Browsing by Author "Werk, Christine"

Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of young adult corrections involvement
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-05-17) Werk, Christine; Twilley, Leslie; Cui, Xinjie
    Young adults with corrections involvement often have complex needs that would benefit from coordination between service providers. This report used administrative data to profile young Albertans (18 to 25 years old) with adult corrections involvement from 2005/06 to 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics, public service use patterns, and court outcomes. This report found that (1) about 1% of young adults had corrections involvement in a given year (10,302 to 14,864 a year from 2005/06 to 2010/11), (2) young adults with corrections involvement were more likely to not complete high school as well as use social services and income supports than those without corrections involvement, (3) some court outcomes were more common than others, and (4) some court outcomes applied more to individuals with particular sociodemographic characteristics. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support corrections-involved youth.  
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of young Albertans
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-05-17) Werk, Christine; Twilley, Leslie; Cui, Xinjie
    Understanding the sociodemographic characteristics and service use patterns of young Albertans is essential to support them. This report profiled Albertan youth (0 to 25 years old) who used government services in Alberta or were registered in the health care system between 2005/06 and 2010/11. Analyses crossed gender and age groups with sociodemographic and public service use administrative data. This report found that (1) neighbourhood income status increased slightly over the report period, (2) females moved slightly more often than males, (3) a higher percentage of females than males performed at or above educational expectations, (4) school-aged youth moved less often than younger children or older youth, and (5) a higher percentage of older students were below educational expectations than younger students. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to improve outcomes for young Albertans. 
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of young Albertans using mental health services
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-05-17) Werk, Christine; Twilley, Leslie; Cui, Xinjie
    Mental health conditions are common. They pose a significant burden to individuals and economic burden to Canada. This report profiled Albertan youth (0 to 25 years old) who received mental health services from 2005/06 to 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns. This report found that (1) 5% of individuals received a mental health service in a given year (61,249 to 67,853 a year from 2005/06 to 2010/11), (2) mental health service users had lower educational achievement and were more likely to be students with special needs than those not using services, (3) behavioural conditions were the most common disorder among those with mental health service use, followed by anxiety and depression, and (4) those diagnosed with schizophrenia/psychosis were more likely to be high-cost health users and have other life challenges, such as criminal involvement, than others with a mental health condition. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support young Albertans with mental health conditions. 
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of young Albertans with cerebral palsy
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-01-18) O’Brien, Daniel; Werk, Christine; Piatt, Carley; Bhatt, Hitesh; Cui, Xinjie
    Cerebral palsy (CP) results in motor disorders and neurological abnormalities and is the leading cause of lifelong physical disability that begins in childhood. This report profiled 3,970 young Albertans (0 to 25 years old) with CP from 2005/06 to 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns. This report found that young Albertans with CP had less educational achievement, were less likely to have criminal justice involvement, were more likely to use social services, and were more likely to have chronic diseases than those without CP. The report also found that about half of young Albertans with CP received services from each available public disability support program. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support children with CP. 
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of young Albertans with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-01-18) Werk, Christine; Twilley, Leslie; Cui, Xinjie
    Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) experience lifelong neurocognitive, behavioural, and physical challenges. This report profiled 3,025 Albertans (0 to 25 years old) with FASD from 2005/06 to 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns. This report found that persons who were male, living in Northwest/North Central Alberta, and living in the lowest socioeconomic areas were more likely to receive an FASD diagnosis than the rest of the population. The report also found that young Albertans with FASD diagnoses had higher rates of public service and income support use, criminal offending, poorer health outcomes, and less educational achievement than those not diagnosed with FASD. These findings provide evidence that collaborative programming, resourcing and planning may enhance service delivery and improve outcomes for children with FASD in Alberta. 
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of youth and young adults with criminal offences
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-07-17) Werk, Christine; Twilley, Leslie; Cui, Xinjie
    Youth with corrections involvement often have complex needs that would benefit from coordination between service providers. This report used administrative data to profile youth (12 to 25 years old) that had criminal offences between 2005/06 and 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns based on their total number of offences and offence type(s). This report found that (1) around 3% of youth and young adults in Alberta had criminal offences in a given year (22,415 to 25,135 a year from 2005/06 to 2010/11), (2) the proportion of both female offenders and offenders meeting or exceeding educational expectations increased over time, (3) the most common types of offences were administrative and property, followed by violent and other criminal, (4) youth with administrative offences were the least likely of the types of offenders to be meeting or above educational expectations, and (5) drug offenders made up the lowest percentage of total offences and have different sociodemographic characteristics and public service use patterns than other offender types. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that public authorities may consider as they seek to better support young adult offenders. 
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    A profile of youth corrections involvement
    (PolicyWise for Children & Families, 2019-05-17) Werk, Christine; Twilley, Leslie; Cui, Xinjie
    Youth with corrections involvement often have complex needs that would benefit from coordination between service providers. This report looked at young Albertans (12 to 25 years old) that had youth corrections involvement between 2005/06 and 2010/11. Analyses examined these individuals’ sociodemographic characteristics, public service use patterns, and court outcomes. This report found that (1) 1% of youth had corrections involvement in a given year (7,027 to 9,682 a year from 2005/06 to 2010/11), a higher proportion of corrections-involved youth were: male, lived in the lowest socioeconomic status neighbourhoods, moved one or more times, were high cost health users, used social services and were students with special needs than those with no corrections involvement, (2) youth involved with corrections were less likely to achieve academically than those with no corrections involvement, and (3) court outcomes varied by demographic group. These findings provide policy-relevant evidence that service providers may consider as they seek to better support youth with corrections involvement.