320 search results for
Youth in care
Recommendation 28:
The BC government and MCFD must ensure that each parent engaging with MCFD has access to a trained community-based support worker to help them navigate the child welfare process. Community-based support workers must be trained in collaborative, trauma-informed, and culturally safe practices.
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Recommendation 17:
The arrest of a parent can be a traumatic experience for children. It is almost always very disruptive and stressful for the family. It is important to try to mitigate these effects on the children. Also, temporary care arrangements must be made when the parents is the sole caregiver for the child.
- Try to mitigate the impact that arrest of a parent may have on any child present.
- Wherever possible, carry out the arrest in the absence of the child or, at a minimum, in a child-sensitive manner.
- Inquire, at the time of arrest, about the arrangements made for the children.
- Give the arrested parent who has sole custody of a child a reasonable opportunity to select a caregiver unless the arrest is for child abuse or neglect.
- Work together with local agencies to find appropriate ways to support children and other family members during and after an arrest. For example, prior to a planned arrest, agencies and community resources could be made aware, when appropriate, of any dependent or family members that might be present at the arrest.
- Develop protocols and policies concerning arrests and temporary care of children of the arrested individuals.
- Provide guidance to all concerned agencies and organizations, and their personnel, on how to support children and family members during and after an arrest.
Enhancing the Protective Environment for Children of Parents in Conflict with the Law or Incarcerated: A Framework for Action
Group/author:
Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, University of the Fraser Valley – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver, International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, University of the Fraser Valley – School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
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2018
2018
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Recommendation 3:
the Alberta Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (CYFEA), provides that the best interests of the child assessment requires decision makers to provide children who have been exposed to family violence any intervention service that “supports family members and prevents the need to remove the child from the custody of an abused family member.” This is a key framing of some of the programming needed to address family violence in the case of the child welfare system and is the approach that many Indigenous community-based family service organizations electively employ to keep families together. We recommend that similar language is included in the defnition of the best interests of the child principle that directs decision-makers to turn their mind to prevention-based supports in assessing the right of the child to be protected from harm.
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Recommendation 1:
That the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions work with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Children and Family Development to conduct a review, after consulting with health authorities, First Nations, Métis Nation and urban Indigenous communities and leadership and other appropriate bodies, into the use of involuntary mental health care for children and youth to identify the conditions that are contributing to its increased use, and identify immediate opportunities to provide voluntary interventions or improve practices that would reduce involuntary admissions. Review to be complete by Jan. 1, 2022.
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Recommendation 9:
That the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the First Nations Health Authority actively engage and consult with First Nations, Métis Nation and urban Indigenous leadership and communities to identify changes needed in order to ensure that First Nations, Métis, Inuit and urban Indigenous children and youth are provided with trauma-informed, culturally safe and attuned mental health services, including a diversity of treatment modalities specific to their unique culture, when detained under the Mental Health Act. Changes to be identified by Sept. 1, 2021 and implemented in full by Sept. 1, 2022.
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Recommendation 10:
That the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the health authorities, undertake a comprehensive review of practices for:
- children under 16 who have been “voluntarily” admitted, and take all necessary legal and administrative measures to ensure that “mature minor” capacity assessments are carried out where treatment is proposed, that the results of those assessments are recorded, and that physicians understand their duty to comply with the views of a mature minor regarding treatment, subject only to the order of a court;
- children assessed as mature minors who have been involuntarily admitted, and take all necessary legal and administrative measures to ensure that (i) despite the deemed consent provisions, the views of the young person are obtained, recorded and carefully considered before treatment decisions are made, and (ii) treatment information is conveyed in a manner that children and youth may understand.
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Recommendation 3:
That the Ministry of Health, in partnership with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the health authorities, review and reconcile s.20(a)(ii) of the Mental Health Act that permits the designated director to admit a child under 16 on a voluntary basis at the request of their parent or guardian with the mature minor doctrine. Review to be complete by Jan. 1, 2022.
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Recommendation 4:
That the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions actively engage and consult with First Nations, Métis Nation and urban Indigenous health bodies and leadership to develop a process to enable a child or youth to notify their community or Nation of their involuntary admission. To be complete by Sept. 1, 2021.
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Recommendation 7:
That the Ministry of Health work with the health authorities to develop a process to ensure that First Nations, Métis or Inuit children or youth who are either detained under the Mental Health Act or are under 16 and admitted by their parent/legal guardian are offered services by hospital staff who assist Indigenous patients such as navigators, liaison nurses, nurse practitioners and Elders in residence. Process to be developed and operational by Jan. 1, 2022.
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Recommendation 2:
That the Ministry of Health require health authorities to collect and report key information pertaining to children and youth admitted under the Mental Health Act in a way that is standardized across the province and reported regularly, including but not limited to:
- identity factors (ethnicity, gender identity);
- Indigeneity – First Nations, Métis and Inuit identity;
- standardized length of stay data across all hospital settings; admissions of children on a voluntary basis at the request of their parents;
- requests for, and outcomes of, second medical opinions;
- detailed seclusion and restraint data; data related to extended leave;
- outcomes related to quality of care, effectiveness and patient satisfaction.
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