A. YST provides support to your son/daughter. This may help them to follow through with their treatment recommendations and reach a better outcome.
A. No, YST doesn't replace the treatments and services recommended for youth. It is as a supplemental service. The YST intervention Specialist makes every effort to have contact with the youth' treatment provider.
A. No. Youth may nominate any adult. Youth are encouraged to nominate individual adults who would be helpful support persons. But their nominations have to be approved by their parents.
A. Although you are the one asked to identify individuals to be your support persons, your parents must approve of your nominations. You are encouraged to nominate individuals you believe would be helpful as support persons to you. If your parents do not approve of one/any of your choices then we will all work together to identify support persons that you all agree can be asked to participate in YST.
A. Youth are not required to nominate parents to participate as support persons but they often do. If a parent is not nominated to be a support person the Intervention Specialist will still have regular contact with the youth's parent(s).
A. We share information about the YST program with each nominated support person. If they consent to participate, they are asked to attend a one time 1 ½ to 2-hour psychoeducation session. Following this session they are asked to maintain regular weekly contact with you in person or by phone. These contacts may be brief (just a few minutes) or longer (a few hours) depending on what you and the support person arrange. The nominated support person will also have a weekly telephone check-in with the YST Intervention Specialist, which is often just a few minutes. The total length of their involvement is three months.
A. During the 1 ½ to 2-hour psychoeducation session, support persons will learn more about the YST Program and their role as support persons. The Intervention Specialist provides them with information about adolescent mental health and specific information about the youth's emotional/behavioral problems, the youth's treatment plan, the importance of treatment adherence, suicide risk factors and what to do if they have concerns about the youth.
A. During the psychoeducation session, support persons learn about suicide risk factors, signs of possibly increasing suicide risk, and available emergency services. If they have immediate concerns about the youth's well being, they have people to contact. This may include contacting the youth's parent, local emergency services or the YST Intervention Specialist. If the support person has concerns about the youth that are not urgent these can be discussed during the regular weekly contact with the Intervention Specialist or by initiating contact with the Intervention Specialist at another time.
A. What happens will vary depending on the relationship between the youth and YST Support Person. In all instances however, the contact is expected to be supportive of the youth's progress and treatment adherence. YST Support persons usually initiate contact with the youth in person or by telephone. During this contact they usually inquire about the youth's daily/weekly activities and the youth's concerns, provide support, engage in problem solving regarding issues that have arisen and encourage the youth's adherence with recommended services.