The master’s thesis focuses on addressing the use of psychoactive substances (hereinafter PAS) within a residential treatment centre. The theoretical part presents various definitions of PAS, statistics on PAS use in the general population and among adolescents in Slovenia, legislation on PAS in Slovenia, approaches to treating PAS users, the developmental period of adolescence and adolescent use of PAS. The thesis also describes institutional care, the characteristics of the population placed in such institutions, methods of work and the treatment of adolescents who use PAS within the institution.
The empirical part was conducted within a residential treatment centre, where both adolescents and professional workers were included through a qualitative research approach. The study was designed as a case study, as it focused on a single selected institution. A comprehensive insight was obtained through semi-structured interviews and document analysis into the current treatment practices, their advantages and disadvantages, how adolescents and professional workers experience treatment, and their needs related to treatment. Attention was also devoted to potential systemic barriers and challenges that professional workers encounter in their work, as well as finding possible improvements that would enable better quality treatment of adolescents who use PAS within the institutional care.
The results show that the treatment of PAS use is carried out in various ways: individually and in groups, as well as indirectly and directly. The residential treatment centre has specific rules and educational measures that sanction violations of the rules, which also include the use of PAS. Cooperation with parents and external institutions is also important, and the relationship established between the adolescent and the professional worker is crucial for the treatment of PAS use.
The findings serve as a proposal and foundation for further professional development aimed at improving practice within institutional care and aligning it with the current needs of adolescents and professional workers related to the treatment of PAS use.
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