Outreach support is a treatment option whereby trained Youth AOD Outreach Workers will meet up with a young person 1:1 in their home, where they hang out or any other place they feel comfortable.
Whilst some young people do well with weekly drug and alcohol counselling, e-support or group sessions, others require a more ‘wrap around service’ that helps them deal with their substance use issues in the context of other life issues.
Outreach support is a treatment option whereby trained Youth AOD Outreach Workers will meet up with a young person 1:1 in their home, where they hang out or any other place they feel comfortable.
After an initial assessment, a worker will meet regularly with a young person to build a trusting relationship and work with a young person ‘where they are at.’
Outreach is extremely flexible and holistic – there is no set program. Workers do not limit themselves to just providing Drug and Alcohol counselling – although this is a part of it – but rather aim to understand the things that influence a young person’s drug and alcohol use and help them make changes to those parts of their life.
Examples of this could be supporting them to move out of unsafe housing, attend a health clinic or learn life skills such as budgeting.
Youth AOD workers will also be doing everything they can to allow a young person to feel safe to talk honestly about their substance use and things about it they do and don’t like. Motivating them to make changes to the areas they do not like.
Outreach support is best suited to young people with high or severe substance use combined with social factors such as unstable housing that make them more at risk of exploitation and getting into dangerous situations.
