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Collaborating With and For Homeless Youth in Hamilton
43rd Annual Addictions Ontario ConferenceAY-Alternatives for Youth, Sue Kennedy, Lori Claxton Social Planning and Research Council, Erika Morton
on behalf of the Street Youth
Planning Collaborative
Monday May 30st, 2011
This presentation will share:
The innovative work happening within Hamilton on street-involved and homeless youth issues
How we are conducting systems planning and community development work
The model of collaboration led by the Street Youth Planning Collaborative (SYPC)
History Directors from street-involved youth agencies have a
long history of ad-hoc communication Ten years ago a group of service providers began
meeting formally in order to address community gaps
Separated the directors and front line staff to enhance communication
The directors table partnered with the SPRC in 2004
History continued… In October 2005, the Addressing the Needs
document was released The subsequent recommendation
implementation phase helped us understand how the three stakeholder groups would work together
Three Stakeholder Groups
The Street Youth Planning Collaborative
The Street
Involved Youth Network
The Street Youth
Involvement Committee
Who Is Involved?Street Youth Planning Collaborative
The Street Youth Planning CollaborativeThe SYPC strives to advocate for, support
and facilitate an enhanced, seamless system of services for street-involved and homeless youth.
Who is Involved?Street Involved Youth Network
This community network boasts a membership of 31 individuals from 20 community agencies (Includes SYPC agencies, YMCA, OW, Public Health, Child Welfare agencies, Mental Health services…
This group meets monthly to discuss on the ground, street youth issues – partly to provide information and education to front line staff and partly to document the trends and realities on the front line
Who is Involved?Street Youth Involvement Committee
Comprised of youth who have been homeless, are homeless or who have an interest in homelessness
They have been meeting for 4 years – once per month
They provide input to an adult ally on homeless youth issues, consult the community and do project work
SYPC Planning Processes and Mechanisms Addressing the Needs of Street-Involved and
Homeless Youth in Hamilton (October 2005) Annual Strategic Planning Sessions Monthly Planning Meetings Dedicated Community Development Support
Communication, Planning and Decision Making
The CD support is the conduit between all stakeholder meetings
All decision making rests with the SYPC We are working toward more integrated and
collaborative planning with the three stakeholder groups
Status, Implementation Strategies and Initiatives The SYPC is building it’s profile as a decision
making, planning body on street-involved youth issues
We completed and evaluated a three-year recommendation implementation strategy in August 2009
The current focus is around housing and increased collaboration development
We are being recognized provincially and nationally on the work we are doing
Successes
The collaboration model-3 stakeholder groups Commitment to systems planning Documentation of community conversations and
use of research in work Community development support Action oriented and gets work done Increase of the profile and community awareness
around street-involved youth issues
Successes continued
7 member Youth Housing Support Team Youth Outreach Workers of Hamilton project Angela’s Place and Wesley Youth Housing transitional
housing projects Weekend Open Access Support The Addressing the Needs report and subsequent
Interim Project Check-In Increased capacity and training for front-line staff Increased mental health services, including clinical
services
Challenges Time Balancing inclusiveness and getting work done Working with diverse agencies A funding climate that expects collaboration but
does not foster it Meaningfully valuing the perspective of front line
staff and youth
Next Steps for the SYPC
Committed and dedicated to their work Profile building Sustainable funding
Alternatives for Youth
Mission Statement: Alternatives for Youth empower youth to make positive choices that minimize the harm of substance use or addiction and to be engaged in positive ways with their community.
Vision Statement: We envision a future where youth are not harmed by substance use or addiction, and are engaged in positive ways within their community.
Vision Values
AY Values
Accessibility Inclusion Openness Empowerment Flexibility
AY Core Service:
AY Opened its doors in 1969 Community treatment for children and youth
ages 12-23 who are substance involved Provide assessment, treatment planning,
evidence informed interventions, referral and follow-up in a harm reduction framework
Comprehensive psychiatric assessment, consultation, and treatment for youth with concurrent disorders.
Risk Factors for Street Involved Youth
Family History: Parental drug use Quality of family relationships, organization and
communication Ineffective parenting or absence of Intimacy and
stability(disengagement/enmeshment)
Risk Factors Cont’d
Early Anti-social Behaviour the greater the variety, frequency and
seriousness: the greater the likelihood of drug abuse
e.g. rebelliousness, temperament, social isolation, impulsivity, early learning related difficulties, early onset on drug use
Risk Factors cont’d
Peers Association with street drug users, couch-surfing
peers Perceived street-involvement by other
adolescents Gang involvement
Risk Factors cont’d
Attitudes, Beliefs, Personality Traits Alienation from “main-stream” society Rebelliousness Risk-taking Non-conformity Resistance to traditional authority
Street Drugs: Risks and Harms
drug interactions especially for poly-drug users routes of administration financing drug abuse disease transmission psycho-social impact and consequences legal risks and hazards limitations of the treatment and social services
AY’s Response - A Triage Model of Integrated Care
Focus on crisis Street drug use and street-involved lifestyle
cannot be separated out Crisis intervention as a component of clinical
case management Distinguish between crisis events and other
traumatic events
Assessment
Complete alcohol/drug history: Identify negative and social and physical
consequences of use(physical abuse, needle use, safe sex, pregnancy)
Determine if withdrawal symptoms are present
Screen for mental health status(depression, anxiety, panic ,suicide, psychosis)***Referral to mental health clinician/psychiatrist
Early Intervention
Triage and assessment for youth who are accessing street-involved services for the first time. Youth shelter may not be bet entry point to services. what brought you here? do you have any other options of places to go?
(extended family, friends, etc.) goal of early intervention is to assist youth to
access community services before engaging in street involved youth culture and services
Intensive Intervention
Triage and assessment for youth who are entrenched in street-drug use and street-involved lifestyle ensure basic needs are met: food, shelter,
clothing, identification, legal explore primary presenting concerns that youth is
identifying i.e.: physical health, mental health, current pattern of substance use
Goal is to explore risks, vulnerabilities and strengths and reduce barriers to treatment
Exiting Street Involved Youth
Stabilization and move toward independence and support network is community based. housing education employment substance use mental health family/peer relationships