Integrated Youth Services

Integrated Youth Services

Integrated Youth Services is comprised of a number of programs:

Youth and Family Development Work

Purpose Society provides the Youth and Family Development Work funded by the Ministry of Children and Family Development for New Westminster.  The Society has delivered youth services in New Westminster since 1988, initially under the Reconnect program, and then since 2004 under the Youth and Family Development program.

This program encompasses four areas of youth work:

  1. Transition to IndependenceYFD Workers provide support to youth on Youth Agreements or other forms of independent living means. They assist them with housing, lifeskills and the development of social/emotional supports, in order to facilitate a healthy and productive transition to independence.
  2. Family Support and ReunificationYFD Workers provide support and guidance to youth and their families. They assist family members in addressing family dynamic challenges that affect the youth/parent relationship, as well as issues relating to mental health, complex behaviors and/or addiction.
  3. Youth JusticeYFD Workers work with youth involved in the youth justice system. This includes:
    • Providing Intensive Supervision and Support (ISSP)
    • Monitoring probationary curfews
    • Overseeing Community Work Service
  4. Sexually Exploited YouthYFD workers engage with youth who are at high risk of becoming sexually or actively involved in sexual exploitation.

 

The majority of youth accessing these services are referred through the Ministry of Children and Family Development. Sexually exploited youth can be directly referred from the community.

North Fraser Youth Outreach Services – Youth Outreach Workers

This is a new initiative funded by MCFD and involving a collaborative partnership between the three youth serving agencies in the North Fraser Region: Purpose Society, St. Leonard’s Society and PLEA. This program began November 1, 2017.

Purpose Society has two Youth Outreach Worker positions under this initiative who are targeted to work with extremely high risk youth who have a history of limited or non-engagement in established youth services. Referrals to this program come through the Ministry of Children and Family Development.