The latest online resources for Australian health care professionals, who want to do ASSIST screening and intervention with young people are now available on the Drug and Alcohol Services SA (DASSA) website as the ASSIST-Y.
The World Health Organization’s Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) is a clinically and scientifically validated questionnaire that screens for all levels of problem or risky substance use in adults. The current version of the ASSIST questionnaire is not valid for young people, particularly given the lowered risk thresholds in young people.
DASSA has developed draft versions of the ASSIST-Y for 10-14 year olds and 15-17 year olds, using clinical consensus and expert opinion, along with revised materials for delivering the brief intervention and for providing the approporiate intervention (Clinical Instructions).
The ASSIST-Y resources are available from the DASSA website at http://www.dassa.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=477 under Administering the ASSIST to young people (ASSIST-Y).
Please be aware if you intend to use these that they are draft versions only and have not had extensive psychometric or other testing. Any feedback you wish to give on these drafts should be emailed to dassa@health.sa.gov.au