| The Canadian justice system is experiencing challenges in rehabilitating youth with complex behavioural and emotional challenges. Models of positive psychology have demonstrated promise for fostering positive outcomes and resiliency in such youth. However, there is an absence of research examining how the justice system incorporates these themes into care plans for these youth. This research examined how a rural Canadian secure custody facility for youth implements themes of positive psychology in case management protocols and residential programming. Thorne's interpretative description, a method of thematic analysis, was used to examine content of the facility's program manual, and interviews with 10 youths and 11 service providers at the facility to identify themes of positive psychology. Data revealed numerous positive psychology themes are being incorporated in various ways at the facility, particularly person-centered care, autonomy, and relatedness/connectedness. Implications for practice, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed. |
