News Release Archive
COMMUNITY SERVICES--SECURE TREATMENT PLAN FOR NOVA SCOTIA ----------------------------------------------------------------- The province's treatment system for children with behavioural and emotional problems will become much more family and community oriented, Community Services Minister John MacEachern announced today. The range of out-of-home placements will be increased over the next couple of years, with a greater focus on early support for families, more specialized foster care, and regional placement options that will allow children to maintain contacts with their families and communities. Recommendations for the changes were included in a report, completed earlier this year and entitled Too Good to Lose that reviewed placement resources across the province. "The focus on early, community based response to children was a keynote of that report which involved hundreds of people who work in or have been affected by the system. Mr. MacEachern said, "It also makes a great deal of sense, that any treatment will be more effective if we begin earlier, before children are seriously damaged, and if the treatment involves their family and community -- the people they trust and are most comfortable with." "While most children can benefit from a foster care or group home placement, a few Nova Scotian youths require treatment that is more intrusive and costly, because of the severity of their problems, or because they would endanger themselves or others. Therefore, we will be using the building in Truro that now houses the Nova Scotia Residential Centre as a secure treatment centre for the most seriously affected children. The establishment of this facility will make Nova Scotia only the third province that has secure treatment for youth," the minister said. The need for secure treatment has been flagged by child welfare experts and Family Court judges. Secure treatment is used only after other less intrusive measures have failed, and with children who could endanger themselves or others. "Young people would remain in the secure setting for short periods of time, until their behaviour could be managed in an open setting such as a group home. The Department of Community Services is working closely with the Departments of Health, Justice, and Education as well as child welfare agencies, to design an effective treatment model for these most vulnerable of our young people -- and protect them and the community," Mr. MacEachern said. The Residential Centre, which currently operates at a cost of $3.5 million with a staff of 55, will close in June, and the children living there will be moved to more appropriate placements closer to their home communities. Tenders will be called in May for renovations to modify the building for its role as specialized secure treatment for young people who now are either sent out of province, or who are unable to receive the most appropriate treatment. The new centre will accommodate approximately 15 young people. Currently, nine children are in placements outside of Nova Scotia, at an annual cost of approximately $1 million. The new secure treatment centre will be ready by early next year. Some of the employees of the Residential Centre will qualify for placement in positions in the new centre. The operating budget would be approximately $3.5 million. -30- Contact: Department of Community Services 902-424-4326 trp Feb. 27, 1997 - 2:05 p.m.