Syl Apps Youth and Secure Treatment Centre

Syl Apps Youth and Secure Treatment Centre (SAYC) is the only facility for adolescents in Canada comprised of the three secure programs: Detention, Custody and Treatment. The centre was accredited as a Children’s Mental Health Centre in 2003.

Secure Treatment Syl Apps has two ten bed, co-ed units for a maximum of 20 Secure Treatment beds. The Secure Treatment Program is a provincial resource and is mandated by the Child and Family Services Act. Youth are admitted through the Family Courts from all regions of the province. Youth who are in the Secure Treatment Program at SAYC may or may not be Young Offenders. All Secure Treatment residents do, however, have a diagnosed mental disorder and as a result have caused or attempted to cause serious bodily harm to themselves or someone else. The Secure Treatment Program is designated as a hospital to maintain clients under the Ontario Review Board - clients who have committed an offence but are not criminally responsible for their actions and/or are unfit to stand trial.

Detention & Custody: Syl Apps currently has 54 beds in the Youth Justice Program for secure custody and detention. There are two units, one 10 bed and one 12 bed designated for male youth and two 11 bed units designated for female youth.
Admission to the Youth Justice Program comes primarily from youth courts in the region of Halton, Peel and Dufferin.
Youth are also regularly admitted from youth courts in Toronto and Simcoe County. The Youth Justice Program functions as a provincial resource for the placement of high risk youth who require clinical support and programming other facilities are not able to provide.

Detention youth are held while their case is still before the court. This creates a great deal of anxiety for these youth who have little idea of how long they will remain at SAYC or what their future entails. Chaotic and uncertain circumstances in their histories together with the present situation discourage any real engagement from these youth. It is the responsibility of SAYC to provide treatment and services that endeavor to connect this youth group.

Custody youth are serving the sentences that have been established by the courts. This group is often more willing to engage with therapy programs and activities.

Halton Attendance Centre: In 2006, Kinark Child and Family Services began a partnership with the John Howard Society and E. Fry in the new Halton Attendance Centre. Kinark provides training, clinical assessments and other programs to the attendance centre.

Programming: Kinark and the Syl Apps Centre are committed to evidence based or promising practice in the delivery of treatment programming. All youth, through their treatment team have access to a myriad of programming and groups. Specific options include: anger management, family therapy (FT may be extended for an additional 6-8 sessions to provide transition for families within the geographic areas), healthy sexuality, substance use/abuse, therapeutic recreation, art therapy, pet therapy, dual diagnosis, concurrent disorders, sexual offences, gender specific programming, psychiatric and psychology services, wellness/health services, case management, transition and discharge planning. Kinark is also committed to outcome analysis in cooperation with the Ministry of Children and Family Services.

Research and partnerships: Kinark and the Syl Apps Centre are committed to research and have developed partnerships with a number of universities and colleges to foster initiatives in the area of youth justice and mental health. Furthermore through specific partnerships the Syl Apps Centre provides educational and practicum/clinical training opportunities for a number of professional schools such as social work, Child and Youth Work, Psychology, Nursing and Psychiatry.