Delegates Program - Alberta Centre for Injury Control & Research

In-Roads Project:
A description is provided of a mentorship project where addictions counsellors work with crisis
services staff to more effectively screen and address high-risk alcohol use with their clients.
Speakers:
Nancy McCalder, Executive Director
The Support Network
Denise Salanski, Program Consultant
In-Roads Program, Addiction and Mental Health
Alberta Health Services
Programs Description:
In-Roads is designed to improve access to screening, assessment, referral and early
intervention treatment services for youth and young adults that are at risk for substance
abuse problems. It is delivered in partnership with community organizations with the
outcome that youth and young adults receive, at minimum, an initial addiction assessment
and intervention at youth and young adult serving facilities or programs that they utilize.
The Support Network offers telephone, on-line and in-person support to people requiring
information and referral, crisis support and short term solution focussed counselling.
Services include: 211 Edmonton- Information and Referral, Distress Line, On-Line Crisis
Chat, Suicide Bereavement and Caregiver Support, Educations Services, and Walk-In
Counselling.
What was the actual and/or potential alcohol-related injury issue(s) you identified in your
community?
Alberta Health Services - Addiction and Mental Health identified a need for at-risk youth
and young adults aged 12 to 24 years age. Clients encountered difficulties navigating
through the complicated and diverse systems to receive addiction treatment. This
decreased the likelihood of their follow-through and engagement in the treatment process.
The need for an increased collaborative and multi-sector approach to treatment to ensure
a full continuum of accessible and available services was developed
In 2011, over 750 callers to the Distress Line identified addictions as their main reason
for reaching out for mental health and suicide prevention support. Training staff and
volunteers to screen and intervene with clients who identify or present with substance
abuse issues was needed. In-Roads was seen as an opportunity to raise the knowledge
and skill level in substance abuse issues of staff in order to address the complexity of
calls or client cases that are seeking support from The Support Network
What did you do to address the identified issue(s)?
AHS-In-Roads and The Support Network entered into a contractual agreement to
enhance the substance abuse related competencies of service providers who serve at-risk
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