The Roberts/Smart Centre's Youth Justice component is an eight-bed residential program, providing placements for youth serving open custody dispositions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (2002, c. 1 ) (YCJA), or having been remanded into open detention pending disposition of charges.
The Ministry of Children and Youth (Probation Services) must authorize all referrals to this program.
Admission Procedure
When a Judge has rendered an open custody/detention order for a youth, the probation officer contacts the Centre in order to establish the availability and the appropriateness of a placement with the Centre.
Length of Stay
While the Centre prefers to accept open custody and detention placements that are of longer duration, the recent trend has been toward shorter periods of custody, requiring the Centre to be flexible in its programming, to accommodate whatever the courts present by way of orders.
Other Services
With the consent of the adolescent and his/her guardian(s), a youth in the youth justice program may participate in the therapeutic services offered by non-residential programs. A youth may also be transferred to a mental health bed, when available and appropriate, upon completion of the open custody disposition.
Plans of Care
Plans of Care are developed for each youth serving an open custody disposition with the Centre. The professional clinical staff, with the collaboration of the young person, the parents, residential staff, probation services and other concerned professionals, is responsible for the development of the plans of care.
