ADDRESSING HIGH-RISK RUNAWAY YOUTH: ISSUES IN COLLABORATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND RISK-MANAGEMENT by Tammy Lorraine Percival H.B.S.W. , Lakehead University, 1996 PRACTICUM REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA April2013 © Tammy Lorraine Percival, 2013 UNIVERSITY of NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA UBRARY Prince George, B.C. Abstract Over the last two decades, we as a society have built an array of youth-focused treatment interventions and community-based services geared toward homeless and runaway youth that is far more advanced than ever before. The dynamic nature of social, health, and justice services carries increased fiscal and social responsibility in society. A review of extant literature on high-risk missing and runaway youth highlights a plethora of information on youth homelessness, sexual exploitation, and missing persons. However, a paucity of research on collaborative and coordinated community responses to high-risk missing and runaway youth, as well as complexities in defining the terms "missing" and "runaway" illustrates the need for more directed research. Based on findings drawn from research papers, reports, and websites that were predominantly found under the categories of youth homelessness and runaways, this paper: highlights the challenges of finding scholarly papers that systematically and consistently define missing and runaway youth; describes the current response, in both practice and policy, of the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) and the Victoria Police Department (VicPD) of British Columbia (BC); and discusses opportunities to implement a more collaborative response to integrated case management. Keywords: collaborative response; high-risk youth; missing and runaway youth; at- risk youth ii Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. v Chapter One: Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 Definition of Terms .......................................................................................................................... 5 Youth and child ............... .... ................ ... .. ..... ........ ... ... ... .... ..... ..... .......... ........ ..... .... .... .. .. ..... ........ .. 5 At-risk and high-risk youth ... .. ... .... ... ... .. ..... .......... ... ................................................................ ...... 5 Ministry of Children and Family Development ............................................................................ 6 Ministry mission .. .. ........ ..... ... ... .. .. .. ... ..... ...... ....... .. .... .. ... ....... ... ..... .... ......... ...... .. .... .... ..... .. ... ... ...... 6 Current practice and policy .... .................. ... .. ... ......... .... .... ... ... ...... ........ ............. ........................ .... 6 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... lO Victoria Police Department ........................................................................................................... 11 Agency mission ............................................... ...... ... .. ... .. .... .. .. .. .. ... .... .. ... ...... .. ...... .......... ... .. .... .... 11 Service area .... ... ..... .. ... ... ....... .. .... .... .... ..... ............. ... .... .. ........... ..... ......... .... .. .. ..... ...... ...... .. .. ........ 11 Current practice and policy ...... .. .... ... .. .. ... .. ........... .............................. ..... .. ... ....... .. .. .... ........... ... .. 12 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................. 20 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 20 Background ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Missing and runaway youth ......................... .............. .. ........ ...................... ..... ................ .. ..... ...... 20 Issues in defming ... .................... ...... .. .. ... .......................................... ..... .. .. .. ... ... ................ .......... 21 Statistics .... ............. ...... .............. ..... .. ... ......... .. ............. ...... ....... ......... .. ......................... ......... .... .. 24 Secure Care ..................................................................................................................................... 28 How it arose .......... .. .. ...... ............ ... .................. ..... .. ... .. ..... .......... ...... ......... .... ............................. 28 Provisions of the Secure Care Act ........................... ... ........ ... ..... ...... ... ........ ................................ 31 Demise of the Secure Care Act ...................................... ... .. .. ...... ..... .... .. ... .... .. ........................... .. 32 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter Three: Practicum Objectives and Learning Methods ........................................ 35 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 35 Summary of Practicum Objectives and Learning Methods ....................................................... 35 Readings .... .. ............... ...... ... .. ........ .. .. .. .. ..... .... .. .... ................ ... ........ .. .... .... ............ ..... .................. 38 Meetings and observation ..... ... ... ... ... .......... ... ... .. ... ....... ...... ......... .................... .. ....... .. ...... ..... ...... 38 Available resources .... .. ... ..... .. ... .... ... ...... ..... ... .... ... .. ............ .. .... .......... ... ... ...... ........... .... .... .......... 40 Documentation ........................................................................................... ... ... ..... ......... .. .. ........ .. 43 Challenges Faced in Practicum ..................................................................................................... 43 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 44 Chapter 4: Discussion ........................................................................................................... 45 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 45 VicPD's Mission Statement and Goals ......................................................................................... 45 Community Collaboration ............................................................................................................. 46 Considerations for an Effective Response Strategy .................................................................... 49 Regional Domestic Violence Unit ....... ... ..... .... ... ... ................................ .... .... ......... ... ..... ..... ... ..... 49 Youth Car Initiative ............ ... ... ... .... ....... .. ........ ..... .... .. .. .... .......... ... .................................... .. ... .... 50 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 51 iii Chapter 5: Conclusions and Recommendations ................................................................ 52 Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 52 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 52 Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 54 Regional Youth Response Team ........ ... ........................ .. .. ... ....................................................... 54 Safe care options ...... .. .... ... .... ... ......... ............. ... ................ ... ... ... ... ............ .. ......... ............... .... ..... 56 Standardized risk assessment tools ............ ...... ..... ........... .................. .. ... ... ................................ .. 58 Summary ......................................................................................................................................... 60 References .............................................................................................................................. 62 iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to my educational supervisor, Joanna Pierce, for her continued patience, guidance