| This paper describes the development of a gender-sensitive, staff driven approach to professional development and training in a Vancouver Island custody center. This team based and collaborative approach is grounded in key informant research with youth in custody and their workers and involved the collaborative efforts of twenty-two custody workers, three university based researchers, and thirteen youth in custody. The curriculum that is presented is comprised of two days (14 hours) of training in working across differences, conflict management, the integration of developmental knowledge and an understanding of gender, culture and professionalism into practice. The training was positively evaluated, is still in use beyond the completion of the project, and is the basis for gender sensitive intervention with males and females and for the creation for a separate girls wing in what was until the time of the project a co-educational facility. |
Updated 05/20/2006