Bermuda Youth Counselling Services has dealt with 45 referrals so far this year, Social Rehabilitation Minister Dale Butler revealed in the House of Assembly. Mr. Butler said the team has also held 13 family sessions and visited nine schools for meetings with student groups, as well as presenting assemblies.

The Minister spoke to inform MPs that programme manager Lauren Trott gave a presentation on the impact of parental incarceration at the first ever international conference for the National Association of Social Workers in New Jersey.

He said in a Ministerial Statement last Friday: "I am pleased to note what this agency is doing to strengthen and transform the lives of young people and their families to the benefit of the wider community of Bermuda.

"They are having a dramatic impact on lives that may otherwise be directly or vicariously affected by social issues related to the experimentation and use of harmful substances, emotional difficulties and behavioural issues."

He said throughout 2008 there were 86 referrals, with 73 meetings with families and 64 individual sessions.

Meanwhile, the launch of the Juvenile Family Treatment System will see the introduction of psychologists, counsellors, social workers and a social work assistant, who will provide assessment, treatment and referrals.