Community Care Alliance, located in Woonsocket RI is a combined behavioral health and community action program serving a diverse population of over 16,000 people annually. Through its Youth & Family TREE program, CCA will strengthen and expand the continuum of care for youth and transitional aged youth engaging in risky alcohol and other substance use, as well as other risky behaviors and/or who have co-occurring mental health issues. Emphasis is placed upon identifying and eliminating disparities for females and racial and ethnic minorities. Because substance use impacts the entire family, services will be offered to support the entire family, including prevention activities, treatment, and basic needs (e.g., food, rental assistance, utility assistance). By supporting the whole family, youth are expected to experience improved outcomes. The Harbour Youth Center will serve as the hub of services, building upon the foundation of drop-in center and employment support to engage youth and connect them to the full array of substance use and co-occurring mental health services offered at CCA. Strong working alliances with other community providers will close any gaps in access to services.
Referrals for YFT may originate from any agency program or community provider. Upon referral, youth will be screened. Those identified as engaging in risky behavior will be referred to the Program Coordinator for discussion of how YFT can help them. Families will be involved at this stage depending upon age and the consent of the person seeking services. A comprehensive bio-psychosocial assessment will lead to identification of needs across several domains. This information will be used to build a person-centered recovery plan. The YFT Navigator will establish a working alliance with the youth and family, guiding them through the services available to them. Upon program completion, youth will experience an increase in strengths, engagement in meaningful activity, reduced or eliminated alcohol/substance use, improved mental health and more positive relationships with family members.
YFT will also offer other supportive services that include HIV/Hepatitis C testing, smoking prevention and cessation with targeted education for pregnant women, and will engage in community education activities aimed at promoting healthy, substance-free living by using messaging aimed at people across the spectrum of readiness for change.
All of these activities will be completed in accordance with SAMHSA’s expectations, including data collection using the GPRA and other outcome tools. This data will be used to inform the service team regarding efficacy, providing useful information to guide performance quality improvement efforts in order to achieve maximum outcomes.