Principal Investigators, Youth Opportunities Strategy and Youth Challenge Fund, Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services: Astwood is conducting a $350,000, 18-month, 10-person monitoring evaluation of 150 community-based youth engagement and intervention programs funded under a $65+ million provincial fund. This includes evaluation of Province’s Youth in Policing Initiative, Summer Jobs for Youth program, the Youth Outreach Worker program and the Youth Challenge Fund.

Senior Consultants to the Cree Regional Authority/Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee): Assisting in development of integrated community-based crime prevention, diversion, intervention and re-integration programs and plans for at-risk youth in nine Cree communities of Northern Quebec. Co-ordinating all aspects of renewal of youth justice system including implementing restorative justice and traditional healing practices. Assisting in establishment and training of community-based justice panels and committees. Developing plans for youth justice strategies, developing inter-agency protocol agreements, identifying and pursuing government grant programs, developing Cree Department of Justice and Correctional Services website, designing prevention campaigns in respect to drugs, gangs, sexual exploitation, elder abuse, gun safety and more, and conducting process and monitoring evaluations of several externally funded programs. Also acting as advisors for community economic development programs, especially targetted to youth and women.

Principal Investigators, Youth Options for Success program, operated by the Niagara Citizens Advisory Committee:  Funded by the NCPC for four years, Astwood is conducting quasi-experimental design process, impact and cost effectiveness evaluation of this program operated from Hamilton to Fort Erie which is modelled after American G.R.E.A.T. (Gang Resistance Education and Training) program. Evaluating school-based prevention curriculum, families program and gang exit program.

Evaluation Advisors, St. Leonard's Society of Toronto: assisting organization in planning for four year evaluation of acclaimed SNAP program, funded by the National Crime Prevention Centre.

Program Director, Ozzy's Garage Youth Mentorship Program: Designed intervention program for youth in conflict with the law, consisting of a 16-week mentorship program where 12 gang-affiliated youth will build a custom Titan Motorcycle with former outlaw biker, Rick Osborne. First program is hosted in Cree First Nation of Ouje Bougoumou in Northern Quebec.

Project Director and Developer, The C.R.E.E. Program: Conceived and successfully obtained funding for a pilot post-incarceration support program for Cree detainees housed in Amos detention facility in Amos, Quebec. Program will offer psycho-social assessment services, education support, employment training and other supports to existing detainees and those who have recently completed custodial sentences.

Principal Investigators, Breaking the Cycle Program operated by the Canadian Training Institute: On behalf of the NCPC, completed an Evaluability Assessment of this gang prevention and exit program, set in two priority communities of Toronto including Rexdale and Scarborough.

Senior Consultants to Whapmagoostui First Nation (WFN), Quebec:  Responsible for evaluating and restructuring the WFN Youth Centre operations, including program development (life skills, sports and recreation, career preparation, homework club, cultural reclamation, family therapy, arts and culture, substance abuse counselling), staff selection and training, results management framework creation and on-going process/impact evaluation.

Advisors to Aboriginal Non-Profit Housing Corporation of Ottawa: conducted feasibility assessment for creation of dedicated group home for Aboriginal youth, inclusive of proposed operating plan and financial model.

Principal Investigators, Youth Worker Training Initiative operated by the Canadian Training Institute and funded under Health Canada’s Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund (DSCIF): Conducting two-year process and monitoring evaluation of the training and awareness program which will see upwards of 1,000 youth workers in the City of Toronto trained in issues of drug awareness, drug identification, pharmacological effects of illicit drugs, drugs prevention, etc.

Senior Policy Advisor to Royal Canadian Mounted Police, National Crime Prevention Services (NCPS), National Intervention and Diversion Program: Providing policy advice to RCMP in respect to development and implementation of youth intervention and diversion programs in fifteen priority communities across Canada where RCMP provides contract services. In addition, providing strategic expertise to NCPS on related matters including street gang prevention and restorative justice programs.  On behalf of NCPS, also wrote detailed discussion papers on RCMP’s national youth crime prevention strategy as well as their restorative justice strategy.

Evaluators, Wabano Way Program: conducted a process, impact and cost effectiveness evaluation for a pre-charge and post-charge Aboriginal youth diversion program, with a special focus on gang affiliated youth, on behalf of the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health in Ottawa, Canada.  

Principal Investigators, Making Connections Program, Pangnirtung, Nunavut: On behalf of RCMP, led process and impact evaluation of youth engagement project set in Inuit hamlet of Pangnirtung, north of Iqaluit.

Research director, Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health community needs assessment project: designed and led assessment of community capacity and demand in respect to health and social services for Aboriginal people in Ottawa. Will assist in implementation of feasibility study for various expansion strategies to meet growing needs, especially as they pertain to youthful Aboriginal offenders and at-risk youth.

Youth policing strategy consultant to the Ottawa Police Service: assisting Ottawa Police Service in assessing options and recommending direction for its youth policing operations, which encompasses its acclaimed diversion and intervention programs.

Principal Investigators, Domestic Violence Response Training Program, Legal Aid Ontario: conducted provincial evaluation of a training program designed to improve front-line delivery of legal aid services as well as prioritize the provision of services to women who have experienced violence.

Consultants to Edmonton’s Community Solution to Gang Violence (CSVG) and Native Counselling Services of Alberta (NCSA): Designed youth intervention and diversion program which will be operated by CSVG and NCSA in partnership with the Edmonton Police Service. Program designed to provide a greater set of diversion and intervention options for non-violent youthful offenders, both on a pre-charge and post-charge basis under provisions of the YCJA.

Research director, Crime Prevention Ottawa special study on youth gangs: Evaluation and gap analysis related to gang prevention programs and services in the City of Ottawa.  Conducted broad-based survey of key community stakeholders, completed  key informant interviews and interviewed reformed and existing street gang members to identify a) what could have prevented their gang involvement, and b) what can be done to help them exit a street gang. Purpose of project was to recommend new strategies for gang prevention, gang exit and post-incarceration programs for the Ottawa region.