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'Continuing care' refers to the provision of co-ordinated care and support overtime. Currently, little is known about continuing care programs for young people who complete alcohol and other drug treatment. This paper analyses data from an interview-based study that aimed to identify the generative mechanisms underpinning an innovative continuing care program for young people. Researchers recruited 11 current and former program clients aged 17 to 25 years and nine program staff. Analysis identified five generative mechanisms of the program that supported participants to manage their substance use over the long term, namely person-centred counselling; relationship stability; safety and inclusion; situated mode of ordering continuing care; and organizational memory. Participants reported that the best continuing care for young people is holistic, includes regular and sustained contact, employs an innovative approach to intervention, establishes links with community services and other support structures, and provides care within a safe, person-centred, and situated framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Life Story Board (LSB) is a visual tool used in therapeutic circumstances to coconstruct a lifescape that represents the personal, relational and temporal aspects of a person's lived experiences. We conducted a study of the drug use and harm reduction experiences of people who inject drugs through research interviews using the LSB to determine whether it has the potential to enhance qualitative research. Our team included community researchers who were current or former drug users and academic researchers. Interviews were conducted by two community researchers: an interviewer and a storyboarder who populated the LSB. Results showed that interviewers and participants interacted with the LSB in different ways. The board functioned to situate the interviewers in the interview schedule, whereas participants often used the board as a way to validate or reinforce their life story. Participants expressed a variety of emotional and cognitive responses to the board. Overall, the LSB helped participants focus on their life story to recall specific occasions or incidents and enabled them to gain perspective and make greater sense of their lives. Both participants and interviewers engaged with the LSB in nuanced ways that enabled them to work together to represent the participant's life story. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]