How to help young people involved with alcohol/other drugs - free two-part series

Posted: Jan 1, 2013 at 12:17 PM [Jan 1, 2013]

When young people experience problems related to alcohol or other drug use - the alcohol/other drug use is often the LAST thing that parents and others who care become aware of.  Substance-involved young people protect their use by hiding it and diverting attention away from the alcohol/other drugs. . Most substance-involved young people have loving, caring, involved families who would like to help, but often don’t understand what’s wrong or know what they can do.   Signs and patterns of behaviors can alert people who care to the possibility that a young person may have an alcohol/other drug problem, even when the substance use is hidden. Once identified, early identification and intervention can often prevent serious, sometimes irreversible consequences.

"Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" is a free, ongoing, two part program designed to help people learn how to identify alcohol/other drug problems in teens/young adults and take appropriate and effective action to help. Part 1 describes the development of a substance abuse problem and how to recognize when a young person may be harmfully involved with alcohol or other drugs. Part 2 provides information on how to help when a teen substance abuse problem is suspected or recognized. This two-part series repeats on the first (part one) and second (part two) Tuesdays of October, November, and January through June each year (exception: one week later this January 2013 due to New Year’s.) The next part one of this series will be presented on Tuesday January 8, and part two will be presented on Tuesday January 15. The January series will be presented by Brian Spitsbergen MA, LLPC, CAADC; Director, Community Intervention and Treatment (CITx,) Growth Works, Inc.; and Tamara Shirey, MA, LLPC; Dawn Farm Project Manager.

The programs are held from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm  at the St. Joe's Hospital Education Center, 5305 Elliott Drive, Ypsilanti. The series is free and open to all; it is targeted to primarily to parents but welcomes other family members, teens, people who work with teens, and anyone interested for any reason.  The series is co-sponsored by Dawn Farm, St. Joe’s Greenbrook Recovery Center, and the Livingston and Washtenaw Coordinated School Health Program Regional Team. Registration is not required. For more information, please see http://www.teensusingdrugs.org or contact Dawn Farm by phone at 734-485-8725, or email info@dawnfarm.org.