Youth Substance Awareness Safety

"I was required to cease all drugs and alcohol use and even though it was difficult at first, I have never felt better. My mood is better, my periods of depression are less frequent and intense, and I’m less anxious, more productive and have begun working out again to achieve a more natural high. Smoking was a poor coping mechanism and actually could have made my problems worse."

—Putney Youth

Our Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program (YSASP) is a confidential program designed to emphasize healthy choices over punishment for young people charged with alcohol or civil-marijuana offenses. Its focus is on an evidence-based intervention model that utilizes a substance use screening and interview process to determine the level of intervention that will be most appropriate. Levels of intervention may include one or more meetings with a YSASP case manager, a clinical substance use assessment, or longer-term substance use treatment. If the participant successfully completes program requirements and recommendations, the citation is voided and the record is sealed.

Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program (YSASP) provides an alternative to the civil court process for youth who violate Vermont’s under age alcohol, cannabis or buprenorphine laws.  YSASP helps young people to understand the impact on themselves and others of using substances and to lower their risk of future use, while connecting those identified as using at high-risk levels to professional substance use clinicians.  The Youth Substance Awareness Safety Program is based on Vermont law and guided by criminal justice and adolescent substance use intervention research. Our focus is on the health of young people. 

In addition, Vermont Association of Court Diversion Program (VACDP) members recognize the importance of a standardized approach among all county programs to ensure an equitable experience for participants while addressing participants’ individual needs.

VACDP aims to apply the risk, need, and responsivity evidence-based principles:

RISK PRINCIPLE – intensive intervention may be ineffective or actually harmful for low-risk offenders; it is most important to focus on the health risks of alcohol and cannabis use

NEED PRINCIPLE –target the specific needs of each participant, based on the information provided by the participant

RESPONSIVITY PRINCIPLE – tailor the intervention to be responsive to each individual’s situation, interests, goals, and strengths.

If you would like more information regarding the YSASP, please contact Rhonda Aither at rhonda.aither@youthservicesinc.org or call office number 802-257-0361 ext. 143, or mobile phone (802) 254-0420. 

Frequently Asked Questions for YSASP

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