fesat workshop 3: young people, parents, cannabis and helplines counselling, brief intervention...
TRANSCRIPT
FESAT Workshop 3:
Young People, Parents, Cannabis and Helplines
Counselling, Brief intervention
Chris Murphy (Ireland)
Types of enquiry
1. Request for information
2. Wants to talk / Seeking guidance
3. Wants to meet a counsellor (= referral)
1. Request for Information
• SMS (txt) – Automated response
• Phone – personal, brief response
• 3. Web: Live Person – brief reply
SMS replies 2006
SMS Drug Repartition 2006
1% 2% 2%2%
2%3%
3%
3%
4%
4%
4%
4%
6%
6%
9%
16%
22%
8%
Methadone
Tobacco
Poppers
Dope
Crack
Weed
Alcohol
Cannabis
Coke
Lsd
Acid
Magic Mushrooms
Ecstasy
Speed
Heroin
Cocaine
Hash
other
Hash
Cocaine
HeroinSpeed
Ecstasy
Cannabis
Other
Acid
LSD
Coke
Magic mushr
2. Person wants to “talk”
• By Text, Phone or over the Internet
• Wants to talk about a problem
• Perhaps in a crisis
• Asking “what am I to do?”
Online Contacts and ChatsTOTALS 2006 TOTAL HITS 66,918 Service Users
Information Requests Online: 2197 • Parent looking for Information: 938 Brief responses • Out of Hours: 496
Live Help Chats: 289 • General: 118 • Cannabis: 57 • Heroin: 11 Personal
responses• Ecstasy: 0 (more lengthy)• Cocaine: 41 • Amphetamines:24 • Other Drugs: 38
Why focus on Parents?
• They often make the help call
• Family Systems: If the parent changes, others will also change
• They see their son or daughter daily ; I can only offer one hour a week to meet their son or daughter
Parent Issues
a) Reaching out, asking for help
b) Power and responsibility
c) Self-care
d) Harm reduction and total abstinence
e) Relationships
f) Intervention
a) The parent asks for help (at last!)
• Person to Person– Create a Relationship with the caller
• Share simple information – my name, caller’s name, age of person they are worried about, confidentiality
• Be Reassuring – We will try to help
b) Power and responsibility“Powerlessness” = The other person is responsible for his or her own decisions
Power and responsibility (3)
• A parent (& a good parent) cannot control the behaviour of another person – even if that person is your son or daughter
Power and Responsibility
• Or a time of growth for parents and young person?
• Remind the young person that parents cannot take on their (y.p’s) responsibility
c) Self-care
• Put on your own oxygen mask first
• Get your own feet on solid ground
• Parents decide what is right for you
• Two parents rarely agree – that’s normal
• What is the desired outcome – a young adult who is good at self-care…?
Self-care
• Parent is wise to seek help or guidance
• It’s good to break the silence
• What help and support is available?
• Do they want referral to a resource near them?
• Do they just want to talk on the phone or internet?
d) Harm reduction and total abstinence
• What is the desired outcome?
• “Zero tolerance” is not the only option
• Harm-avoidance is a good start
• What about (as an outcome): – a young adult who takes good care of himself
or herself?
e) Relationships
• Have you and your son or daughter had good times in the past?
• A sound foundation does not disappear overnight
• Keep the lines of communication open– Who does he/she listen to– Do you ever have good conversations?
f) Intervention
• If there is already serious harm arising (chaotic use, violence, stealing, possible addiction) intervention is worth considering
• There are guidelines, but it is difficult to outline this over the phone
• Better to make contact with an agency or counsellor