A new, three-year pilot project is providing FASD assessments and diagnoses to young adults aged 18 to 25 who have come in contact with the law.
This project hopes to provide better access to programs and supports for those who have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).
Provincial court Judge Mary Kate Harvie was involved in creating the program.
“People with FASD struggle to understand the consequences of their behaviour, and they often end up involved with the justice system,” says Judge Harvie. “Assessment and diagnosis is the first step in helping to connect those with FASD with the additional supports they need.”
This program is modelled after a similar project for youth ages 12-17 that was run by the Provincial Court of Manitoba, as well as the Manitoba FASD Centre, the Manitoba Adolescent Treatment Centre, and Manitoba Justice back in 2004.
Since that time, 1,400 referrals have been made.
"This pilot addresses a gap in our approach to FASD as it stands today and ongoing evaluation of the project will help guide our next steps,” says Justice Minister Cliff Cullen.
Manitoba is working on finding new ways to reduce the number of repeat offenders by addressing the root causes of crime among individuals with FASD.
Once an offender is diagnosed with FASD, they will then appear before a specialized FASD court, which has been available in Manitoba since 2019. This court will also connect the individual with supports.
This project is receiving more than $330,000 in provincial funding, as well as more than $375,000 for in-kind support for staffing, training, and other provisions.
A team of multidisciplinary experts who work at the Rehabilitation Centre for Children will be responsible for the diagnosis and assessments.
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