a 25 year
Retrospective

Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-Halton. Theory of Change Draft 08302013 1 of 4
Impact Statement
Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-Halton provides trauma-informed and gender responsive resources, supports and programs to reduce the marginalization of women and girls. Through innovation, collaboration and advocacy, we serve women and girls who are at-risk or are in-conflict with the law which reduces involvement with the criminal justice system.
Context
Equality of women and girls requires government and its institutions be held to principles of fundamental justice, the
Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms and UN conventions.
Legislation is gender neutral but its application can be disproportionate in consideration of gender-specific needs for females in prevention, intervention and treatment.
There are proportionately fewer women and girls than men in criminal justice, homeless and substance using populations
Responses to these women cannot benefit from economies of scale in the same way as services to men
Women and girls are disproportionately invisible in their need for service
– their small numbers are subsumed into service models designed for men
Governments routinely prioritize cost benefit considerations over charter rights to equal access.
Systemic advocacy and genderspecific services are required to enable women and girls to benefit from the rights and entitlements of all citizens and remove barriers to access

Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-Halton. Theory of Change Draft 09052013 2 of 4
Strategies
Prevention
•Gender specific programs and services that reduce the likelihood of at-risk women and girls coming into conflict with the law and address marginalization, pathways and criminogenic needs, which are trauma informed.
Protective
Factors and Risk
Mitigation
Outcomes
•Clients acquire and apply skills and knowledge and build protective factors aligned with their individual goals and capacity
•Basic needs are met, ensuring the physical and emotional well-being of residents.
•Risks are mitigated
Support
•Gender-specific programs and services that teach coping strategies, life and social skills and provide supportive housing to promote client self awareness and self monitoring through educational therapeutic counseling. Pro-Social
Values and
Life Skills
•Clients develop the pro-social attitudes, values, social and life skills that will increase their ability to cope, self-manage, problem solve and resolve conflict.
Reintegration
•Structured support and discharge plans to empower women and increase resiliency and self efficacy, support reintegration and develop pro-social skills to reintegrate successfully within the community.
Advocacy •Mentoring and collaboration with others to build a gender specific community of practice.
Equal
Access and
Safety
•Needs of women and girls for safety and for gender-specific and trauma informed services are met
•Supported access to mental health, childcare, housing and culturally appropriate community supports for women and girls
•Improved community capacity and acceptance for effective alternatives to incarceration .
Long Term Outcomes
Reduced risk of marginalized women coming into (or remaining in) conflict with the law.
Safer, inclusive and accepting community for at-risk women and girls.
Reduced recidivism and safer communities for all citizens.
Clients achieve stability, inclusion and success in the community.
Women in or at risk of conflict with the law benefit from the rights and entitlements of all citizens.

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Marjorie Amos Residence is an open detention/custody facility located in the Peel community of
Southern Ontario
Providing services to young women in conflict with the law between the ages of 12-18 years of age
Young women are sentenced or remanded to the residence by the
Courts
Point of Entry- placement for all females in Central Region remanded in detention.
Marjorie Amos Residence has been providing residential and reintegrative services to young women for 25+ years

We believe it is necessary to provide a holistic and healthy environment for young female persons. The residence provides a therapeutic setting, which enables young women to develop the self-efficacy and life skills needed to address the issues which have brought them into conflict with the law, and to begin positive integration into the community.

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A home environment where young women can explore life patterns, learn new skills and develop positive attitudes with respect to themselves and others in their community.
Provides the framework for young women to develop selfconfidence, self-esteem and the interpersonal skills necessary for a balanced and successful life.
Includes the provision of food (open kitchen), shelter, educational upgrading, supervision and guidance, as well as, the promotion of physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Marjorie Amos is a level free system that is individualized, and based on the unique and diverse needs of each young woman.
The program seeks to build resiliency (positive adaptation in the face of adversity) in young women by strengthening protective factors and mitigating risk factors.

Education
 Section 23 program is offered within the residence, which is based on independent learning- youth work at their own pace to acquire credits and certificates
 Section 23 teacher is provided by the Peel
Board of Education
Therapy
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Qualified family therapist from Family
Guidance International-Shepell works with the youth and their families during their stay at the residence.
Mental health supports through collaboration.
Health
 Dedicated house Doctor
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Health nurse available
Dedicated Recreation Worker
In-House Programming
 Numerous gender responsive programs available.
Family
 Connections to families, children and supports.

Our Vision
To provide a holistic approach towards meeting the reintegration and outreach needs of girls.
We work side by side with the youth as they respond to their life challenges. Through strong mentorship and support, we encourage safe and healthy decision making, nurture independence and life skills development, connect with community resources, advocate and work with families.

Our Individualized Plan
Provides:
•Assistance with housing
•Mentorship/Counselling
•Employment
•Education/School Advocacy
•Pregnancy/Health Support
•Parenting/Positive Role
Modeling
•Budgeting
•Safety Planning
•Living Independently
•Building Self Esteem
•Navigating systems (community resources, Ontario Works)
•Building healthy relationships
•Improving Decision Making
•Family and Relationship Support
•And More….

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Support,
Advocacy
& Guidance
Community
Connection
Holistic
Approach
Success!!

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The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-
Halton operates 2 Female Attendance
Centres. One centre is located in
Brampton and the other is located in
Oakville/Milton and is a shared site with the John Howard Society, who provides services to male clients on alternate days. Male and female client populations are not present on the same days.
The Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-
Halton’s Female Attendance Centres are the only gender-specific
Attendance Centres in the Province of
Ontario.

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A non-residential community alternative for young persons in conflict with the law.
Girls participate in structured programming that addresses their identified risk/need .
An interactive, safe and non-stigmatizing environment for female youth, where they can effectively interact not only with staff, but with other youth.
Providing a comprehensive set of cognitive and evidence based behavioural programs and individualized support services to female youth.
Support and direction to develop pro-social attitudes, values, and social skills that will increase their ability to cope, self-manage, problem solve, and resolve conflict. over 40 gender responsive programs, addressing the criminogenic factors and needs of young women.

 Empowering Against
Exploitation
 Building Resiliency in
Girls
 Girls In The Know
 Youth Now
 Court Support Services for Youth

Treatment needs of girls differ from those of boys.
Programming must reflect an understanding of the realities of girls’ lives and be responsive to their needs and strengths (Covington, 2001). The service environment must be conducive to processes of therapeutic change, and be founded upon an understanding of girls’ psychological and social development, and trauma treatment.

Girls Pathways into the Justice System:
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Childhood sexual abuse
Domestic Violence
Conflicted family relationships
Family substance abuse
School failure
Poverty
Early teen pregnancy
(A report by the American Bar and National Bar Associations,
Justice by Gender: The Lack of Appropriate Prevention,
Diversion, and Treatment for Girls in the Justice System)

Gender-responsive services for girls include the following essential components:
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A theoretical perspective that incorporates girls’ pathways into the youth justice system;
Safe, supportive, and nurturing female-centred environment that encourages trust, bonding, and connection;
Programmatic approaches based on theories that fit the physiological, psychological, and social needs of girls;
A strength or asset based approach to treatment and skill building;
Staff that reflect the client population in terms of gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, the needed competencies to foster gender-sensitive environments;
Utilization of gender-responsive assessment tools and individualized treatment plans that match appropriate treatment with the identified needs/assets of each client;
Positive, gender-responsive workplace;
Therapeutic modalities and approaches (based upon relational theories) that address issues such as healing from physical, sexual and emotional abuse, family relationships, substance abuse, eating disorders, co-occurring disorders, assertiveness skills, and learning how to structure leisure time;
Opportunities to develop skills in a range of educational and vocational areas;
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Female role models and mentors that reflect the racial/ethnic backgrounds of clients;
An emphasis on activities that focus on empowerment, self-respect, and self-efficacy;
Education and counselling related to health (pregnancy, nutrition, stress management,
HIV/AIDS, STDs), mental health (PTSD, depression);
Emphasis on parenting education, child development.
(Based upon Bloom and Covington, 1998)

SAFE ENVIRONMENT
• Physical Safety
• Emotional Safety
• Surroundings that value females
• Single-gender programming – in small groups, free from attention of adolescent males
HOLISTIC PROGRAMMING
Works with girl in her environment:
• Individually
• Families
• Schools
• Community
• Other systems (courts, CAS, etc.)
RELATIONSHIP-BASED
• Understands girls’ need for relationships & connection
• Builds relationships
• Provides positive female role models
& mentors
• A focus on healthy relationships
• Establishes supports & networks
STRENGTH-BASED EDUCATION &
SKILLS
• Teach new skills based on strengths
• Provide equitable academic & vocational experiences
• Give girls control & voice in program
• Support leadership skill development
• Media literacy
HEALTH-BASED
Addresses unique needs of females:
• Physical Health- including recreational activities
• Sexual Health- including pregnancy
& parenting
• Emotional & Mental Health
• History of Substance Abuse
• Spiritual Health
OTHER CRITICAL AREAS:
• Address trauma & victimization
• Culturally Competent and promote cultural connections
• Addresses economic survival of girls as critical need- housing and employment needs
• Comprehensive, integrated & sustained over time

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The SDM™ is a gender-specific Risk/Need/Strength
Assessment tool developed in collaboration with the
National Council on crime and Delinquency,
Children’s Research Center and licensed to the
Elizabeth Fry Society of Peel-Halton.
The SDM™ is used to evaluate the presenting strengths and problems of each girl and her family and to systematically identify critical problems in order to plan effective interventions.
Previous experience shows that the SDM™ system can be effective at identifying girls by risk levels; targeting resources in accordance with the girl’s risk and need levels; and enabling administrators to monitor and revise practices, procedures, and programmatic approaches to ensure increased levels of community safety and efficient use of community resources.
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The SDM™ was adapted to cross both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. (Guidebook for
Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare System coordination and
Integration, 2008.)

Trauma-informed services:
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Take the trauma into account.
Avoid triggering trauma reactions and/or traumatizing the individual.
Adjust the behavior of counselors, other staff and the organization to support the individual’s coping capacity.
 Allow survivors to manage their trauma symptoms successfully so that they are able to access, retain and benefit from the services.
(Harris & Fallot)

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Environment based on safety, respect, and dignity;
Policies, practices and programs that are relational and promote healthy connections to children, family, significant others, and the community;
Improve young women’s economic/social conditions by developing their capacity to be self-sufficient;
Address the risks and needs of young women through comprehensive, integrated, and culturally relevant services that are grounded in theory and evidence-based practices (research) that are multi-disciplinary;
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Community supervision and reintegration with comprehensive, collaborative services.
Strong relationships between youth and staff are associated with better treatment outcomes (Horvath &
Symonds, 1991; Stiles et al., 1998). The gender-responsive literature emphasizes that a focus on relationships is especially important for girls.
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Healthy and supportive relationships among female youth in justice settings are best accomplished by single-gender programming. This helps to minimize competition among the girls for attention from male peers and enables an environment that is more amenable to personal disclosures and building of trust.
Program should be sensitive to the needs of female youth to process and/or have private time to cope with emotionally distressing events, such as court appearances, family visits, and phone calls.
Program policy and practices that facilitate the maintenance of important relationships.
Match girls with staff who can effectively respond to their needs and personalities.
Provide a mix of individual and group activities and programs.
Provide opportunities for girls to be connected with mentors.
Engage female staff members who are aware of their impact as a role model for girls, in terms of what it means to be a female, how to develop and live in healthy relationships.
Address relational aggression among girls within the program through policy and programming.
( Female Responsive Programming: A Report to Youth Justice Services- Dr. Jill Rettinger 2010)

GUIDELINE 1 : ORGANIZATIONAL POLICIES AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK
 Create a culture where gender issues are integrated into the organizational structure.
GUIDELINE 2 : PROGRAM/FACILITY ENVIRONMENT
 Create an environment that is physically safe; emotionally safe; and values being female.
GUIDELINE 3 : PROGRAM DESIGN, PLANNING AND DELIVERY
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Program models and service delivery must be holistic and have a gender-responsive program design
Use evidence-based intervention and appropriate assessment and intake
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Provide a sense of control and plan services from intake through to the reintegration
Quality assurance and feedback.
GUIDELINE 4 : MONITORING AND EVALUATION
 Ongoing data collection- relevant individual and organizational outcome measurement.
GUIDELINE 5 : PROGRAM AREAS OF FOCUS
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Provide family counselling and intervention services
Academic, vocational, social and life skills programming
Address anti-social attitudes, self-respect and pro-social leisure time.
GUIDELINE 6: ADDRESS HEALTH AND PSYCHOLOGICAL and EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING
 Programs must address: physical and sexual health needs and issues; victimization and trauma; emotional and mental health issues; substance abuse; nutritional needs of girl; spiritual health and celebrations
( Female Responsive Programming: A Report to Youth Justice Services- Dr. Jill Rettinger 2010)

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Gender responsive programs and services
Continuity of care
Lower numbers of girls means more in-depth and individualized care
Relationship and rapport building
Feedback from client informs practice
Strengthening of protective factors and mitigating risk factors
Program mobility
Increased access to services- especially mental health, childcare, housing and culturally appropriate supports
‘Hand holding ‘and advocacy
Appropriate female role models and mentors
Trauma-informed
Increased self-esteem and resiliency
Guidance and problem solving
Providing learning opportunities
Individualized support necessary to assist in developing self-efficacy needed to be self-reliant
Collaboration within institutions and community
Giving girls a voice!!

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Executive Director
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Manager of Youth Residential and Reintegration Services
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Director of Youth Services and Program Development