Youth Opioid Recovery Support (YORS)
What is YORS?
The Youth Opioid Recovery Support (YORS) Intervention is a treatment model designed specifically for young people struggling with opioid use disorder. Our assertive care team aims to help youth stay on their medication and prevent relapse, as well as provide support and resources to their loved ones. YORS is made up of multiple components: low-barrier access to medication, monetary incentives, assertive outreach and therapy, and family involvement and peer support.
Intervention Services
Low-Barrier Access to Medication
Medications to reduce the likelihood of relapse, called medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), are the gold standard for treatment of youth with opioid addiction. To address the barriers that youth experience, the YORS program will help your loved one stick to their chosen medication by offering transportation assistance to treatment centers or pharmacies, offering home-delivery, and facilitating visits and communication with our doctors.
Monetary Incentives
Sticking to treatment is hard, especially for youth. The YORS program offers rewards for sticking to their chosen medication through cash gift cards. Incentivizing certain behaviors, like sticking to medication treatment, is an effective evidence-based practice called "contingency management." The rewards increase the longer your loved one sticks to their treatment plan.
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The YORS team will provide your loved one with a reloadable gift card when they enroll in the study. Your loved one will keep this card throughout the duration of the study, and the YORS team will load their reward after verifying that they received a dose of their medication.
Assertive Continuing Care
Outreach and Individual Therapy
The YORS team, including our study therapists and research staff, will reach out to you and your loved one regularly to check-in, give reminders about appointments and medications, and provide flexible support throughout each week. Frequent outreach can help maintain engagement and motivation for treatment.
When your loved one is enrolled in the study, they will be paired with one of our study therapists. This therapist offers one-on-one sessions to support your loved one through their recovery.
Family Involvement & Peer Support
Sometimes addiction can complicate relationships, which can leave family members and significant others left out of the treatment process. In the YORS approach, we engage and empower loved ones from the very beginning. Through family therapy, individual coaching sessions, and peer support, the YORS program supports you through your loved one's recovery journey. Our team leads weekly peer support groups where you can learn about addiction and treatment and engage in discussions with other families. Click here for information on scheduling and how to join.
