Building Community and Breaking Down Stigmas: Keys to Supporting Youth in Breaking the Addiction Cycle

Format

Individual Presentation

Format

Panel

First Presenter's Institution

Eluna

First Presenter’s Email Address

brianmaus@elunanetwork.org

First Presenter's Brief Biography

Brian Maus is the Director of Addiction Prevention & Mentoring Programs at Eluna and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Camp Mariposa, a national network of prevention and mentoring programs for youth affected by the substance use disorder of a family member. Mr. Maus holds a Master of Arts degree from LaSalle University and has over 30 years of experience working with youth and families from diverse backgrounds. Mr. Maus has previously presented as the National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference, as well as the Child Welfare League of America, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and the National Mentoring Summit.

Second Presenter's Institution

United Way of Anderson County

Second Presenter’s Email Address

shawn@uwandsc.org

Second Presenter's Brief Biography

Renee’ Hall is the AmeriCorps Program Coordinator at United Way of Anderson County. In this role, Renee’ manages 13-18 AmeriCorps members who serve as either Mentors in the Camp Mariposa program or as Education and Outreach members who take the message and the mission to the community. The education and outreach efforts primarily focus on Substance Use Disorder, Mental/Behavioral Health and Suicide Ideation as these relate specifically to youth in the community. Renee’ has a genuine compassion for teenagers and young adults, encouraging wise decision-making and lifelong learning. Prior to her work with United Way and Camp Mariposa, Renee’ has been involved with her local Youth Ministry, served as a Wellness Coordinator at a large tire corporation, and was a 4-H Youth Development Educator, teaching hundreds of students across the entire Upstate of South Carolina! When asked about her highest achievement to date, without hesitation, Renee’ responded, “My three sons! My biggest goal is to make a difference in the lives of others, and to me, that begins at home.”

Third Presenter's Institution

United Way of Anderson County

Third Presenter’s Email Address

renee@uwandsc.org

Third Presenter's Brief Biography

Renee’ Hall is the AmeriCorps Program Coordinator at United Way of Anderson County. In this role, Renee’ manages 13-18 AmeriCorps members who serve as either Mentors in the Camp Mariposa program or as Education and Outreach members who take the message and the mission to the community. The education and outreach efforts primarily focus on Substance Use Disorder, Mental/Behavioral Health and Suicide Ideation as these relate specifically to youth in the community. Renee’ has a genuine compassion for teenagers and young adults, encouraging wise decision-making and lifelong learning. Prior to her work with United Way and Camp Mariposa, Renee’ has been involved with her local Youth Ministry, served as a Wellness Coordinator at a large tire corporation, and was a 4-H Youth Development Educator, teaching hundreds of students across the entire Upstate of South Carolina! When asked about her highest achievement to date, without hesitation, Renee’ responded, “My three sons! My biggest goal is to make a difference in the lives of others, and to me, that begins at home.”

Submitter

I am submitting this proposal as one of the presenter(s)

Location

Scarbrough 2

Strand #1

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

This presentation will present the lessons learned from the first year of the Camp Mariposa program in the upstate region of South Carolina. The presentation will focus primarily on the “health” and “heart” strands. Camp Mariposa is an award-winning national addiction prevention and mentoring program that serves youth ages 5-17 who have a close family member who struggles with a substance use disorder. Community is at the core of the Camp Mariposa program model. The program uses a group and peer mentoring model that builds a community of support among youth and the trained adult mentors. In this safe and supportive community, youth are able to develop and practice new social and emotional skills such as communication skills and managing emotions. In addition, they are able to connect with other youth who have gone through similar experiences. The program also actively engages parents, caregivers, and younger family members in educational and recreational activities. These activities encourage families to have fun together in a safe space and “let’s kids be kids.” Finally, Camp Mariposa builds support for youth and their families and connects them with much needed resources in their community. A key component of the Camp Mariposa program in Anderson South Carolina is outreach to the larger community that focuses on breaking down stigmas around mental health issues and educating the larger community about resources to address mental health issues for youth and families in the community.

Brief Program Description

This presentation will focus on the importance of building community on multiple levels when supporting youth in breaking the intergenerational cycle of addiction. Participants will learn about a proven addiction prevention model and outreach strategies that can be adapted to meet the needs of youth in urban and rural community settings. It is intended for professionals working with youth and families impacted by substance use disorders.

Summary

This presentation will highlight the work of an award-winning, evidence-informed addiction prevention and mentoring program that serves youth ages 5-17 who have a close family member who struggles with a substance use disorder. The program is currently offered in 17 locations across the US, in both urban and rural communities. Panelists will review the original 7 C’s (I didn’t CAUSE it, I can’t CONTROL it, and I can’t CURE it, but I can take CARE of myself, by COMMUNICATING my feelings, making good CHOICES and CELEBRATING myself). Panelists will share how the 7 C’s can be incorporated into many youth serving programs and will share how the 7 C’s can also be used in work with families. Panelists will share specifics ways to build community among youth and between youth and trained, caring adults, with an emphasis on the need to create a safe space for all participants. In addition, panelists will share specific ways to engage and build community among families whose lives have been impacted by substance use. Panelists will discuss outreach and education efforts for the broader community that focus on destigmatizing mental health issues and substance use disorders. Finally, panelists will share data about how the program is helping youth and families break the intergenerational cycle of addiction.

Evidence

Dr. Claudia Black, one of the pioneers on the impact of substance use disorders on families, is the clinical architect of the Camp Mariposa model. The program was designed with and continually utilizes research to refine the model to better meet the needs of youth participants. Research published by National Association for Children of Addiction (NACOA) suggests that children of parents with a substance use disorder benefit from targeted adult support, as well as from the social connections made with other children in similar circumstances. Children who can rely on supportive adults have increased autonomy and independence, strong social skills, better ability to cope with difficult emotional experiences and better day-to-day coping strategies. Finally, psycho-educational information about their vulnerability to substance abuse and clear, age-appropriate information about the effects of drugs and alcohol have been shown to increase the likelihood that children of addicted parents will break the intergenerational cycle of substance abuse. Group and peer mentoring programs have shown to be an effective way to support children impacted by the substance use disorder of a family member. According to Dr. Jean Rhodes, Director of Evidence-Based Mentoring at the University of Massachusetts Boston, youth derive benefits not only from the mentor, but also from peers in the group. She writes that peer input may be the biggest advantage of group mentoring as it can have far-reaching effects. Group mentoring programs are also beneficial because youth have contact with several caring adults. Research indicates that resilient youth have a caring adult in their lives who can offer support and help them to make good choices. Finally, Camp Mariposa has been working with researchers from LSU’s School of Public Health and Clemson University for the past 8 years to evaluate and improve the Camp Mariposa program. Camp Mariposa continually utilizes the evaluation findings to refine the model to better meet the needs of youth participants. Camp Mariposa is having great success in achieving its two primary goals - 92% of program youth have never used a substance to get high and 93% have not been involved in the juvenile justice system.

Learning Objective 1

Incorporate the 7 C’s into their work with youth affected by substance use in their families

Learning Objective 2

Build community among the youth and families who participate in their programming

Learning Objective 3

Incorporate successful outreach efforts in the larger community that educate about youth mental health and destigmatize substance use disorders

Keyword Descriptors

Mentoring, Family Support, Addiction Prevention, Outreach, Education, Community, Mental Health

Presentation Year

2025

Start Date

3-5-2025 9:45 AM

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Mar 5th, 9:45 AM

Building Community and Breaking Down Stigmas: Keys to Supporting Youth in Breaking the Addiction Cycle

Scarbrough 2

This presentation will focus on the importance of building community on multiple levels when supporting youth in breaking the intergenerational cycle of addiction. Participants will learn about a proven addiction prevention model and outreach strategies that can be adapted to meet the needs of youth in urban and rural community settings. It is intended for professionals working with youth and families impacted by substance use disorders.