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Bridges Treatment Program at
Howard House
34th Canadian Congress on Criminal Justice
October 2013
About Bridges
 Opened in 2004 in a pre-existing open custody facility
 Residential treatment facility
 8 beds treatment, 4 beds respite / emergency care
 Adolescent males sentenced under the YCJA
 Reduce re-offending & integrate youth into
communities across Alberta
 90 day minimum program commitment, length of stay
based on clinical indicators and legal status
 10 week continuous intake curriculum
 Essential link between custody and full community
outpatient treatment
Target Population
 Young male offenders serving open custody or
community based sentences
 Mental health and / or addictions issues
 Ages 14 to 19 years (can be older with IRCS)
 Typical resident
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High severity convictions
History of non-compliance with community sentences
Early onset of substance abuse
Issues with emotion management
Eligibility Requirements
 Demonstrate need for treatment
 Demonstrate readiness for treatment
 Contemplative or higher on Stages of Change Model
 Issues with substance abuse and / or mental health
 Period of detoxification from substances required
 Meet community safety criteria
 Consideration of offence background
 Stable and compliant while at EYOC / CYOC
 Complete interview
 Consent to program expectations
Referral and Admission Process
 Primarily from young offender centers, probation and
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court recommendations
Interview youth upon receiving completed referral
forms and collateral reports
Ensure understanding of treatment expectations and
commitments
Treatment team consults to determine admission
Referrals can be made to:
Bridges Treatment Program
Phone (780) 420 – 1497
Fax (780) 426 – 0403
Partnership for Service Delivery
 Alberta Justice and Solicitor General
 Alberta Education, Edmonton Public Schools
 Teacher, Education Assistant
 Alberta Health Services – Addiction and Mental
Health
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Addictions Counselor, Mental Health Counselor,
Psychiatrist
 Edmonton John Howard Society
 Group Home Director, Program Coordinator,
Recreation / Leisure Programmer, Case Workers,
Youth Workers
Treatment Goals
 To increase protective factors and promote resiliency
 To decrease risk factors related to addictions, mental
health, and criminal behavior
 To promote quality of life and healthy level of
functioning in major life areas
 To facilitate transition into the community
 To provide alternative choices and healthy activities
Therapeutic Milieu
 Staff must
 Provide high “unconditional positive regard” and discipline
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Role model and teach pro-social skills
Ensure physical and psychological safety
Create environment for growth
NOT YELL!!
 Youth must
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Be held accountable for behavior
Be treated with respect and empathy
Be provided opportunities and encouraged to succeed
Feel empowered
Approach to Facilitating Change
 Goal Setting
Goals established in collaboration between youth and
treatment team
Holistic
 Therapy is 24 hours per day with learning in groups
practiced in daily living
Reduction in Risk Factors
 e.g. Substance use, antisocial behaviors, exposure to
violence
Increase in Protective Factors
 e.g. Success in school, healthy leisure interests, community
supports and transition
Collaboration with collateral sources
 e.g. Parents, custodial institutions, Young Offender Branch /
Probation, Alberta Children and Youth Services, police
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Therapeutic Programming
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Group & individual counseling
Addictions specific treatment
Criminal offense specific treatment
Mental health specific treatment
Education/ vocational training
Life skills training
Social skills training
Recreational and leisure programming
Relapse prevention planning
Transition planning
Therapeutic Curriculum
 Group curriculum designed for 10 week cycle with
continuous intake
 Awareness development
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Drug education, high risk situations, coping mechanisms,
crime cycles
 Skill development
 Emotion management, assertiveness, setting boundaries,
problem solving, healthy communication, healthy
relationships, refusal skills, conflict resolution, leisure and
recreation, etc
 Transition to aftercare services
 Addictions and mental health services in home communities,
respite care
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
(CBT)
 Evidence based model for successful offender
rehabilitation
Compatible with other treatment modalities
Behavioral Modification, Motivational Interviewing, Risk Need
Responsivity
Interaction of thoughts and feelings and how this
affects behavior:
 Our perceptions are constructs of our thoughts and feelings
 External events do not cause behavior – our thoughts and
feelings do. CHOICE!
 Gradual shift from external to internal controls
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE with homework
assignments and in groups
Economics
 Estimated annual cost of detaining a youth in a custodial
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institution $100,000
Average annual cost of a youth attending The Bridges
Treatment Program at Howard House $25,000
All programming in line with current best practices
Anecdotal findings from youth, professionals, and parents
show success
Demographic and assessment data collected over past 9
years shows improvements via pre-post tests
Working to secure finances to hire an independent body
for research at the 10 year mark
Challenges & Successes
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Community safety
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Working with increasingly violent offences
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Collaboration with police and custodial institutions,
understanding everyone`s role and that we`re all on the
same side
Zero staff assaults and minimal physical aggression
amongst youth since 2004, service provision to 3
IRCS cases
Special needs offenders (FASD diagnosis, ESL
needs, immigrant experiences)
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Utilization of existing community agency resources
and consulting professionals with specializations
Challenges & Successes
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Managing temptations for substances in a
community setting
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Length of time in treatment
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Healthy milieu encourages resident transparency and
responsibility
Addressing complex issues of addictions and mental
health in a holistic manner, youth do voluntarily stay
past legal mandates, utilizing resources pre and post
Bridges
Budgetary cuts across ministries
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Staying ahead of curve, ongoing review of core
curriculum, adaptive programming components based
on fiscal realities
Discussion
Suggestions,
Comments,
Q & A,
Networking