Our Services

For over ten years the John Howard Society of Peel-Halton-Dufferin has offered a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary crime prevention model of programs and services. Our services prevent crime by reducing the individual behaviours and circumstances linked to criminal activity, and by promoting the attitudes and skills, which support a law-abiding lifestyle. Interventions are research-based and directed at client motivation, skill development and self-control. Primary, secondary and tertiary prevention activities, or promoting health, early detection of problems and treatment of established problems, are crucial parts of the agency’s role.
Our commitment is to provide a continuum of inclusive and effective crime prevention programs and services in an accountable manner to be equally accessible by all Peel-Halton-Dufferin communities. Our services are available to children, youth and adults, both male and female.

PRIMARY PREVENTION / EARLY INTERVENTION

Educating people about root causes, risk factors and lifestyle changes to reduce risk. Identifying and altering risk factors to prevent the onset of social/emotional problems leading to specific problems in an identified community. Primary prevention is defined as “measures that are provided to individuals to prevent the onset of a targeted condition.” Primary prevention measures include activities that help avoid a given problem, i.e. addressing root causes. Effective strategies used include skills training, behaviour monitoring and reinforcement, building. community/individual capacity, cooperative learning.

SECONDARY PREVENTION / RISK REDUCTION

A level of preventive interventions that aims to detect problems early, send the client to the appropriate counsellor, and to start the right course of action (treatment intervention). Secondary prevention programs and strategies are implemented on a selected scale, for specific target population at enhanced risk of a specific problem, i.e. youth violence, and are aimed at preventing the onset and reducing the risk of violence. Effective strategies used, include social perspective-taking, role taking, multi-modal interventions based on responsivity issues, behavioural interventions.

TERTIARY PREVENTION / RISK REDUCTION

Tertiary prevention activities involve the care of established problems (as identified by either the professional/client), with attempts made to restore to highest function, minimize the negative effects of problematic behaviours (i.e. drinking - harm reduction model), and prevent problem-related complications. Since the problem is now established, primary prevention activities may have been unsuccessful. Early detection through secondary prevention may have minimized the impact of the problem. Effective strategies used, include: social-perspective taking, multi-modal interventions, behavioural interventions, skills training, advocacy services, family & individual therapy by clinical staff.