A Dissemination & Train the Leaders Program by Parents, for Parents
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Drugs and Teen Use What Schools Can Do What Parents Can Do What Parent Volunteers Can Do What Parent Leaders Can Do |
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Ideas For School Staff
Review Treatment & Rehabilitation Research
Identify, Counsel, Refer Students
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School Staff Can Review Treatment/Rehabilitation Research to Ensure that Services Match School staff can undertake a number of actions to work with parents to prevent substance abuse. These actions should include reviewing the research on treatment and rehabilitation programs for young people. This page provides a summary of that research.
The parent’s role in this area of treatment might include advocating for such treatment/rehabilitation services within their communities and in ensuring that schools have adequate procedures and support to reintegrate the student into school life.
There are several trends in the thinking about the approaches that ought to taken in prevention and treatment/rehabilitation with youth. A review done for Health Canada, Schools, Public Health, and Drugs, by members of the School Health Research Network found that a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach that focused on life skills/social competencies, mental health and social-emotional learning through skills-based instruction, whole school approaches to school climate and linkages with a wide range of mental health services offer the most promise.
What Works
The following advice was offered in a report to Health Canada entitled Best Practices: Treatment and Rehabilitation for Youth with Substance Use Problems
- Consider the characteristics of specialized population groups, such as street-involved youth, Aboriginal youth or youth involved in the juvenile justice system
- Address personal, family, community (peer) and structural (program)-related barriers Most key experts identified program-related and structural barriers (the overall lack of programs, geographical inaccessibility of services, lack of outreach and lengthy waiting lists) as the most significant barriers affecting access to treatment by youth.
- A range of specific barriers to treatment are described, as applying to the specialized groups. For example, according to the key experts, youth with concurrent substance use and mental health/psychiatric disorders are more affected by problems related to coordination and delivery of services while cultural and family beliefs and practices present barriers for ethno-cultural youth.
- Key experts identified best practices in the area of treatment contact and engagement in relation to the physical location of treatment, overall program approach and philosophy, outreach and program content and structure.
- An emphasis on the physical presence of program staff at locations where youth congregate and provision of direct support and training to staff working with youth serving agencies (particularly schools) are considered critical elements of an outreach strategy.
- A realistic view of relapse, a focus on harm reduction, a client-centred, flexible approach to treatment and involvement of the family are essential approaches to retain youth in treatment.
- A broad psycho-social approach with a focus on skill building, culturally appropriate activities (where applicable) and a recreational component are seen as optimal components of youth treatment.
- Best practices in treatment/rehabilitation include addressing physical health, mental health and interpersonal issues as well as relapse management and prevention. Some of the best practices identified are a comprehensive physical health assessment, a holistic response to health issues, nutritional education, healthy lifestyle modelling, practical and creative skill-building approaches, direct parent involvement, a “learning” approach to relapse and an emphasis on group work and supportive peer interactions.
- Specific staff characteristics such as staff showing respect and trust, a non-hierarchical approach, acceptance and understanding of relapse, and the ability to model healthy lifestyles are also identified as best practice.
- There is consensus among key experts, supported by the literature, that youth treatment should be separated from adult treatment and provide access to a system of care, with the type and duration of treatment matched specifically to client needs.
- There is also general consensus on the need to provide easy accessibility to adjunctive services coordinated in a variety of ways.
The Health Canada report also addresses the issue of the measurement of treatment outcomes and effectiveness. Both the literature and key experts suggest that treatment “success” should be measured in a multi-dimensional way using a range of “quality of life” measures, client assessment, as well as reduction in substance use. |
Best Practices: Treatment and Rehabilitation for Youth with Substance Use Problems (Health Canada)
The role of families in the development, identification, prevention, and treatment of illicit drug problems (Australia – NHMRC)
(Search Institute)
Safe & Caring Schools (Alberta Teachers' Association)
(Canadian Association for School Health)
What are the warning signs of an alcohol or other drug problem, and how do I find help? (Canadian Health Network)
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