Support and services—telephone
Lifeline (13 11 14) can be used immediately if a young person needs to talk to someone. This is a useful number to include in the safety plan.
Strong Bonds: Building family connections The Strong Bonds website offers useful information to help you support your young person through hard times, so that you can keep making a difference to their health and well-being. It also, importantly, offers information to help you feel better and cope with the situation.
Alcohol and Drug Information Service (ADIS) (1800 177 833) is a 24-hour support line. It provides information, telephone counselling and referrals for people struggling with alcohol and other drugs use, families and friends of users, and health and welfare professionals.
Counselling Online This is a free, online text-based counselling service for people using alcohol and other drugs, and also their family and friends. Counselling is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also get information, support and referrals for more help.
Family Drug Support (1300 368 186) is a 24-hour telephone support line for families affected by drugs and alcohol. It also provides education and referral, and facilitates support groups across Australia.
Youth Beyond Blue (1300 224 636) offers 24-hour phone support, online forums and resources for young people.
Support and services—programs
Alcoholics Anonymous for young people This organisation provides services for young people and can help them work out whether they have a problem with drinking.
Ted Noffs Foundation This organisation provides essential services for young people who are experiencing trauma related to alcohol and other drugs.
Headspace provides information for young people about alcohol and other drugs use and provides mental health services for young people between the ages of 12 and 25 years.
Open Doors offers support for LGBTIQ+ young people and their families.
Support and services—websites
Alcohol and Drug Foundation This organisation develops and distributes free and quality-assured information on alcohol, other drugs and harm prevention through a range of programs, websites and services.
ATSICHS Safe and Deadly Places offers LGBTQI+ support to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ATSICHS is committed to being a truly inclusive organisation aimed at eliminating isolation, raising the health and well-being needs of Brotherboys, Sistergirls and LGBTQI+ mob and for everyone to feel safe, accepted, valued and supported.
Headspace provides information for young people about alcohol and other drugs use and provides mental health services for young people between the ages of 12 and 25 years.
Dovetail provides clinical advice and professional support to workers, services and communities who engage with young people affected by alcohol and other drugs use.
QNADA provides an overview of the specialist non-governmental youth services providing alcohol and other drugs services in Queensland who are members of the Youth AOD services network.
Quit provides a free and confidential telephone counselling service for adults and young people needing support to decrease their use of cigarettes or vapes. The website also provides information and resources on the impacts of smoking and vaping and strategies to reduce use.
Reachout.com is Australia’s leading online mental health organisation for young people. It provides practical support to help them get through life, from everyday issues to tough times. It has articles and online tools, and also has information for parents and carers.
Teenagers talking to parents about drugs has tips for young people on talking to parents about drugs, as well as a list of phone numbers for area health services that offer help for alcohol and other drugs use.
YoDAA is Victoria's Youth Drug and Alcohol Advice service for young people, parents, and youth workers. The website has excellent information and resources, including apps and videos.
Research and further reading
Practice strategies and interventions: youth alcohol and drug good practice guide from Dovetail has practice tips and interventions for working with young people who engage in alcohol and drug use.
YouthAOD toolbox provides practitioners in the youth alcohol and other drugs field with reliable and current information to help increase their knowledge and enrich their practice. It has a very good trauma-informed care module. The module covers the key aspects of trauma-informed care in practice such as trauma awareness, emphasis on safety, opportunities to build control, strength-based approaches, supporting recovery from trauma, and useful resources and references
Working with young people in the stages of change The stages of change are more than 5 steps on a flow chart. This tool, provided by YoDDA, explores what influences a young person’s motivation and offers clear, evidence-based guidelines for care planning.
Good Practice Guide—Youth work in the family context
You will find ideas and information at the following links:
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