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About The Program
"Teens
Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" is a free,
ongoing, two-part workshop series for parents, family members, teens, and
people who work with teens and families. It is designed to provide
education on how to understand, identify and address adolescent alcohol/drug
problems, create a positive attitude towards obtaining help for adolescents
with alcohol/drug problems, and increase participants' readiness and ability to
address adolescent alcohol/drug problems. These workshops have made a
difference to families struggling with teen substance abuse, and to
professionals who want to help.
The workshops are
presented by Ronald E. Harrison, SW. Ron
is a social worker with over 35 years of experience working in diverse settings
with substance-involved teens and their families. He has presented numerous education
and training programs on teen substance abuse, addiction, recovery, and family
issues.
The workshops are held
at the St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Education Center, 5305 Elliott Drive,
Ypsilanti, Michigan; from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm on the 1st (part 1) and 2nd (part
2) Tuesday evenings of each month from October through June. {Please note: due
to New Year’s Day, the January 2008 workshops will be on the second (part one)
and third (part two) Tuesday evenings in January.}
The part one
presentation provides information on how to understand the progression of teen
substance abuse problems, recognize signs and patterns of a teen substance
abuse problem, and know when a teen's use of alcohol/drugs requires action.
Part one includes an eight-minute video.
The part two
presentation provides information on what should and should not be done when a
teen substance abuse problem is suspected or recognized, and strategies for
helping "teens using drugs." Part two includes a recovering young
person, who describes his or her experiences - how it was, what happened, and
how it is now.
All presentations are
free and open to all. A certificate of attendance can be provided on request.
Free literature and resource information is available. Refreshments are
provided. Ample free parking is available. The presenter will stay after the
workshop to talk with people who have further questions or concerns.
The workshops are co-sponsored by Dawn Farm,
the Livingston/Washtenaw Safe and Drug Free
Schools and Communities Act Consortium, and Saint Joseph Mercy Health System Mission
Services. The series
is funded with a grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation,
courtesy of the
The "Teens Using
Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" program began with a presentation in
March 1999 at
Based on this response,
regular presentations of the workshops were organized. The Saint Joseph Mercy Health System
provided a site. Ron Harrison was asked and agreed to continue to present the
program as a community service. Initially, the workshop was a one-part
presentation focused on understanding teen substance abuse problems and
identifying teens that need professional help for a substance abuse problem.
This was presented in October, November and December of 1999. Based on further
feedback from participants, a "part 2" was developed to help people
learn about what to do and what not to do when addressing a teen substance
abuse problem. This 2-part series has been presented since January 2000, on the
first and second Tuesdays of each month from October through June.
The sponsors of this
program are: Dawn
Farm, a community of programs for treatment of and recovery from addiction;
the Livingston/Washtenaw
Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act Consortium, a consortium of
Safe and Drug Free School representatives from public and private schools and
agencies in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties, Michigan, that provides staff
development, program activities, consultation and technical assistance to
school districts in order to meet the requirements of the Principles of
Effectiveness for Safe and Drug-Free Schools; and the Saint
Joseph Mercy Health System Mission Services, a department of the Saint Joseph Mercy Health System.
(Please see "sponsor"
section on the "About Us" page for further
information about the sponsors.)
Why Have A Program On "Teens Using Drugs?"
In the 1970's, when
concern about the escalating prevalence and consequences of substance abuse led
to a nationwide effort to produce effective prevention and treatment programs,
an estimated ten percent of our population was chemically dependent. Since
then, research and experience have provided new information about effective
substance abuse prevention and treatment. Many communities have implemented
programs that have demonstrated success in preventing and treating alcohol and
drug problems. The overall incidence and prevalence of adolescent substance
abuse has dropped in recent years. Yet still, today - an estimated ten percent
of our population is chemically dependent.
No
adolescent is immune from chemical dependency; regardless of his or her
experiences with alcohol and drug education; regardless of how involved his or
her family may be; regardless of socioeconomic status; and regardless of
religious participation, school achievement, extracurricular involvement or
other assets and protective factors. Even the most effective prevention
programs do not eliminate all substance use by all teens. Some young people
will "experiment" with alcohol and drugs despite our best prevention
efforts. Some of these will continue to use, and some will become addicted. An
estimated 10 % of our overall population will become addicted if they use
alcohol/drugs.
Substance abuse is a
primary or contributing factor to most of the serious problems faced by
adolescents, and is the leading cause of adolescent mortality. Too many substance-involved young people
suffer serious, sometimes irreversible consequences, including death. Early intervention with
substance-involved teens offers hope for preventing irreparable damage and
helping addicted teens recover their lives and their futures. These young
people urgently need help, and helpers need the right knowledge and tools.
Although the initial
decision to "try" alcohol, marijuana, or other drugs is a choice,
adolescents do not choose to become addicted to these substances. Addiction is
a disease. There is no known absolute way to prevent addiction in a person
susceptible to addiction unless alcohol/drug use is entirely avoided. It is not
their “fault” that they become addicted.
It is not the fault of the parents, or the school system, or society, or
other external factors. Addiction does not happen solely because of the type of
drugs used, the amount of drugs used, the manner in which drugs are used, or
the personality or social circumstances of the user. Bad parenting doesn’t
cause it and good parenting often can’t prevent it. Addiction happens to teens from
"good" families, to teens from "troubled" families, and to
teens with no families; to teens who excel in school and teens who struggle
with school; to teens with high self esteem and teens with low self esteem; to
teens who are happy and well-adjusted and teens troubled by depression, ADHD or
other problems. Addiction can happen regardless of prior determination about
how drugs will and will not be used or the conviction that "it won't
happen to me." Addiction happens to a susceptible individual who uses
alcohol/drugs. Addiction is not a moral failing or a lack of willpower or a
lack of better things to do. It is a disease, and it is not anyone's fault. We
do not know for certain what causes addiction, but we do
know how to treat it once it has been identified.
Adolescent alcohol/drug
problems can be difficult to identify and differentiate from other adolescent
problems or even from "normal" adolescent behavior, even for loving, attentive,
involved parents and caring, experienced professionals. When a young person experiences alcohol or
drug problems, the LAST thing that parents and other concerned adults see is
the alcohol/drug use. Teens hide their alcohol/drug use from parents and others
in authority. A teen won't usually tell us that he was truant from school to
smoke weed, or that she performed poorly on her SAT's because she was hung
over, or that he dropped sports and music to have more time for getting high,
or that the money she saved for college was consumed by her escalating need for
heroin, or that he is in love with “ecstasy” to the exclusion of all other
interests. Teens with alcohol/drug problems employ hostility, diversion,
manipulation, and other defenses to effectively protect their substance use by
diverting attention away from it. Parents and others concerned about a young
person are often uncertain of what the primary problem is and of what can be
done about it. Future use is protected when the teen confuses parents and other
caring people and pushes them away.
However, there are
signs and patterns of behaviors that can alert us to the possibility that a
teen we care about may have an alcohol/drug problem. We do not have to see a
teen using to see a "using" teen. Once
diagnosed, teen alcohol and drug problems are absolutely treatable!
The "Teens Using
Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" workshop series was developed in
response to the need in our community for an ongoing, easily accessible, free
education resource for people struggling with teen substance abuse issues. It
is difficult and painful for family members to explore the possibility that a
young person they love may be using alcohol/drugs or may have an alcohol/drug
problem. Dealing with adolescent substance abuse is often isolating, confusing,
polarizing, frightening, and extremely stressful for all involved. This program
is designed to help people learn more about this issue. The workshops are
informal, free, and open to all. There is no registration, commitment or
interactive participation required. People can attend to listen, to learn, and
to ask questions if they wish to.
This series provides an
access point for information to help family members struggling with teen
substance abuse issues; for professionals, students and others seeking to
better understand teen substance abuse issues in order to assist affected
adolescents and their families; and for teens who would like to learn about
adolescent alcohol/drug problems and solutions to alcohol/drug problems.
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"TEENS USING DRUGS: WHAT TO KNOW and WHAT TO
DO" Disclaimer PLEASE NOTE: this site is
not a counseling or treatment service. We welcome comments and requests for information
about the "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do" program
and/or about this Web site, but the people who maintain the Web site are not
substance abuse professionals and can not provide advice about substance
abuse problems. Parents, family
members, teens, professionals, and concerned community members are all
welcome to attend the free "Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To
Do" program to learn more about adolescent substance abuse problems and
what can be done to help adolescents with alcohol/drug problems. If you are
not able to attend this program, you can click on the "referrals" section to find suggestions for other
options, and check the "information/links"
section for sources of help and information. |