Pempamsie

Brief Description

The Pempamsie program, also known as the Ounce of Prevention (OZ) program, is designed to prevent and ameliorate contact with the criminal justice system for predominantly Black youth and young adults aged 15 to 29 and their families living in the Toronto area. The program is a culturally appropriate wraparound initiative that provided critical supports to Black youth and their families in schools, neighbourhoods, community agencies, as well as youth in detention centres and correctional facilities. Delta Family partners with For Youth Initiative (FYI), Somali Women and Children’s Support Network (SWCSN), Think 2wice, and Urban Rezsolutions (Urban Rez) to deliver the Pempamsie program.

Goals

The main goals of the Pempamsie program are to:

• Reduce recidivism of adjudicated youth;
• Prevent at-risk youth involvement in anti-social activities, and;
• Enhance community relationships between law enforcement officers and at-risk youth.

Clientele

To be eligible for involvement in the program, youth participants had to meet at least one of the following demographic criterions and at least one of the last four situational criterions, or be a family member of a youth meeting eligibility criteria:

• Be between the ages of 15 and 29 years;
• Identify as Black or African-Caribbean;
• Reside in the city of Toronto;
• Be experiencing conflict at home, with school, or with the law;
• Be vulnerable to gang involvement;
• Be involved in the court system; or
• Be institutionalized.

Referrals can come from many sources, including self-referral.

Core Components

There are three main components to the Pempamsie program: Counselling, Family Support, and

Education and Prevention.

Counselling: Youth Justice Workers work with pre-trial youth, who are in the system but not detained, and their families to provide both diversion and reintegration services and help develop and implement program components (e.g., facilitate educational workshops, recreational activities, employment training, mentorship, and deliver anti-violence curriculum). Pre-Release and Reintegration Workers support the healing and reintegration of Black youth in detention facilities using culturally appropriate services and supports.

Family Support: Family counsellors provide counselling in a non-threatening, supportive, client centered manner to youth participants and their families, with a focus on personal and social development, behavioural change, cultural demands and expectations, and reintegration of youth with their families or transitioning to independent living.

Education and Support: An educational component that encompasses both public education and outreach to the broader community as well as targeted educational workshops for those involved in the program. Examples include anger management, parenting support, cultural identity, healthy relationships, life skills, employment, and mentorship. 

Program length depends on the specific needs of the participant, and can span from one session to multiple-year involvement.

Implementation Information

Some of the critical elements for the implementation of this program or initiative include the following:

• Organizational requirements: The lead organization should ensure proper analysis of community needs and knowledge of other existing services, resources and organizations; and be able to manage logistical elements which enable the program to happen, including solid skills in outreach, intake and assessment, case planning, program delivery.
• Partnerships: Delta Family partners with For Youth Initiative (FYI), Somali Women and Children’s Support Network (SWCSN), Think 2wice, and Urban Rezsolutions (Urban Rez) to deliver the Pempamsie program. This partnership includes sharing Pempamsie program staff who worked two days per week in their respective partner organizations.
• Training and technical assistance: Staff need adequate training on anti-Black racism and trauma-informed practice and had access to informal training sessions on program facilitation, content topics, and client engagement techniques.
• Risk assessment tools: Limited information on this topic.
• Materials & resources: Limited information on this topic.

International Endorsements

The most recognized classification systems of evidence-based crime prevention programs have classified this program or initiative as follows:

• Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development: Not applicable.
• Crime Solutions/OJJDP Model Program Guide: Not applicable.
• SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices: Not applicable.
• Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy: Not applicable.

Gathering Canadian Knowledge

Canadian Implementation Sites

The Pempamsie program is implemented by the Delta Family Resource Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

Main Findings from Canadian Outcome Evaluation Studies

As part of Public Safety Canada’s funding, an outcome evaluation study of the Pempamsie program was carried out between 2019 and 2024 by Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (YouthREX). The evaluation methodology included a mixed-methods design, including qualitative (e.g., interviews) and quantitative (e.g., questionnaires) measures.

Results from this evaluation showed the following:

• A total of 447 referrals were made to the program during the evaluation period, including 7 repeat referrals.
• Of the participants surveyed for the evaluation (n = 13), 84.7% indicated that they were satisfied with the program overall and would recommend the program to others.
• The majority of participants surveyed reported being more knowledgeable about resources and supports available (n = 10 of 12, 83.3%), how to make better decisions (n = 11 of 13, 84.6%), positive ways to communicate (n = 10 of 12, 83.3%), considering the risk of a choice before making a decision (n = 9 of 12, 75%), and new skills that will continue to help them after the program (n = 11 of 13, 84.6%).
• Participants also reported improved relationships with friends and family, increased involvement in pro-social behaviours and activities such as education attainment, volunteering, and involvement in youth programs, and a decrease in involvement in antisocial activities.

Cost Information

A cost analysis was conducted on the Pempamsie program. The findings from this study have shown the following:

• The overall program costs of the program (2019-2024) was $4,517,391.12.
• Accounting for 660 total participants served, the overall cost per participant was $6,528.02.
• Costs include but are not limited to administrative costs, salaries, and wages, including partnership staff and support, offices and infrastructure, and culturally appropriate expenditures.

References

Youth Research and Evaluation eXchange (2024). Pempamsie evaluation report [Unpublished report]. Submitted to Public Safety Canada.

For more information on this program, contact:

No contact information available.