Substance Abuse Among Teens

By: Doug Hall, RN, BSN, Nurse Director - Adolescent Unit

Not surprisingly, there are some adolescents that are at a higher risk for chemical dependency then others. These at-risk teens tend share several common characteristics. They are often children of substance abusers, adolescents with mental health issues, depressed or suicidal teens, or victims of physical, psychological or sexual abuse. Cultural or social norms can also influence teens to experiment and/or overuse drugs and alcohol.

Substance abuse treatment programs most commonly vary based on their length of stay.  Many inpatient programs are long term to help manage treatment and help with the detoxification process. Long term treatment programs typically provide group meetings, psychosocial support systems and drug free supervision with tests. Family support is absolutely key to the success of a patient that is struggling with a chemical dependency. Outpatient programs also feature groups, friend/family support and individual psychotherapy.

Bringing Your Best Game

By Sherry Montgomery, LSCSW, LCSW

A couple of months ago a patient arrived for a scheduled assessment to participate in our Substance Abuse Intensive Outpatient Program.  He was a young man who had a history of more than 1 DUI and was living in a detention facility.  Clearly he was not interested in treatment.  He reported being in three previous treatment programs and needed to meet requirements to get probation.