The Ottawa Youth Justice Services Network goal is to develop community capacity regarding youth justice issues by: • Providing an open forum for discussion of youth justice legislation and other related issues; • Creating a collective voice to define emerging priorities as well as influence policy, legislative changes and funding to various levels of government regarding youth justice issues; • Advocating for the needs of children and youth in conflict or at risk of being in conflict with the law, in the Ottawa region; • Exploring and facilitating interagency and cross-sectoral communication and the sharing of resources and services; • Developing and promoting interagency networking and collaborative partnerships; • Creating key linkages to connect youth justice, child welfare and mental health issues; • Initiating and coordinating both research and professional development opportunities in the area of youth justice; • Developing opportunities to engage the community in both comprehending and addressing youth crime prevention and the youth criminal justice system.