The purpose of Georgia’s Youth and Family TREE (Enhancement and Expansion of Treatment and Recovery Services for Adolescents, Transition-Age Youth, and Their Families) is to improve the lives of youth and young adults with substance use or co-occurring disorders through community outreach and education, screening, detection, assessment, treatment, and recovery services provided through a comprehensive, coordinated, and integrated approach.
In partnership with key stakeholders, the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) will implement this initiative by focusing on the following goals: (1) expanding and enriching the array of treatment and recovery services for youth and young adults (Y/YA) with substance use or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders in an urban and a rural area of middle Georgia; (2) identifying youth/young adults at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis (CHR-P) and provide evidence-based treatment, monitoring, and referral to appropriate services; and (3) building the capacity of the substance use and mental health treatment provider communities to meet the unique needs of Y/YA and their families.
DBHDD has selected two providers with unique and complementary expertise. Grady Health System, in metro Atlanta, has extensive experience working with Y/YA with first-episode psychosis, many of whom also have co-occurring substance use disorders. iHOPE, Inc., in rural middle Georgia, is a statewide leader in recovery-focused services for individuals with substance use disorders in an underserved and socioeconomically disadvantaged region of the state. In their respective geographic areas, these providers will target Y/YA ages 14-25 with substance use or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders.
Through proven screening and detection strategies and the provision of a variety of evidence-based treatments, including the Matrix Model, Motivational Enhancement Therapy + CBT, Multifamily Group Therapy, and Seeking Safety, Grady and i-HOPE will leverage their experience and community partnerships to meet the needs of the individuals and families they will serve.
Approximately 50 Y/YA and/or family members will be served in the Youth and Family TREE program in the first year. In subsequent years, this number will increase to 100, for a total of 450 individuals served over the five-year period of the project.
Expected outcomes include improved clinical, occupational, and social functioning, as evidenced by reduced rates of substance use, reductions in overdose deaths, reductions in rates of hospitalization and legal system involvement, and increased participation and success in academic and vocational pursuits. Improving their life trajectories and preventing fewer youth and young adults from falling through the cracks is the overarching goal of Georgia’s Youth and Family TREE.
