This workshop provides an overview of trauma, describes the principles of trauma-informed care and practice (TICP) when working with young people, and offers participants the opportunity to consider how TICP could be incorporated when working with young people.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• define types of trauma 
• discuss the impacts of trauma on young people
• describe the relationship between trauma and mental health and/or AOD problems for young people 
• understand the importance of TICP for client centred practice with young people 
• identify how to implement TICP principles with young people at an organisational and personal level.

This workshop provides an overview of principles for effective engagement with young people, functions of AOD screening and assessment and suitable screening tools and models for use with young people. Participants will have the opportunity to practice using screening tools and models to assess AOD use and practice a brief intervention based on the principles of Motivational Interviewing (MI).

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• explore assessment models and screening tools for AOD use with young people 
• implement assessment models and screening tools to engage and explore a young person’s AOD use
• understand the principles behind effective AOD brief interventions 
• perform an effective brief intervention using a brief MI conversation.

This workshop provides an overview on harm reduction approaches, and the principles of sustained behaviour change. Participants will learn skills to assist them in supporting young people to reduce the harms of their AOD use and engage in lasting behaviour change where a young person has identified a need for change. 

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• define harm reduction
• utilise the hierarchy of harms to assist young people in reducing the risks of their AOD use
• use Zinberg’s Model to assist young people to identify potential harm reduction strategies
• define sustained behaviour change
• describe the principles of effective decision making
• utilise Kwasnicka’s Model to assist young people to develop strategies to sustain behaviour change.

This workshop provides a foundational introduction to the issues relevant to working with young people who experience mental health and AOD issues. Participants will learn about prevalence, developmental considerations, common presentations in young people and best practice approaches and guidelines. Participants will have the opportunity to practice developing case formulations for young people with co-occurring mental health and AOD issues. 

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• define co-occurring mental health and AOD issues
• outline prevalence for young people
• discuss developmental considerations
• discuss screening and assessment for young people 
• describe common presentations in young people
• discuss best practice when providing services to young people with co-occurring mental health and AOD issues
• practice case formulation for young people.

This workshop provides a general overview of knowledge and skills relevant for those working with young people who use AOD. Participants will learn about roles and responsibilities, attitudes towards young people who use AOD, and discuss AOD dependence, tolerance, and withdrawal. They will also learn about types, categories, and effects of drugs, and responding to opioid overdose with use of naloxone.

At the end of this session, participants will be able to: 

• understand roles and responsibilities when working with young people who use AOD
• explore attitudes and views towards young people who use AOD
• discuss AOD dependence
• discuss harm minimisation in the context of the National Drug Strategy and harm reduction approach 
• define AOD withdrawal
• explore types and categories of drugs 
• discuss opioid overdose and naloxone
• apply AOD assessment tools and models to a case study.