Youth Care in British Columbia to effectively prepare social workers for this difficult and challenging role. The intensive and extensive training, which leads to a post-baccalaureate Child Welfare Certificate, is only available to those whom the Ministry has already hired to provide child protection or guardianship services. “To embark on a career as a social worker for the Ministry first requires a social work or a child and youth care degree,’ says Stiles. “Most of the subsequent JIBC instruction, which lasts ninteen weeks—unless the employee has a child welfare specialization in their degree, in which case it's three weeks—is face-to-face. Employees learn about the Ministry’s prac- tice expectations and requirements, legislation, roles of collective agencies, interviewing skills legislation and evidentiary requirements, case planning procedures, collaborative practices, assessing strengths and risks and more. It’s a job that requires considerable judgment and sensitivity.’ Courses also delve more deeply into the types of cases that are likely to arise and sources of risk within families such as fetal alcohol syndrome and mental health issues, and what to do. Working with Families and Communities to Keep Children Safe deals with the elements about them such as investigating abuse, risk assessment and appearing in court. Finally, students learn the fundamentals of guardianship and placement of children in care, as well as returning children to their families and preparing young persons for independent living. A major concern of our time is safeguarding children from moles- tation and abuse, both in and out of the home. Children are at risk from family members, friends and sex offenders, many of whom endanger young persons. Governments have put programs in place to protect citizens from sex offenders, and the JIBC provides training to police, probation officers, social workers and psychologists who are likely to come in contact with these predators. One of the most important programs offered is STATIC-99, an actuarial risk scale that the Correction Branch uses for assessing sexual offenders and the likelihood of them repeating their predatory or violent behaviour. Used in more than ten countries, the course is taught online to both Canadian and international students. They watch instructional videos by Dr. Karl Hanson, who developed STATIC-99, and interact with a faculty member experienced in assessing sex offenders and the risks they present. All in all, the “JI Way” of approaching learning in the social justice area draws graduates as well as newcomers to the Institute. As Glenn Robinson of Okanagan/Kootenays Family Justice Services says, “I always look forward to going back to the JIBC because it’s an exciting and vibrant learning environment. It’s set up in such a way that you positively want to learn when you get there.” Mary Gibson, Youth Probation Officer After fifteen years work- ing in the Penticton Crown Counsel office, the last eight as Administrative Supervisor, Mary Gibson decided she would like to change careers but stay within the justice system. “I put my name down to become a youth probation officer because | liked teenagers and thought | had something to offer in this field,” she says. She started as an auxiliary in June 2006, just as the JIBC's training system for youth probation was changing over froin mostly classroom to online learning with a few days of face-to-face instruc- tion. “| was able to tell the JIBC what was work- ing in the online system and what was wasn't. | loved it. Even though | had a full case load and my mentor was in Kelowna, | was able to complete the courses over the internet in six months. | worked on them at weekends and in the evening. “I've found the JIBC’s courses simply awesome, | love going to New Westminster, but | found that the delivery method of internet courses worked very well. It was easy to contact the instructor—he even gave me his cell phone number.”