Overview
Youth are tragically affected by the ongoing toxic drug crisis in Canada, particularly due to opioids. Additional substances, including alcohol, cannabis, and illicit drugs, can also factor into higher-risk substance use by youth in Canada. However, many service providers are trained within the context of adult substance use. Similarly, peer support is an important component of addressing substance use, but peer training has also traditionally focused on adults. Developing resources and services around the needs of youth is critical for tackling youth substance use issues.
The Experience Project consisted of two qualitative studies conducted in British Columbia, one exploring how youth perceive and experience substance use services, and the other exploring the role of peer support in providing substance use services to youth. The Experience Project was part of a multi-phase project called Building capacity for early intervention: Increasing access to youth-centered, evidence-based substance use and addiction services in British Columbia and Ontario, which created two new training curricula, one for service providers working within an integrated youth services model and one for youth peer support workers, specifically designed for youth substance use.
The Building Capacity for Early Intervention Project was led by Foundry and Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO), under the direction of Dr. Steve Mathias (Co-Executive Director at Foundry and Clinical Associate Professor at University of British Columbia (UBC)), Dr. Skye Barbic (Head Scientist at Foundry and Associate Professor at UBC) and Dr. Jo Henderson (Executive Director of YWHO and Director of the McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)).
The service provider curriculum development was led by YWHO and the youth peer support worker curriculum development was led by Foundry. The expertise of youth with lived/living experience of substance use, youth peer support workers and service providers who work with youth who use substances, along with the findings from the Experience Project, were used to inform the adaptation of the curricula specifically for British Columbia. The Youth 4 Youth Advisory Council was an integral part of The Experience Project’s co-design, providing insight into youth needs and supporting the development of the curricula.
Funders
This project was made possible by support from Health Canada under the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).
Resources
- Hawke LD, Barbic SP, Voineskos A, Szatmari P, Cleverley K, Hayes E, Relihan J, Daley M, Courtney D, Cheung A, Darnay K, Henderson JL. (2020). Impacts of COVID-19 on youth mental health, substance use, and well-being: A rapid survey of clinical and community samples. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. 65(10):701-709.
- Turuba R, Amarasekera A, Howard AM, Brockmann V, Tallon C, Irving S, Mathias S, Henderson J, Marchand K, Barbic S. (2022). A qualitative study exploring how young people perceive and experience substance use services in British Columbia, Canada. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 17(1):43.
- Turuba R, Irving S, Turnbull H, Amarasekera A, Howard AM, Brockmann V, Tallon C, Mathias S, Henderson J, Barbic S. (2022). Practical considerations for engaging youth with lived and/or living experience of substance use as youth advisors and co-researchers. Journal of Participatory Research Methods. 3(3).
- Turuba R, Toddington C, Tymoschuk M, Amarasekera A, Howard AM, Brockmann V, Tallon C, Irving S, Mathias S, Henderson JL, Barbic S. (2023). “A peer support worker can really be there supporting the youth throughout the whole process”: A qualitative study exploring the role of peer support in providing substance use services to youth. Harm Reduction Journal. 20(1):118.
- Turuba R, Amarasekera A, Howard AM, Tallon C, Marchand K, Barbic S. (2022). A qualitative research study exploring how young people perceive and experience substance use services in British Columbia, Canada. Abstract presented as a tabletop presentation at the International Association for Youth Mental Health (IAYMH) Conference on Youth Mental Health, September 29-October 1, 2022, Copenhagen, Denmark.