Alberta Response Model
Differential Response
"Differential Response" is a term used to describe a number of important activities that have one major goal in mind: to improve outcomes for children, youth and families in need of intervention.
Differential Response helps children, youth, and families live in stable and nurturing environments. It uses community-based resources and wisdom. It looks to the future by building on past successes.
The Ministry of Children and Youth Services and its regional partners such as Family and Community Support Services are working together to:
- Increase collaboration and a multi disciplinary approach between partners providing services to children, youth and families in need of intervention.
- Build stronger linkages to community based resources towards meeting assessed needs in an effective, least disruptive manner.
Differential Response ensures that:
- Community referrals, reports, and requests for services, are the primary means to identify children who may be in need of intervention.
- Increased flexibility in responding to the families with different needs to ensure the child's safety and well being.
- Increased emphasis on the importance of a thorough, strength based, assessment to determine the need and level of services required to further support the family.
- Intervention is child centred, family focused, and least disruptive.
- Children and families are involved in decision-making.
- When a child or youth is assessed to be need of intervention, either family enhancement or protective services will be provided.
- Where it is determined through assessment that needs cannot be satisfied through family enhancement, the situation will be referred for investigation.
- Collaboration and sensitivity to the cultural needs of First Nations, M is and other aboriginal communities is prioritized.
- Children, youth and families in need of intervention are supported within their own communities.
Differential Response is linked with other important Ministry activities.
