Most adults with opioid use disorders (OUDs) started using opioids before the age of 25, with one-third of them before the age of 18, and in California, nearly 22 percent of youth have misused opioid pain relievers at least once by the 11th grade.1
Across the United States, most youth who may benefit from medications for addiction treatment do not receive them. 2 Factors contributing to the underuse of these medications for youth include misinformation and stigma,3 a lack of waiver-certified pediatricians, and limited training in addiction medicine.4
YOR California aims to strengthen capacity and increase access medications for the treatment of OUDs and to reduce opioid overdose related death among youth through evidence-based prevention, treatment, and recovery services. YOR California also supports prevention, treatment, and services to address stimulant misuse and stimulant use disorders (StUDs) among youth.
The YOR California team recognizes that barriers and silos often prevent the comprehensive interventions youth require and the range of settings which can, and should, serve as access points for youth. Therefore, YOR California focuses on services for youth that are culturally appropriate. These include positive youth development and youth-appropriate engagement strategies, screening and assessments normed for age groups, individual and group counseling using age-appropriate strategies and materials, and case management and recovery support services designed for youth and their families. In addition, YOR California supports outreach and engagement activities to successfully reach youth and their families through tailored communication vehicles and strategies that will resonate with youth.
YOR California welcomes your questions, responses, and involvement. Please email us at YORCalifornia@ahpnet.com.
A Joint Effort by the California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions and Advocates for Human Potential, Inc. and funded by the California Department of Health Care Services Community Services Division1 Hadland, S. E., Wharam, J. F., Schuster, M. A., Zhang, F., Samet, J. H., & Larochelle, M. R. (2017). Trends in receipt of buprenorphine and naltrexone for opioid use disorder among adolescents and young adults, 2001–2014. JAMA Pediatrics, 17(8), 747–755. 2 Winters, K. C., Botzet, A. M., Stinchfield, R., Gonzales-Castaneda, R., Finch, A. J., Piehler, T. F., … & Hemze, A. (2018). Adolescent substance abuse treatment: A review of evidence-based research. In Leukefeld, C. G., & Gullotta, T. P. (Eds.), Adolescent Substance Abuse (pp. 141–171). New York: Springer.
3 Hadland, S. E., Park, T. W., & Bagley, S. M. (2018). Stigma associated with medication treatment for young adults with opioid use disorder: A case series. Addiction Science & Clinical Practice, 12(1), 15.
4 Winters, K. C., Botzet, A. M., Stinchfield, R., Gonzales-Castaneda, R., Finch, A. J., Piehler, T. F., … & Hemze, A. (2018). Adolescent substance abuse treatment: A review of evidence-based research. In Leukefeld, C.G., & Gullotta, T. P. (Eds.), Adolescent Substance Abuse (pp. 141–171). New York: Springer.
