Youth Home Stabilization Program
The Youth Home Stablization assists youth and their caregivers with managed withdrawal and follow-up in a home environment.
The Youth Home Stabilization Program works with young people who are using substances and want to stop or significantly reduce the use of at least one substance. The program provides client-centred, trauma-informed, equitable and strength-based accessible services.
Services offered include:
- support through withdrawal,
- short-term family counselling/mediation,
- access to Opiate Agonist Therapy (Suboxone, Methadone) and primary care,
- home visits,
- education about withdrawal management,
- cultural and spiritual supports,
- harm reduction supplies and education, and
- referral and connection to services including long-term community support and treatment programs.
What to expect
We will assist youth and their families or support people in their own homes through those first few challenging weeks during which they may experience withdrawal symptoms. Then we will help them to lay out their long-term goals and connect with the relevant services and professionals.
Some of the key principles and strategies of the program include:
- Helping community partners reimagine what effective substance use support can look like.
- Involving families, caregivers, and support people identified by the youth. Help open up communication about goals, motivation, and how the youth wants to be supported in working towards the changes they envision.
- Connecting youth with relevant supports including primary care, Opiate Agonist Therapy (OAT), cultural support, prosocial activities, and follow-up counselling and treatment.
- Providing psychoeducation, harm reduction supplies, counselling, system navigation, evidence-based interventions, and innovative solutions as guided by the youth.
Members of the Youth Home Stabilization Program include:
- team leader,
- intake clinicians,
- case managers/clinicians,
- youth outreach workers,
- indigenous cultural worker, and
- Nurse Practitioners.
How to access services
Check eligibility
- The target population for the Home Stabilization Team is youths between the ages of 13 to 24 years living in Vancouver and their families or in-home support people.
- Youth must have housing or a temporary place to stay until their withdrawal process is complete. It is recommended that youth have a support person who will help them during their withdrawal and change process.
We work with young people who are using substances and want to stop, take a break from, or significantly reduce the use of at least one substance. We can support youth who are withdrawing from Opioids (fentanyl, heroin, OxyContin etc.), Stimulants (methamphetamines, cocaine etc.) or Marijuana. Youth with heavy alcohol or Benzodiazepines (benzo.) use may require a referral to medically supported withdrawal management.
Referrals
Contact the Central Addictions Intake Team (CAIT) if you have questions about the Youth Home Stabilization Program, would like to refer yourself, or would like to make a referral.
Youth CAIT phone lines are open daily.
Saturday to Thursday: 10:00am–8:00pm
Fridays: 10:00am–5:00pm
Phone: (604) 209-3705
Email: cait.youth@vch.ca
Fax: (604) 255-1101