Coming soon: criminal youth and criminal mental health training
Published: November 24, 2023
Starting January 2024, Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) will be introducing optional enhanced training for members of LAO’s roster geared to those who provide criminal legal aid services. This training will provide roster members the opportunity to further strengthen their knowledge and quality of service when providing criminal legal aid services to youth clients charged under the YCJA and to clients experiencing mental health issues.
The new multi-session training modules are provided free of charge and will be LSO-CPD accredited and allow for criminal roster members to access learning supports that focus on the unique aspects of working with these vulnerable communities
The modules will focus on the following:
Criminal mental health
- Not Criminally Responsible, Fitness and Mental Health court
- Practice and Procedure: Ontario Review Board matters
- Appellate matters and the Role of Amicus
- Ethics, Professionalism and Meaningful & Effective Engagement with Clients
Criminal youth
- Representing Youth Part I – Professional and Ethical Issues
- Representing Youth Part II – Youth Bails
- Representing Youth Part III – Youth Sentencing
Alongside the development of these new training modules, LAO is developing an enhanced referral list for roster members.
Roster members who have participated in the training modules can request to be added to an enhanced referral list, making it easier for clients to find them through the Find A Lawyer tool. Development of this referral list is ongoing and expected in the summer of 2024. LAO will share further details about the enhanced referral lists with roster members as they become available.
As the training sessions become available, you will be notified. The training videos will be posted on the video and training library on the LAO LAW website.