It costs a lot of money to provide treatment in a residential facility for children facing mental health issues. For a typical 6 - 8 month stay, costs can range from $20,000 to $38,400. But Social Work professors at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) found that after spending these resources, it still doesn't seem to provide enough support to help kids transition from the treatment program back to their normal lives.

"A Community Fit for Children Interim Update: Results of the 2010 Early Development Instrument and Kindergarten Parent Survey for Waterloo Region" was shared with members of the Alliance for Children and Youth at its most recent meeting.

At a recent presentation to new members of the Waterloo Region Crime Prevention Council, its Executive Director Christiane Sadeler displayed a slide with the following quote from Eric Young who is considered "a driving force for social innovation".

The Interrupters, has been getting a LOT of press lately. That's not why I'm writing about it here as the 'Smart Link of the Day'. I'm writing about this film because it showcases the absolutely innovative approach of Chicago's Ceasefire program to curb gun related shootings and killings in that city.

If you are a regular reader of the Smart on Crime blog, you will know that we like to share smart on crime ideas and actions, big and small. Well, this one is BIG! In their own words, here's the big idea and plan of action from the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime.

This is the final blog post in the victims of crime series. This post points you to helpful resources and links for agencies that support victims of crime in Waterloo Region.

The first three posts included:

This is the third in a series of blog posts regarding victims of crime in Canada.  In the second post I mentioned the importance of root causes of crime and building resiliency. This blog looks at the consequences of being a victim of crime and some of the issues they experience. 

This is the second in a series of four blog posts regarding victims of crime in Canada. In the first blog I mentioned that 2% of the population experienced 60% of all violent crimes. When people experience more than one violent crime this is called multiple victimization.

Being a victim of crime affects the victim personally, and the larger community. This is a series of blog posts about victims of crime in Canada. Throughout the series, I draw on several current resources to help us understand victimization, and why preventing victimization is smart on crime. 

Early this week, the U.S. Justice Department launched a new website. Crime Solutions does one simple thing - it tells me what works and what doesn't when it comes to effective programs and initiatives in criminal justice, crime prevention and services for victims of crime.

I love their simple, and visual, rating system. It uses evidence based research to tell me whether or not a program is successful at achieving its goals. Brilliant.