NCJ Number
211728
Date Published
September 2005
Length
58 pages
Annotation
This report presents findings and recommendations from an evaluation of Queensland's (Australia) "places of safety" model, which provides a safe, monitored place for youth who are intoxicated from "volatile substance misuse" (VSM), defined as "the deliberate inhalation of a gas or fumes released from a substance at room temperature, for the purpose of intoxication."
Abstract
This pilot program involved the selection of six service providers, who operated designated "places of safety" on behalf of Queensland's Department of Communities. In addition to providing locations for the safe restraint and monitoring of youth intoxicated by VSM, the safe places provided referral services for youth to help them deal with problems underlying their VSM. During the 9 months of the evaluation, 1,848 contacts were made at the places of safety; however, accounting for return visits, 316 individuals were responsible for many contacts. Sixty-four percent of the youth were Aboriginal, and there were nearly as many females as males. Most were 15 years old. Police referrals were responsible for only 7 percent of all referrals, and the majority of stays were overnight. The evaluation generally found the places-of-safety model to be a constructive response to VSM; however, a number of recommendations were developed for improving this model. The evaluation recommends separating medically oriented intoxication-recovery services from the more general welfare-oriented client assistance services; however, this recommendation does not preclude assigning the coordination for both types of services to a single nongovernmental organization. In terms of a broader multiagency response to VSM, supported by appropriate changes in police powers, the evaluation developed nine principles for improving the government's response to VSM. The principles expand upon a structure within which police respond to VSM by diverting offenders to a community-based agency that focuses on the broader long-term needs of the youth. Appended charts and tables and 56 references