Enhancement and Expansion of Treatment and Recovery Services for Transitional Youth and their Families - Expansion of Treatment and Recovery Services for Transitional Youth and their Families will allow Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council to expand our current services to further serve transitional youth. Dedicated staff will provide targeted case management, life-skills education, psychosocial rehabilitative services, substance abuse counseling, and family strengthening services to assist in meeting the diverse needs of this population. Additionally, short-term residential and peer support services will be offered in conjunction with treatment services to address substance use disorders and the residual effects associated with substance use and homelessness. With the goal of serving fifty youth in the first year, and one hundred youth each subsequent year, the impact of this program will serve as a pillar in supporting the future successes of transitional youth in the Midlands. With a growing population of transitional youth in the Midlands area of South Carolina, a network community providers has been established to build collaborative frameworks to provide seamless care to this vulnerable population. This collaborative approach has led to the development of the Youth in Transition Plan. Substance use issues are interwoven throughout each of the identified goals and strategies, and LRADAC is a committed partner in this effort to address the barriers faced by transitional youth. According to the Plan, in 2017, 749 transitional youth received at least one service from a local service provider in the Midlands area of South Carolina. Of the individuals served, more than 60% were from a minority race and were male. Additionally, it estimated in the Plan that approximately 40% of these individuals identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans*, queer, or intersex. Most alarmingly, of those willing to disclose their substance use, more than 70% have used substances on a consistent basis, with marijuana and alcohol being the primary substances, and opioids coming in third. Having provided dedicated services to adults who are homeless for the past seven years, we know that early engagement and retention in treatment for substance misuse is vital, and that by addressing emergency needs, housing, and barriers to treatment efficacy, we can offer individuals the supports needed to address unproductive behaviors developed during the course of their substance use. For this population, there are multiple barriers and challenges to successful outcomes. Stigma, dwindling motivation for change, lack of safe housing, transportation, systemic poverty, limited resources, family dysfunction and lack of support systems are just a few. Traditional treatment models fall short in addressing the complexity of access and the challenges to engagement for these individuals and their families. LRADAC has had great success engaging individuals who are homeless with dedicated services that help establish rapport and engage clients in the treatment process. This project would allow us to mirror these successes by expanding our services to transitional youth. The overarching goal of this effort will be to utilize treatment and peer support services to enhance access, decrease barriers, and improve engagement to promote successful outcomes.
