Abstract

The Youth Substance Abuse Service (YSAS) - Young Parents Project

Author(s)

Katrina Bould -Youth Substance Abuse Service

Mr Warren Eames -Youth Substance Abuse Service

The YSAS Young Parents Project was established in 2004 in response to an increasing client group with specific needs. A grant for this progressive service was provided by the National Illicit Drug Strategy (NIDS). Within YSAS approximately 10% of clients were identified as pregnant or parenting.

This group, in addition to substance use, experience many issues and challenges that require holistic, systemic support. The service gap needed to be filled by a program that catered for the young persons substance use issues and the susceptibility of this particular demographic to engagement in problematic parenting behaviours and resultant protective DHS involvement.

At a local level the YPP program has been recognized as having a unique capacity to engage young people and to then facilitate positive interventions that have steered clients away from Child Protection involvement. The relationship-building philosophy, synonymous with so much of YSAS' approach generally, has also been recognized as a crucial element to this process by other local services.

The YPP is based at YSAS in Frankston and provides support to clients in the Southern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne and also to Gippsland/Latrobe Valley using an outreach model.

This presentation will include descriptions about how the YPP was developed and implemented and the innovations that have resulted in positive preventative outcomes.