Youth violence programs struggle with lack of funding

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The program has a successful history of generating “a huge reduction in the number of kids that become involved with antisocial behaviour. They don’t become involved with gangs, they don’t become involved with criminal behaviour,” said McBride.

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In 2011, the Public Health Agency of Canada declared SNAP a Canadian violence prevention best practice and in 2012 the program’s creator, Dr. Leena Augimeri, received an award from the Prime Minister for social innovation in the children’s mental health field.

McBride believes these types of programs are especially important in Prince Albert. “We are in a unique situation, we have a federal penitentiary, we have a women’s jail, we have a men’s institution, we have youth facilities and we’ve got group homes. One way or another you are somehow associated with the criminal justice system in this community, you either work for it, you know someone that’s living in one of those institutions, or you know someone that’s coming out,” she said.

Despite the successful history of SNAP and the need for programs like it in Prince Albert, the National Crime Prevention Centre discontinued funding for SNAP last December. It ran until the end of last school year and would have started up again already, said McBride, if not for the withdrawal of federal funding.

The PAMWA is currently in talks with Saskatchewan’s Minister of Social Services June Draude to obtain financial support from the province. “I’m very hopeful that this government will assist PAMWA to keep this program operating in our community. With help and practice children and parents are able to learn how to stop, calm down, and generate positive solutions,” said McBride.

The PA Outreach Program is another initiative designed to prevent kids from heading down a violent path. Features of the program include an activity centre open Monday to Friday, workshops on anger management and communication skills, lessons on how to spend leisure time in a positive way, and the youth alliance against gang violence program.

Like SNAP, its funding has been cut by the federal government. There used to be five counsellors on staff with each one handling a caseload of between 20-30 kids. Now it’s down to two counsellors, which has resulted in far less time spent one-on-one.

The program is doing the best it can despite the decrease in funding, “We’re still running those programs so that we can have the kids make positive decisions instead of negative decisions with violence and guns and knives,” said PA Outreach Program executive director Peggy Rubin.

“The kids are still here, they’re not going to disappear, and the violence is still here, so we just try to do the best we can,” she said.

sleslie@panow.com

On Twitter: @_seanleslie