Bridging the Gaps in Adolescent Substance Use Treatment

Format

Individual Presentation

Location

Scarbrough 1

Strand #1

Mental & Physical Health

Strand #2

Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Stop Heroin Now and RISE TOGETHER have seen a steady increase in the amount of youth that reach out for support and are receiving support through recovery coaches, counselors, interventionists, and mentors. Stop Heroin Now has created and utilized teams across Wisconsin and developed adolescent programming for health classes and school counselors.

Brief Program Description

Join two organizations utilizing nontraditional methods to learn about effectively reaching youth about substance use and addiction. RISE TOGETHER reaches youth through schools. Stop Heroin Now, Inc. is a nonprofit that has designed health class curriculums, peer-to-peer group programming, and a system to provide substance use services to adolescents through donations, grants, and scholarships.

Summary

The presenters discuss the effective strategies utilized to reach adolescents about substance use and addiction. The organizations have created prevention, education, and interventions to provide a well-rounded approach to combating the substance use epidemic incorporating schools, coping skill development, and support systems. RISE TOGETHER shares personal stories and provides music and art to connect with youth. The group also helps create school substance prevention clubs tokened RAISE. Stop Heroin Now describes the critical components missed in state and private treatment that leaves critical at risk populations without services. Peer-to-peer and support based services within the community assist in bridging the gap between addiction and achieving recovery. These gaps include periods between treatment, case management, family support, and scholarships.

Evidence

The topics discussed incorporate motivational interviewing, CBT and group CBT practices, SBIRT, coping and social skill development techniques, modeling, mentoring, and community outreach efforts.

Biographical Sketch

Abby Hendrix, MS, APC, LPC, NCC, CCTP is a counselor in Georgia and Wisconsin, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and the President of Stop Heroin Now, Inc. She received a Masters in Mental Health Counseling and completing a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision. Abby has over 8 years of experience in adolescent counseling and behavioral support in the community and school systems. Abby worked as a counselor and Facility Manager for a level 12 residential treatment program for adolescent boys in Southern California and worked with the Solana Beach School District to provide behavioral support for severely emotionally disturbed students. During her time five years in Georgia, Abby’s professional experience included community counseling for high-risk children and their families, substance use and domestic violence group therapy for court-ordered clients, and educating police and sheriffs’ deputies as part of the Crisis Intervention Team training provided through NAMI. Abby served on the Board of Directors for RISE TOGETHER and About Face Veterans Outreach. She conducted research in 2014-2015 for RISE TOGETHER to identify the needs of students and the community as it pertains to substance use and the affects. Abby advocates for social change and improved services of addiction and mental health through RISE TOGETHER, NAMI, AMHCA, ACES, Warrior 2 Citizen, About Face veteran outreach, Lumpkin County Domestic Violence Task Force, WI United We CAN, GA United We CAN, and the Licensed Professional Counselors Association of GA.

Jessica Geschke, BS, CSAC, CSIT is certified by the State of Wisconsin as a Clinical Substance Abuse Counselor and Clinical Supervisor-In-Training. She received a Bachelors of Science in Human Services from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and an Associates Degree in AODA from Moraine Park Technical College. Her areas of focus are assessment and treatment of substance abuse in adolescents and adults. Jessica has over ten years of experience providing individual, group and collateral AODA treatment services to adolescents and adults in residential, transitional, inpatient and outpatient settings. She is the Vice-President of Stop Heroin Now, Inc. and Director of AODA services at Affiliated Clinical Services in West Bend, WI to include, IOP, Primary, Relapse Prevention, OWI/DUI programming and Teen AODA programs. Over five years working within and supervising medication assisted therapy programs, such as Suboxone and Vivitrol. She helps to bring a face and voice to recovery and end stigma with those affected by addiction through her community organization involvement including RISE TOGETHER, Washington County Heroin Task Force, Washington County heroin Initiative Program, WI Voices for Recovery, WI United We CAN, World Wide United We CAN, West Bend ACTS, Project Second Start, and SCAODA, and by holding positions as AODA Advisory Committee Member Moraine Park Technical College of Wisconsin, Heroin Task Force Treatment Sub-Committee Chair Leader.

Anthony Alvarado, the President & Co-Founders of RISE TOGETHER, has been on the path to recovery for the past several years. Throughout his life experiences he has developed a great amount of passion for giving back to his community.

Now he is recognized as a motivational speaker on recovery & beyond. He speaks from the heart and strives to mobilizes the masses to make positive change against substance abuse and in within their own personal lives. Anthony, is a loving father, son, brother, friend, and a responsible member of his own community.

Now seen as a cultural leader, community advocate, movement creator, spotlight speaker, a prevention specialist, and a speaker that has spoken in front of 1,000’s of people all over, Anthony promises to continue to provide HOPE to those that need it most.

Douglas Darby, the other Co-Founder of RISE TOGETHER, knows what it is like to go from nothing to something. Since he has been released from prison, Darby has been working day-in and day-out to pay back his community in a way that will make a positive change in those who need it most; our youth. Within the past year, Darby has taking his speaking skills to the street where he advocates for change. He is a man of action. He stands up for what he believes in and makes a difference when most wouldn’t have the nerve to do so. As the CEO of RISE TOGETHER, he helps lead the charge behind their movement of HOPE. He helped to start this organization to save just one life. Since September of 2013 he knows deep down, that dream has become a reality.

Keyword Descriptors

adolescents, youth, addiction, recovery, coping, social skills, support, family, treatment

Presentation Year

2016

Start Date

3-9-2016 11:15 AM

End Date

3-9-2016 12:30 PM

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS
 
Mar 9th, 11:15 AM Mar 9th, 12:30 PM

Bridging the Gaps in Adolescent Substance Use Treatment

Scarbrough 1

Join two organizations utilizing nontraditional methods to learn about effectively reaching youth about substance use and addiction. RISE TOGETHER reaches youth through schools. Stop Heroin Now, Inc. is a nonprofit that has designed health class curriculums, peer-to-peer group programming, and a system to provide substance use services to adolescents through donations, grants, and scholarships.