6: Youth Workers in the Courts

Abstract

Although mental health workers have long played an active and influential role in the provision of services to youth court, they have, as yet, devoted little effort to establishing standards to guide their procedures. As a result, numerous problems arise which to some extent threaten the credibility of youth court workers. The authors draw upon examples from the literature and the experiences of clinicians at the Metropolitan Toronto Forensic Service (METFORS) in identifying some of the difficulties associated with current practices. Guidelines are proposed.