Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

Our mantra at Reclaiming Futures sums up our goals for youth in the juvenile justice system: more treatment, better treatment, and beyond treatment.  
While not every young person who uses or abuses drugs and alcohol is addicted, we know that addiction is a disease that usually has its onset in adolescence, so intervening early is important. But the problem is particularly acute in the juvenile justice system, which refers nearly half of all teens who enter publicly-funded substance abuse treatment.
We also know that nearly one in five youth at the door of the juvenile justice system have diagnosable substance abuse disorders-- and that the percentage goes up, the deeper youth penetrate the system. Of youth in post-adjudication placements, 47%  have alcohol and drug disorders.  Furthermore, the groundbreaking Pathways to Desistance research on serious juvenile offenders found that substance use was strongly related to their continued criminal activity.
The good news is that substance abuse programs that involve an individual’s family in the intervention are one of the few things that reduced recidivism. That's why, in the communities we work with, we promote the expansion of treatment – more treatment – and the implementation of evidence-based screening and assessment tools, such as the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN) – better treatment.  Many times, trauma or other unmet needs can be a contributing factor in a youth's negative behavior choices and need to be addressed.  

What does national health care reform mean for teens in the juvenile justice system who have substance abuse disorders?
On September 29, 2011 at 10:00am PDT / 1:00pm EDT, Doreen Cavanaugh, Ph.D., of the Health Policy Institute at Georgetown University, presented a webinar sponsored by Reclaiming Futures, titled, "Health Reform: Opportunities for Juvenile Justice Involved Youth with Substance Use Disorders and their Families."
Dr. Cavanaugh addressed the existing and upcoming changes in the U.S. health care system by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the health reform law.
She:

• identified existing funding sources supporting treatment and recovery services for youth with substance use disorders who are involved in the juvenile justice system;
• highlighted new opportunities for these youth and their families under health care reform;
• discussed ways to enhance collaborative relationships across the health and juvenile justice sectors; and
• detailed the steps to take now at state and local levels to improve access and quality of treatment and recovery services for youth in the juvenile justice system.

View the archived webinar: follow the link and scroll down for webinars under "Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment" (or search by title or the presenter's name).

CIGNA and The Partnership at Drugfree.org are kicking off a monthly series of telephone seminars that will help you better understand today’s changing landscape of substance abuse. The seminars are free and there is no registration required. They’re open to any parent, caregiver or loved one interested in learning more about teen drug addiction. Each seminar will include the participation of a leading expert within the field and a parent from The Partnership at Drugfree.org’s Parent Advisory Board, who will share his or her personal experience with the topic being presented.
 
On Wednesday, September 21, 2011, at Noon-1:00 pm EDT, the series kicks off with a call about teen abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and what parents can do to prevent this dangerous behavior.
 
WHAT:
Did you know that one in five teens has used a prescription drug not prescribed to them by a doctor?* This month’s podcast and Q&A will explore teen abuse of prescription and over-the-counter drugs and what parents can do to prevent this dangerous behavior.

 
 
 
Want to present at the 2012 Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness (JMATE)? The organizers have put out a call for abstracts. (They're due November 1, 2011). Here's the official announcement: 
 

We are thrilled to announce that the 2012 Joint Meeting on Adolescent Treatment Effectiveness (JMATE) is taking place April 10-12, 2012 in Washington, DC. 
 
We are currently seeking abstract submissions! The deadline for submission is November 1, 2011. For complete details and instructions on how to submit your abstract, please see the attached 2012 JMATE Call for Abstracts (PDF) or visit the Abstract Submission page of the JMATE Website at www.jmate.org/jmate2012/. 
 
If you have any questions or additional information needs, please contact us at JMATE-info@jbsinternational.com.  Thank you for your continued work on behalf of adolescent treatment and recovery!

>>Download the call for abstracts here.

• Messaging Brief: Human Needs on the National Radar Screen
  This brief from the National Human Services Assembly provides a great summary of framing messages effectively to support human services; includes worksheets.
• Video: "What's Your Elevator Speech?"
  Youth workers give their best pitches telling viewers what their organization does to help youth -- and why viewers should support it. Thanks to National clearinghouse on Families and Youth.

Evidence-based practices and how to implement them is a priority for many substance abuse treatment organizations, including those treating adolescent.  
To help with this priority, NIATx has launched a new project, the Building a Sustainable National Infrastructure for Research and Dissemination of Improved Behavioral Treatment Practices, funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The informal title for this project is “The Network of Practice.”
Its aim? To build an internet-based community focused on adopting evidence-based clinical practices. The resulting tool may include features such as virtual cafes, a step-by-step guide to implementing an evidence-based practice, a library of practical information, and a cost-benefit calculator.
More than 500 organizations have completed an online survey for this project (and that number is growing). You can still complete the survey (which takes about five minutes to complete) by visiting: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/infra_survey
For more information about the project or to get involved in its development, please contact:
Anna Wheelock at anna.wheelock@chess.wisc.edu or
Kim Johnson at Kimberly.johnson@chess.wisc.edu

Raleigh, N.C. (September 14, 2011) -- North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue today announced a partnership between state agencies and two North Carolina foundations that will expand the successful Reclaiming Futures program from a model to a statewide initiative that helps youths in the juvenile justice system beat problems with drugs and alcohol. This tested and proven program will help put teenagers on a path toward finishing high school ready, for a career, college or technical training.
"This program takes my priority of making government more efficient, taps into the expertise and resources of the private sector and uses them for the most important purpose imaginable - protecting the future of our young people," Governor Perdue said. "This is an investment in turning young lives around." 
 

• Promising Practice: Helping Young People into Employment
  LA Fitness founder Fred Turok spearheaded "Transforming a Generation," a program that provides on the job training and has helped 1,400 young people into jobs or higher education.
• Two OJJDP Grants Cut for Lack of Funding
  The Comprehensive Anti-Gang Strategies and Programs and Evaluation of the Second Chance Act Juvenile Mentoring Initiatives were worth $750,000. Both grants were not awarded due to spending cuts in 2011. (Hat tip to Youth Today)
• NIATx Training: Billing Third-Party Payers
  This learning collaborative will focus on giving behavioral healthcare providers, including adolescent substance abuse treatment providers, the skills they need to bill third-party payers for their services. Application deadline has been extended to September 23.
• New Guide for Community Collaboration
  The National Collaboration for Youth has created "Invitation to the Big Picture: Implementing a Local Collaboration for Youth in Your Community," a guide to identifying or forming an association of local child- and youth-serving agencies. Please use and share this guide with your national and local networks. (Hat tip FYI)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Recovery Month is hosting its third Twitter chat to help spread the word that prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover.
The September #RecoveryChat will focus on celebrating Recovery Month and will be co-hosted by Dr. Westley Clark, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and Kathryn Power, director of SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services. The chat will be held on Monday, September 12 from 12:30 pm - 1:30 pm PST / 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EST.
Join the Twitter chat by asking questions and contributing to the dialogue about Recovery Month and substance use and mental health disorders by using the designated hashtag #RecoveryChat to track and participate in the conversation. By adding #RecoveryChat to the end of each tweet, you signify your involvement in the conversation. Also, be sure to tune in 15 minutes early for our first Twitterview with our expert co-hosts!
SAMHSA/CSAT also encourages you to share your stories about planning or attending Recovery Month events, key learnings of what worked or what didn’t work for you or others in recovery, or other similar topics. During the chat, we are looking to not only answer questions, but also to raise awareness of the importance of prevention, the effectiveness of treatment, and the reality of recovery.
Not available for the chat? Tweet your questions to @RecoveryMonth in advance, using the hashtag #RecoveryChat. If you aren’t on Twitter, but are interested in asking a question, feel free to post questions on the Recovery Month Facebook Page or send questions in an email to recoverymonthfan@samhsa.hhs.gov.
[Reprinted from a SAMHSA press release with minor changes.]

• Report: Tribal Youth in the Federal Justice System
  Cosponsored by OJJDP and the Bureau of Justice Statistics, this report is now available online. The report describes findings from a study that explored issues surrounding American Indian youth who are processed in the federal justice system, and discusses the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes at each stage of the justice system.
• From PBS: Stats and Facts on Juveniles Tried as Adults
  Evidence that deterrent effects are minimal or nonexistent, and that, trying juveniles in criminal court may result in higher rates of reoffending.
• Juvenile Offender Becomes Advocate for Youth At-Risk
  Starcia Ague helped push through a law in the state of Washington that allows Class A juvenile felony records to be sealed, at the discretion of the judge, as long as youth have a clean record for five years after their release.