker).
4. An additional flow of referrals comes from other organizations (e.g. CCRAP, Boys & Girls Club, Noopa), parents/guardians, and/or youth self-referring.

Core Components

Structure of the program:

1. Referral process
2. Intake – After a General Information Form is filled out, the coordinator determines eligibility for the program. If eligible, participants move on to the next stage of the intake process.
3. Needs Assessment – a form that participants fill out to write down their goals and indicate which workshops/certificates they are interested in taking.
4. Pre & Post Survey - at the beginning and the end of the program the participants will be given a survey to see how much growth and knowledge has been acquired throughout the program. As well as their thoughts and feedback of the program.
5. Workshops/Training – once there is enough interest, workshops are held with a cohort of participants or through one-on-one support. Workshops/trainings include Ready2Rent, Wellness & Nutrition, Resume Building, Interview Skills, Food Safe, First Aid, Financial Budgeting, Healthy Relationships, drivers license training, and PPE is provided.
6. Work Experience – If indicated in the Needs Assessment form, youth are matched to the best suited employer to gain work experience for their resume.
7. Follow-up – team members follow-up with youth six months after involvement in the program. Youth are reconnected to the program if they have additional needs.

Implementation Information

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

• Organizational requirements: The Future Forward Program utilizes the existing infrastructure and systems in place at the Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association (CARF accredited) as lease agency. This includes written policies and procedures, pre-existing partnerships and community reputation (40 plus years delivering services), strong management team and executive, trained professional staff, understanding and knowledge of local needs (population served, services, resources, organizations), extensive experience in program delivery including start-up, and post program follow-up in programs that serve youth populations in an outreach setting.
• Partnerships: Currently they include but are not limited to Denisiqi Services Society (DSS), Cariboo Partners for Literacy (CCPL), School District #27 (GROW/Skyline), Thompson Rivers University (TRU), Williams Lake First Nations (WLFN), Four Winds Driving School, Cariboo First Aid, Blocks R US, Tolko Industries, Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce, Boys & Girls Club.
• Training and technical assistance: Four Winds Driving School is responsible for drivers license training, Cariboo First Aid delivers First Aid training, FoodSafe (and First Aid) is/was delivered through TRU. The Ready2Rent Program requires trained facilitators, of which two CDC staff are certified to deliver. Future Forward team is composed of a team of professionals that have a minimum of a two-year diploma (Human Services diploma, Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology). In addition, each team member has a specialized scope of knowledge based on their positions at the Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre (e.g., Intensive Support and Supervision Program, Youth Navigator, Child & Youth Care Worker, FASD Keyworker, and Youth Outreach).
• Risk assessment tools: Internal Intake Risk Form, and a Needs Assessment in which participants self-indicate their needs. These forms evaluate an individual in terms of life skills, community supports, training certificates, and materials and supplies needed.
• Materials & resources: Materials and supplies are provided to participants by the CCCDCA. For training delivered via a partner organization, the partner provides supplies (expenses are included within the training costs). The CCCDCA provides a wide range of supplies (from pens and notebooks, transportation vouchers &/or gas cards, steel toed work boots, lunch supplies, and laptop computer(s) for participants to use). Effective incentive strategies to keep youth engaged have also included small gift certificates.

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 Future Forward Program has been implemented in the Cariboo-Chilcotin within the interior region of the Province of British Columbia. The Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association assumed responsibility for delivering this program from Apr 1, 2019 with current funding scheduled to end on March 31, 2022. This program was previously delivered by the Boys and Girls Club of Williams Lake and District in both 2016, and 2017.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

The evaluation is still ongoing.

Cost Information

At this time, the program is funded by the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General for three years, until the end of fiscal year 2021/2022, at $69,265 per year, plus an additional funding of $24,539 in year 3 to bring the program to Tsilhqot'in Nation communities, for a total of $232,334.

References

Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family. (2005). Youth Gangs in Canada: A Preliminary Review of Programs and Services. https://prism.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/handle/1880/107384/Youth%20Gangs%20-%20Review%20of%20Services%20-%20Sep%202005.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

Ungar, M., Brown, M., Liebenberg, L., Othman, R., Kwong, W. M., Armstrong, M. & Gilgun, J. (2007). Unique pathways to resilience across cultures. Adolescence, 42(166), 287-310. https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/unique-pathways-to-resilience-across-cultures 

Maclean’s. (n.d.). Canada’s Most Dangerous Places 2018. http://www.macleans.ca/canadas-most-dangerous-places/ 

Statistics Canada. (2016). Census Profile, 2016 Census. Williams Lake. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=POPC&Code1=1028&Geo2=PR&Code2=59&Data=Count&SearchText=williams%20lake&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Aboriginal%20peoples&TABID=1

British Columbia Geography Open Textbook Collective. (2014). Case Study 1: The Indian Residential School System. British Columbia in a Global Context. https://opentextbc.ca/geography/chapter/4-4-case-study/ 

Legacy of Hope Foundation. (n.d.). 100 Years of Loss: The Residential School System in Canada. https://secureservercdn.net/198.71.233.106/jjk.2f4.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/100-years-print_web.pdf

Hume, M. (2016, May 1). Williams Lake, B.C. struggles to cope as gang warfare intensifies. The Globe and Mail. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/williams-lake-bc-struggles-to-cope-as-gang-warfare-intensifies/article29818970/

Blue Ribbon Panel on Crime Reduction. (n.d.). Getting Serious About Crime Reduction. Ministry of Justice. http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/law-crime-and-justice/criminal-justice/police/publications/government/blue-ribon-crime-reduction.pdf

For more information on this program, contact:

Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association

690 Second Ave North

Williams Lake, BC V2G 4C4

Telephone: 250-392-4481

E-mail: cdcadmin@ccchild.org

Website: www.ccchild.org