Bulletin: Bringing People, Programs Together to Serve Children, Youth

Schools Plus and Wrap-Around Services

In each Schools Plus pilot, a team of professionals will develop individual program plans for at-risk children and youth. Family members and community agencies are also involved. Services could include speech language pathology, mental health, parent and family support, child care, and crisis intervention.

If students change schools, the individual program plans go with them to provide continuity and stability. Each pilot is also located within a family of schools to create linkages as children move from elementary, to junior high and high school.

A program delivery co-ordinator, team facilitator, and other staff (as necessary) will be hired. The project is also expected to strengthen the links with communities by making schools available in the evening, on weekends and during the summer.

Building on this approach, a pilot project on Wrap-Around Services to meet the needs of the most challenging children and youth has been developed. These children and youth require intensive and comprehensive support to get back on track because they have already run into trouble.

A team of key specialists -- such as representatives from child welfare, mental health, school board staff, and police -- meet regularly on youth identified by or referred to them. Detailed case management plans are designed around the changing needs of youth and families over time and amid changing circumstances.

Each agency represented at the table commits that the necessary resources will be available to fulfill the needs in each case plan without delay.

Government will invest $670,000 in the Schools Plus program which will include schools in Amherst, North Dartmouth, East Dartmouth and Lunenburg County.

Government will invest $200,000 in the Wrap-Around Services with sites in Pictou, Colchester and Yarmouth Counties; Halifax Regional Municipality.

More information on these programs is available on pages 36 and 37 of the Child and Youth Strategy: Our Kids Are Worth It. The complete document is available online at www.gov.ns.ca