The Young Offender Community Intervention Program includes three components, all working to provide support, mentorship, and positive direction to youth who are in conflict with the law. The Choices, Intensive Support & Supervision and PeNRAP Programs are alternative-to-custody sentencing options for young offenders, day programs , and/or re-integration support following a youth's return from custody to the community.

ARC Programs also works in partnership with Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services (MCFD) to provide The Boundaries Program, an Intensive Residential Attendance Program for youth 12-19 years old, convicted of an offence, and their families.

Choices and ISSP Programs:

The Choices and Intensive Support and Supervision Programs are integrated components of ARC Community Intervention and Treatment Services, and assist young offenders to address the criminogenic factors leading to their illegal behaviours and improve their functioning in the community. Support and monitoring is provided to youth in complying with the conditions of their probation order, and the service assists the Youth Probation team in providing supervision to high-risk/needs young offenders in the community.

The program's counselors work directly with the youth and family, following a referral from the youth's probation officer.

Choices counselors work with referred youth and families to develop service plans that are individualized for each youth, focusing on the youth's strengths and interests. The plan will be goal-oriented, and address barriers to improving the youth's life in the community. Youth are supported to get back into school, or into training programs, or to learn how to find employment. The youth may be supported in accessing and realizing the benefits of other community (or ARC) services, as directed by the court or as needs are identified by the youth.

Choices counselors are creative and flexible in working with youth and their families out in the community (not in an office); and develop mentor-relationships with youth that model and encourage positive change in their lives. The counsellors support youth to develop specific skills to address the challenges they face in the community, such as: anger management, problem solving, assertiveness, communication, stress management, conflict resolution, resisting negative peer pressure, etc.

Family support services, including crisis prevention and intervention, are also provided by the Choices counsellors. Parent-teen conflict mediation may be provided, with the objective of teaching new skills and developing an effective ongoing conflict-resolution process in the family environment.

However, youth-accountability to the community for their criminal behavior continues to be a primary focus. The counselor will monitor and work with the youth to address the conditions of the probation order. The factors or issues that led the youth to the criminal behavior are identified, and addressed.

Feedback we've received from youth, about the program and counsellors involved, is that the program is fun. Youth enjoy attending the Choices program. 'Counselling' is provided in alternative settings, doing things the youth enjoy doing. Recreational activities are very important to the mentor-relationship of the Choices counselors and youth; and help to build or restore healthy interests and activities in the youths' lives.

Choices counselors work closely with youth probation officers, social workers, and other services involved with the youth and family; to coordinate service delivery for the youth. The youth may be supported in attending case conferences, and having their views and preferences considered in the process.

Referrals to the program are facilitated by the Youth Probation team.

PeNRAP/ISSP Programs:

PeNRAP and ISSP are community-based attendance programs that provide close supervision to both female and male youth who are on probation, or are subject to the conditions of a diversion agreement. To be in the programs, youth must be between the ages of 12-18 and referred by MCFD Penticton Youth Probation.

There are two counsellors who work collaboratively in both programs, and the programs are based in Penticton.

The main goal of PeNRAP is to help youth develop new skills and engage in various activities rather than committing crime. The program will also help youth to complete their probation order.

PeNRAP includes things like group work, recreational activities, volunteer work, life-skills activities and one-to-one meetings with program staff. PeNRAP can also assist youth in connecting with educational and/or other resources in the community like educational programs, counselling services, drug and alcohol counselling, support services and employment services.

PeNRAP will help youth take responsibility for their life and actions. Youth will establish goals and strategies to achieve this, while building self-esteem and a positive healthy lifestyle.

By making challenging goals and developing strategies to reach those goals, youth develop better problem-solving and coping skills.

Increased involvement with, and access to, recreational resources help youth make better use of their leisure time.

Developing and enhancing job skills through the classroom setting, as well as with hands-on experience, increases chances of employment, increases self-esteem and teaches valuable work ethic.

Encouraging and supporting youth in their pursuit of educational opportunities instills a respect for education, a sense of accomplishment and a desire for continued learning.

For those youth who complete PeNRAP successfully, it is hoped there will be a reduction in criminal or negative behavior, an increase in practical job skills, an increased participation in education a greater knowledge of, and participation in, community-based recreational activities and an increased stability in the youth's living environment.

Also working in collaboration with the PeNRAP Program is the Ellis St. School, which is operated by the local School District, on-site within the ARC Penticton facility, serving youth involved with PeNRAP or other young offender services in the community. The Ellis St.School is a part-time small-group program, with computer-based curriculum to support individualized educational programs for youth that have not been successful in regular school programs. The Ellis St. School has been developed in collaboration between ARC Programs, the local School District and MCFD Youth Probation. The School District provides the teacher and educational programming, and ARC Programs provides a part-time youth support counsellor to assist youth to be successful in the program.

Boundaries Program:

The Boundaries Program works in collaboration with Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services and Youth Probation to support Youth Offence Treatment Program for each youth under court order.

The supported treatment foster care model includes four single-bed homes {two in Kelowna and two in Kamloops}. All the residential homes are located in close proximity to the Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services Clinics in the two communities.

The Boundaries Program has two full time Youth Justice Counsellors {one in Kelowna and one in Kamloops}, to provide intensive hands on support for the youth in the program.

There is only ONE youth placed in each therapeutic home.

Services provided through Boundaries are: