https://padlet.com/CentralZoneMHAHP/all-hands-on-deck-wr39dkwkft0lq7rv/wish/lDK1ZRyGKk2NQJ9z
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The purpose of this quality improvement report is to support Health Promoters working in the Central Zone of Nova Scotia
(which includes the Halifax Regional Municipality, Windsor, West Hants and stretching east to Sheet Harbour) by providing
consistent, evidence- and community-informed response to school or community concerns around youth substance use
outbreaks. The term ‘substance use outbreak’ was developed by the project team to mirror the language we use to address
communicable diseases. There are times when substance use exceeds the expectations of a school or community and
prompts members to take action or express concerns, hence the purpose of this report. Unlike a communicable disease
response in school or community, which is led by evidence-based protocols and initiates a collaborative response between
health officials and school or community partners, when an outbreak of youth substance occurs, the response varies, and is
often inconsistent or absent. We knew this was a gap.
We initiated this project to understand what currently guides responses to substance use outbreaks in schools and
communities; determine what gaps exist; identify what evidence-based approaches could be used in response; and develop
a health promotion step-by-step approach to responding to substance use outbreaks, with relationship building at its core.
The project team started by conducting a literature review and a jurisdictional scan. These items informed conversations
with members of the community who work with youth, professionals in schools, and students themselves. We found that:
Youth substance use is a complex issue, often interconnected with other factors, which makes it important to understand
the school/community context from which the youth is coming to better understand how to support.
Conversations with youth regarding substance use need to start much sooner and go beyond providing health-harm
messaging about substances.
Values play a big role in how schools and communities respond to youth substance use, which can lead to
inconsistencies in support, equity and social justice for the youth involved.
There is limited guidance for schools responding to youth substance use and a lack of support on how to implement
restorative approaches.
It is unclear what roles and responsibilities exist in the schools for responding to youth substance use, which makes it
difficult to respond collaboratively with community partners and health professionals who are available to support.
Our findings led to the creation of both a preventative and responsive approach (detailed in this report) to supporting a
school or community group with substance use concerns. These approaches are designed to guide a Health Promoter to
support a school or community partner to develop conditions and environments that engage and connect with youth, so
they have a deep sense of belonging. Additionally, it will support those working with youth to respond effectively and
immediately when a substance use outbreak occurs. For details on our process and findings, refer to Appendix D.
In Health Promotion practice, we often work with school and community partners based on their ‘readiness’ to engage in
health behaviour change. In this case, we are hopeful that partners will understand the importance of seeing youth
substance use as a health issue, will be aware of how their individual values can influence a supportive response, and will
want to work collaboratively to prevent or respond to substance use outbreaks with the objective of improving the health
and wellbeing of youth. However, we recognize that not all partners are ready to make a change. In this case, our responsive
step-by-step approach is designed to first and foremost build a trusting relationship between the Health Promoter and the
school or community partners.
We hope that the contents of this report are a helpful tool for those working in the Health Promotion field.