MYS Programs:

The St. Pierre Program is a four-bed Treatment home for female youth located in a park like setting in southern Manitoba. An objective of the program is to integrate the youth into the community through the use of recreational, educational and other community resources. In the St. Pierre Program, we believe that nurturing relationships established within a consistent and structured long-term placement, will enable a young person to develop skills and practice making positive, healthy choices for themselves. The staff team assists youth in developing their strengths and learning to manage their limitations. We believe that healthy relationships are an integral component that facilitates this process. We also believe that the long-term placement at St. Pierre enables youth to learn and practice new skills within relationships, in a safe and caring environment. We work with families, whenever possible, to foster and maintain healthy caring relationships.

The St. Pierre team maintains a safe, predictable, consistent and supervised environment 24 hours a day. They do this by modeling and teaching through their daily interactions with the youth. The staff team works with each youth on teaching appropriate boundaries, limit setting, problem solving and life skills. The staff are aware of how developmental delays and a history of abuse and neglect can cause difficulties in skill development. The staff work with youth to begin to resolve past and present issues. They do this through reframing; through assisting youth to connect issues to behaviours; and by promoting socially appropriate responses. It is in this safe environment, that the youth establish the daily routines that assist them in stabilizing their behaviour.

The program is comprised of several distinct components including psychological assessments, group treatment, life-skills training, sex education, victim and offender specific treatment, educational/vocational programming, recreational programming and whenever possible, family involvement. This program is carried out within the context of a therapeutic milieu, with attention constantly focused on fulfilling previously unmet developmental needs, balanced with learning the acceptance of simple structures, responsibilities and boundaries.

The Therapist offers ongoing individual therapy to youth as needed. This contact enables youth to work on issues that may involve past traumas, present struggles, or future goals. In consultation with the young person, the staff team, the Child and Family Services worker and the family, where possible, a service plan is created focusing on positive skill development and the goals the young person sets for herself.

St. Pierre offers a lower staff to youth ratio, which ensures closer supervision of the residents, more individual time with each resident, and a greater opportunity for the development of therapeutic relationships between youth and staff. The St. Pierre Program is intended as a long-term program and as such can be a significant part of the permanency planning for each youth.