To make a referral to Justice Housing and Support please call Supportive Housing in Peel at 905-795-8742.

Mental Health and Justice Services offer:

Mental Health Diversion
Consultation and Education
Coordination of Forensic Mental Health Services
Short-Term Case Management
Custodial Facility Discharge Planning
Justice Housing and Support

Clients are individuals who have a serious mental illness and who are in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the criminal justice system. Clients must be:

• 16 years of age or older
   
• Resident of or be moving back to Peel Region
   
• Charged with a criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Canada
   
• Diagnosed with and/or exhibiting symptoms of an Axis 1 mental illness (i.e. schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar affective disorder, first episode psychosis, long-term clinical depression)

The program contains a short-term (less than one year) case management component.

Court Support and Justice Services aims to achieve the following outcomes:

• Clients (Judges, Police Officers, Crown Attorneys and Defence Counsel) have immediate access to information about mental illness, mental health, and access to services and support
   
• Clients in the Criminal Justice System institutions get support for their mental illness and mental health issues while incarcerated and have resources, connections and support when they leave
   
• Clients in conflict with or at risk of re-offending, have a chance of not being in the Criminal Justice system or of not re-offending by engaging in a recovery plan

The Case Management portion of this program intends to achieve these outcomes:

• Clients have a life skills coach, in their own environment, who works with them, and where desirable, their family and friends, on achieving their goals and satisfying their needs – housing, income and activities of daily living
   
• Clients have someone to help them navigate social and community services and link with them
   
• In terms of their mental illness, clients have someone who helps them understand and manage their illness, and achieve recovery

Mental Health Diversion – What is it?

• Pre-trial procedure
• Crown counsel decides not to prosecute an accused on a discretionary case-by-case basis
• Instead accused is referred to a person, service or hospital in order to address treatment needs
• Participation is voluntary
• Crown relinquishes its right to prosecute the divertee for the offence
• This right is relinquished regardless of outcome of diversion

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Consultation and Education – What is it?

• Providing referrals as needed to parties within the criminal justice system
• Providing limited support to families and clients, as appropriate, whose matters are not appropriate for diversion
• Providing information on mental illness and community services to the criminal justice system
• Providing education on court processes and procedures to service providers, families, etc.
• Consultation can be done at any stage of court proceedings

Two types of Consultation

Brief: Support to judiciary, families, ill persons, and service providers on a one-time basis

Ongoing: Matters that require consistent support

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Coordination of Forensic Mental Health Services – What is it?

Administrative service offered specifically to the courts, such as:

• Booking forensic beds
• Liaise between court and hospitals
• Partnering with consulting court psychiatrists

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Short-Term Case Management – What is it?

May be offered after assessment by a Court Support Case Manager. Case management services may include:

• Accompanying client to Legal Aid, getting health card or other documents
• Assisting clients to secure social assistance and housing
• Assisting with activities of daily living
• Escorting to medical appointments and rehabilitative programs
• Monitoring and encouraging clients’s compliance with treatment measures
• Developing and negotiating goals with client
• Provide linkage and support to clients who require “hands-on” assistance
• Involvement ends after client is linked to other services or for duration of client’s court matter

To be eligible for Case management, client must meet basic eligibility requirements (min. 16 yr., Peel resident, charged with criminal offence, Axis 1 diagnosis) and require assistance in at least two of the following:

• Basic living skills
• Maintaining a safe environment
• Employment due to limited work skills or employment history

Client must have limited or informal support and require individual support in their home or community. Client must be aware of and consent to case management; must require assistance in accessing/engaging with community supports and have short-term needs or goals that can be achieved in a maximum one-year.

Clients will be excluded if they have a:

• History of unpredictable behavoiur or threats which make home visits unsafe
• Singular diagnosis of substance abuse or will continue to receive support from other case management services within mental health system
• Criminal offence of an objectively serious nature

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Custodial Facility Discharge Planning – What is it?

Provides discharge and community coordination services to persons with a serious mental illness being released from custody at the following institutions:

• Maplehurst Correctional Complex
• Mimico Correctional Centre
• Ontario Correctional Institute
• Vanier Centre for Women
• Catchment area – Province of Ontario

All clients will receive a plan consisting of:

• Community supports in their home community (services and family linkages)
• Housing options
• Medical/psychiatric supports
• Emergency contact information

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Justice Housing and Support – What is it?

Justice housing and support provides a supported living environment for persons with a serious and persistent mental illness, and charged/convicted of a criminal offence within the past year, enabling them to live interdependently in the community in an atmosphere of support, co-operation, understanding, affordability and recovery. Intake is through Supportive Housing in Peel at 905-795-8742.

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