Within our approach to delivering substance misuse treatment services, Oasis Project recognises the individual needs of people across their life span. The period of transition between adolescence into adulthood and from youth services to adult support services is a critical opportunity to promote change and support young adults addressing substance misuse (NICE, 2016).
18-25 year olds have different needs to other adults due to factors such as the complex
neurodevelopmental stage of life, the cliff edge of care and support, alongside the varying types of harms younger adults may face including homelessness, domestic abuse, family conflict, childhood trauma, and criminal and sexual exploitation through models such as County Lines (Cooper & Cocker, 2019; Holmes & Smale, 2018).
Younger adults accessing Oasis Project often tell us about frustration and challenge of being caught in an intersection between youth and adulthood, both within their personal lives but also when navigating support services. From our work with women, we know that people and groups have individual and specific needs, which benefit from responsive approaches. Our Hope service seeks to directly meet the needs of younger adults and support young people to make changes to relationships with substances, live the life they wish, feeling empowered with choice and control over
their futures.
What is the Hope service?
The Hope service, which was named by young people through a social media campaign, starts to work with people who are aged 17 ¾ and are ready to move on from the youth substance misuse service and access adult treatment services. The service also works with other young adults who may benefit from a specialist intervention to prevent entrenched substance misuse throughout adulthood.
The service aims:
- To bridge the gap between youth and adult services through responding specifically to the needs of young adults and preventing disengagement from support services.
- To promote changes in relationships with substances and avoid entrenched substance use through adulthood.
- To provide flexible, trauma-informed, holistic support tailored to the developmental need of the individual.
- To listen to the needs and wants to young adults and promote their voice within service delivery.
- To share learning and specialist knowledge with wider sector to advocate for the needs of young adults.
The Hope service delivers support through both specialist 1:1 support and groups. Young adults can self-refer or be referred by a professional or supportive person in their life via the referral link on our Contact Us Page
We also offer free, confidential, individual therapy for women aged between 18 – 25 who have experienced violence, abuse, neglect or disadvantage in their early lives through our Young Women’s Therapy Service. Click here for more information.
For more information about the Hope service please visit our website or contact Fran Carpenter, Head of Client Services – [email protected]
