Servicing at risk youths sector

Practice • Education • Advocacy • Research YSAS

WE KNOW WHAT WORKS:

LETS GET ON WITH IT

A FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH AOD PRACTICE



WHO? Young people need specialised treatment because of

developmental, psychological, social, cognitive and family

differences.

Especially vulnerable young people can benefit greatly from

outreach, case management and more intensive treatment.

“

” United Nations World Youth Report (2004)


NEEDS IDENTIFICATION:

VICTORIAN YOUTH NEEDS CENSUS DATA (2013) N=1000

Drug Use Severity

Daily drug use 66%

Injection 22%

Harms 39%

Dependence 54%

Multiple drugs 34%

Psycho-social complexity

Mental Health Diagnosis 46%

Criminal Justice Issues 66%

Family Issues 61%

Housing Instability 19%

No meaningful activity 46%

Abuse / Neglect 46%

Suicide / Self-harm 43%

School problems 51%


Dru

g u

se s

eve

rity

Psychosocial complexity

Severe

None

None Low High Severe

High

Low

0.3%

1.3%

0.6%

3.6%

0.4%

1.0%

2.2%

2.2%

6.2%

10.4%

33.1%

19.3%

6.2%

4.3%

5.2%

3.7%

SEVERITY AND COMPLEXITY COMBINED


YOUTH AOD NEEDS IDENTIFICATION


WHAT?

PROBLEM BEHAVIOURS

Mutually reinforcing behaviours that have a

unique function and meaning for a young

person.

• Alcohol and Other Drug use

• Self-harm

• Aggression

• Offending


PRECIPITATING FACTORS

Triggers for problematic behaviours

•Physical & emotional states

•Sensation seeking

•Events & interactions

•Thoughts & memories.


PREDISPOSING FACTORS

Individual traits, past experiences and current conditions that make a young person more susceptible to developing problem behaviours.

For Example:

• Abuse and neglect

• Bereavement and significant loss

• Educational problems and early school disconnection

• Dislocation from culture & place

• Refugee experiences

• Highly reactive Temperament

• History of poor family attachment & conflict

• Intergenerational poverty


PERPETUATING FACTORS

Unmet needs and life stressors without constructive solutions that keep the problem behaviour going.

For Example:

• Inadequate regulation of exposure to risk

• Unstable & insecure housing

• Poverty & high levels of stress

• Disconnection from socially-valued activity

• Mastery and status through problem behavior

• Relationships that reinforce the problem behaviour

• Distressing psychological & physical states

• Low self-esteem & self-efficacy



INTENTION To enable young people to gain as much control as possible

over their health and well being by ensuring that they have the

resources required to:

• Meet their needs

• Fulfil their aspirations

• Deal effectively with life stressors

Based on the WHO definition of Health


WHAT DO YOUNG PEOPLE NEED TO BE RESILIENT?

Safety - protection from harm and the capacity to respond to

crisis

Stability – Security and the capacity to meet basic needs

Participation in constructive, socially valued activity

(education, work, recreation, etc)

Helpful Connections with people, culture and places

Control of health compromising issues and behaviours

(PTSD symptoms, grief, Anger, Anxiety, Depression, pain, etc)

Coherent Identity (Sexuality, gender identity, vocational

identity, etc)


EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY





ACCESS TO:

· Income

· Safe physical environments

· Housing

· Food & Clothing

· Information Technology

· Transportation

MATERIAL



SUPPORT & EXPECTATION

FROM:

· Family system & networks

· Friendship networks & partners

· Caring adults

· Community networks

ACCESS TO:

· Income


· Housing

· Food & Clothing


· Transportation

MATERIAL PEOPLE



ACCESSIBILITY OF:

· Health care

· Dental care

· Mental health services

· AOD services

· Homelessness services

· Counselling & support services

· Emergency services


FROM:



· Caring adults


ACCESS TO:

· Income


· Housing

· Food & Clothing


· Transportation

SERVICES

MATERIAL PEOPLE



SOCIO-

CULTURAL SERVICES

MATERIAL PEOPLE

ACCESSIBILITY OF:

· Health care

· Dental care

· Mental health services

· AOD services

· Homelessness services

· Counselling & support services

· Emergency services


FROM:



· Caring adults


OPPORTUNITY TO

CONNECT WITH:

· Culture

· Spiritual organisations

· Enabling places

PARTICIPATE IN:

· Education, employment & training

· Sport, recreation & leisure

· Broader social movements

ACCESS TO:

· Income


· Housing

· Food & Clothing


· Transportation


INTERNAL RESOURCES


INTERNAL RESOURCES

ABILITIES


INTERNAL RESOURCES

BELIEFS


INTERNAL RESOURCES

BELIEFS ABILITIES

FOR EXAMPLE:

· Living skills

· Emotion regulation

· Impulse control

· Problem solving

· Communication skills

· Talents


INTERNAL RESOURCES

FOR EXAMPLE:

· Living skills

· Emotion regulation

· Impulse control

· Problem solving

· Communication skills

· Talents

FOR EXAMPLE:

· Self-esteem

· Self-efficacy

· World-view

· Sense of purpose

· Sense of belonging

· Hope

BELIEFS ABILITIES


HOW DO WE CREATE THE CONDITIONS THAT ENABLE

YOUNG PEOPLE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS AND COPE WITH

STRESSORS WITHOUT RELYING ON DRUGS TO COPE?

HOW?


PROVIDE RESOURCES

PROVIDE


CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES

PROVIDE CONNECT


ENABLE YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEVELOP RESOURCES

PROVIDE CONNECT

DEVELOP


ADVOCATE FOR RESOURCES TO BE AVAILABLE

PROVIDE CONNECT

DEVELOP ADVOCATE


MODALITIES AND RESOURCES

PROVIDE CONNECT

DEVELOP ADVOCATE

Outreach Engaging / Responsive

Intensive residential Stability / Withdrawal

Long term Residential Rehabilitation / Supported accommodation

Day programs Primary health / Transitions

Specialist practitioners Nursing / Clinical psychology

Medical care


Government & Nonprofit

Servicing at risk youths sector