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Online Tool Provides Practice Tips for Working With Adolescents At Risk of Substance Use

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) – 2021

The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) developed a new technical assistance tool to provide information to child welfare professionals, substance use treatment providers, health-care professionals, and other child-serving community agencies about working with adolescents who are at risk of misusing or abusing substances.

The tool, Working With Adolescents: Practice Tips and Resource Guide, provides information on adolescent development, as well as tips and best practices professionals can utilize when working with at-risk youth. Topics discussed include the five Cs of positive youth development (competence, confidence, connections, character, and caring); the role of parents and caregivers in adolescent development; and the co-occurrence of trauma, abuse, neglect, and substance use in adolescents. Many children and youth involved with child welfare have experienced trauma, increasing their risk for substance use.

In addition to providing tips for practice, the guide links to additional resources for professionals on substance use prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery.