Gail Roussel, executive director of The Center for Family and Youth Services, says teen runaways, teen violence, and bullying remain high on her list of concerns in St. Charles Parish. And while the center tries to tackle all of those issues, drug abuse is still a top priority for the non-profit organization.
Because of that, Roussel sought the help of a nationally recognized substance abuse program.
“We had a program in place, but we weren’t happy with the results because it was based on an adult model,” Roussel said. “So we decided to search for an evidence-based program that would better suit the teen population.”
Roussel says there’s a big difference in teen and adult drug abusers.
“Some teens are using substances to self medicate or escape problems at home,” she said. “Peer pressure also plays a part, and some use because their parents do. Adult’s substance abuse usually stems from an addiction.”
Roussel did a lot of research until she discovered a program that is nationally recognized – one created by the University Of Miami’s Miller School Of Medicine.
“Just as Hurricane Katrina rolled into shore, I received the email that the center had been accepted to be part of the University of Miami’s program,” she said. “The program is evidence-based and that makes a big difference.”
Roussel says evidence-based programs have been approved by The U. S. Department of Health and Hospital Human Services. Programs undergo a strict certification process for approval by this national organization. Two methods of treatment are used in the study, including individual and group therapy.
Both programs use an approach that focuses on all facets of a teen, such as family, school, judicial and community. The programs works with the youth to teach them the skills they need to change the thought processes and behaviors that made them use. The substance abuse treatment is secondary.
“Another difficulty we are facing is parent’s misconception that marijuana is safe,” Roussel said. “The parents tell us they used it when they were young and they turned out okay.”
But Roussel says the marijuana teens are using now is chemically produced and manufactured and laced with dangerous toxins that cause serious harm.
“Chemically produced marijuana stops emotional and mental development,” she said. “Once the use stops, the adolescent has to play catch up, which is usually one year for each year of use.”
In addition to therapy sessions the center offers, the adolescent and one family member will be asked to participate in five assessments. Both the parent and the adolescent will receive a small incentive for completing each assessment. This program is funded by National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the results of this research will be published internationally. All individual client information is confidential and protected by the same guidelines required for any other medical treatment.
The center’s mission is to empower families and youths. They offer a wide array of preventative, wellness education and mental health treatment services. The plans are to add educational programs to their services with a tutoring schedule to be offered in the fall.
For more information or to participate in the free program contact The Center at 985-331-1999.
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