The ABLE2 Fetal Alcohol Resource Program (FARP), which, in addition to many other types of supports and services, helps people living with FASD navigate the criminal justice system. In recognition of this work, FARP has recently received the 12th annual Crime Prevention Ottawa’s Innovation Award for 2020.

Crime Prevention Ottawa is an organization dedicated to reducing crime and enhancing Ottawa’s community safety through evidence-based crime prevention. The awards ceremony honours those with outstanding contributions to community safety.

The 12th annual Crime Prevention Ottawa Awards were held in an online event on November 2, 2020, and honour local individuals and organizations working to make the City of Ottawa a safer place to live. The Innovation Award was given to ABLE2’s Fetal Alcohol Resource Program for bringing awareness to the challenges people with FASD have within the criminal justice system, preventing criminalization, and helping people living with FASD become community leaders.

Ottawa-based ABLE2 (formerly Citizen Advocacy Ottawa), in a partnership with Kids Brain Health Network, CHEO and the Children’s Aid Society of Ottawa, spearheads The Fetal Alcohol Resource Program

“[FARP’s] dedication to supporting and celebrating people living with FASD and their families have made the program a model for involving professionals, individuals and their families in community safety,” said Councillor Jeff Lieper of Ottawa’s Kitchisippi Ward, in a congratulatory video message.

Nancy Lockwood, Manager of the FARP, accepted the award on behalf of ABLE2.

“It was the first time we’ve been nominated, and it’s a great recognition,” Lockwood said in an interview with KBHN. “It’s really proving to be successful in reducing interactions between youth and the justice system.”

While approximately four per cent of the Canadian population live with FASD, higher percentages of those living with FASD are currently interacting with the criminal justice system.

“People with FASD have a higher incidence of coming in contact with the justice system, not necessarily as perpetrators but also as victims or witnesses to [a] crime,” said Lockwood.

More often, that involvement isn’t intentional, she said, but due to challenges with perceiving danger or being in situations where they  cannot anticipate consequences.

However, people with FASD are in the justice system, “it often becomes this revolving door where they keep coming back because they’re often given probation orders that they just can’t meet due to their impairments,” said Lockwood.

The bilingual FARP program started in 2015 to help address these issues and to support people living with FASD and their families. The program focuses on educating professionals and front line workers on the connections between FASD and the criminal justice system, in part by advising law enforcement, judges and lawyers to take FASD accommodations into account.

The program also helps to develop leadership within the FASD community. Adult mentors living with FASD participate in weekly meetings with local youth, allowing them to learn strategies for staying away from the justice system and giving advice as positive role models.

Lockwood also said that the program relies on a vast network of professionals and experts to help individuals navigate challenging situations.

“Sometimes, we’ll get a whole lot of key stakeholders that are supporting this person who has been charged with a crime or victim of a crime and help come up with a plan, we all figure out ways that we can help the situation and support this person,” said Lockwood.

The program has continually expanded in the years since launching. In 2018, ABLE2 partnered with CHEO to create the FASD Worker Program, where Workers support children and youth with FASD to connect to community programs for mental health, addictions and homelessness. FARP has led the training of all 34 FASD Workers across Ontario. A year later, FARP helped launch the FASD Awareness Walk in Ottawa. It has since become an annual event.

Lockwood said that receiving the Crime Prevention Ottawa award has encouraged her team to continue their work.

“The actual frontline workers on our team are working really, really hard even during COVID-19, making sure that they are staying connected with all of their clients. So it was a great morale booster to see that the community recognizes what we’re doing and values that.”

By: Cherise Seucharan (Freelance Writer)