A University of Calgary research student wants to hear from youth ordered to participate in the Protection for Children Using Drugs program.
The provincial program, which operates in Red Deer, Edmonton, Calgary and Grande Prairie, has been available since 2006 and allows parents or guardians of children or youth under age 18 who are abusing alcohol or drugs, to apply to provincial court for an apprehension and a 10-day confinement order for detox and assessment.
The focus of Protection for Children Using Drugs (PChAD) program is to help children and youth whose substance use has caused, or is likely to cause, significant physical, psychological or social harm to themselves, or physical harm to others, and who are refusing voluntary treatment.
PhD counselling psychology student Daniel O'Brien said research into interventions like PChAD is important, as are high-quality clinical trials.
"I am hoping to understand how young people found it helpful or if it didn't meet their needs, how it might have affected their life in terms of their relationships and their substance use, and also try to get their perspective on how PChAD can be changed or improved to work better for youth," said O'Brien, the study's co-ordinator working with principal investigator Tanya Mudry.
"(Youth) really have a lot to offer in terms of their ideas about what can help keep kids safe, and when it's appropriate to use something like this or when it might do more harm than good."
O'Brien, who worked for many years as a youth worker in group care, said for some youth he worked with, PChAD didn't help and was alienating. They felt like they couldn't trust their parents or case workers. They wouldn't come home, or let people know where they were, because they worried they would be 'PChADed' again.
He said PChAD may be necessary for some youth, but there isn't much research available on its effectiveness, or into addiction and mental health. When the overdose crisis is so severe, efforts need to be in proportion to the severity of the problem.
Youths aged 16 to 29 who have attended PChAD and want to share their experience can email daniel.obrien@ucalgary.ca or call 780-862-1682.
