A FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH AOD PRACTICE 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% Presented at the Australian Winter School by Youth Support Advocacy Service (YSAS)

1. Practice • Education • Advocacy • ResearchYSAS

2. WE KNOW WHAT WORKS:
LETS GET ON WITH IT
A FRAMEWORK FOR YOUTH AOD PRACTICE
Practice • Education • Advocacy • ResearchYSAS

3. Practice • Education • Advocacy • ResearchYSAS
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)

4. Practice • Education • Advocacy • ResearchYSAS
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%

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Druguseseverity
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

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YOUTH AOD NEEDS IDENTIFICATION

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WHAT?

8. 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
Practice • Education • Advocacy • ResearchYSAS

9. PRECIPITATING FACTORS
Triggers for problematic behaviours
•Physical & emotional states
•Sensation seeking
•Events & interactions
•Thoughts & memories.
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10. 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
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11. 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
Practice • Education • Advocacy • ResearchYSAS

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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

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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)

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY
ACCESS TO:
· Income
· Safe physical environments
· Housing
· Food & Clothing
· Information Technology
· Transportation
MATERIAL

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY
SUPPORT & EXPECTATION
FROM:
· Family system & networks
· Friendship networks & partners
· Caring adults
· Community networks
ACCESS TO:
· Income
· Safe physical environments
· Housing
· Food & Clothing
· Information Technology
· Transportation
MATERIAL PEOPLE

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY
ACCESSIBILITY OF:
· Health care
· Dental care
· Mental health services
· AOD services
· Homelessness services
· Counselling & support services
· Emergency services
SUPPORT & EXPECTATION
FROM:
· Family system & networks
· Friendship networks & partners
· Caring adults
· Community networks
ACCESS TO:
· Income
· Safe physical environments
· Housing
· Food & Clothing
· Information Technology
· Transportation
SERVICES
MATERIAL PEOPLE

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EXTERNAL RESOURCES – SOCIAL ECOLOGY
SOCIO-
CULTURAL
SERVICES
MATERIAL PEOPLE
ACCESSIBILITY OF:
· Health care
· Dental care
· Mental health services
· AOD services
· Homelessness services
· Counselling & support services
· Emergency services
SUPPORT & EXPECTATION
FROM:
· Family system & networks
· Friendship networks & partners
· Caring adults
· Community networks
OPPORTUNITY TO
CONNECT WITH:
· Culture
· Spiritual organisations
· Enabling places
PARTICIPATE IN:
· Education, employment & training
· Sport, recreation & leisure
· Broader social movements
ACCESS TO:
· Income
· Safe physical environments
· Housing
· Food & Clothing
· Information Technology
· Transportation

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INTERNAL RESOURCES

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INTERNAL RESOURCES
ABILITIES

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INTERNAL RESOURCES
BELIEFS

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INTERNAL RESOURCES
BELIEFSABILITIES
FOR EXAMPLE:
· Living skills
· Emotion regulation
· Impulse control
· Problem solving
· Communication skills
· Talents

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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
BELIEFSABILITIES

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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?

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PROVIDE RESOURCES
PROVIDE

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CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE WITH RESOURCES
PROVIDE CONNECT

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ENABLE YOUNG PEOPLE TO DEVELOP RESOURCES
PROVIDE CONNECT
DEVELOP

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ADVOCATE FOR RESOURCES TO BE AVAILABLE
PROVIDE CONNECT
DEVELOP ADVOCATE

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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

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