YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION

The following is excerpted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website: http://family.samhsa.gov.

SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has created a website, "A Family Guide To Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free," to communicate to parents and other caring adults about how they can help promote their child’s mental health and reduce his or her risk for becoming involved with alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.

The site’s six main sections relate directly to what researchers and substance abuse prevention professionals term family-related "protective factors." These are situations and conditions that decrease a child's chances for engaging in drug-related and other risky behaviors. The site’s six main sections are:

• Establish and maintain good communication with your child
• Get involved in your child’s life
• Make clear rules and enforce them with consistency and consequences
• Be a positive role model
• Teach your child to choose friends wisely
• Monitor your child’s activities

The site also includes information about specific drugs and the effects they have on the people who take them. With content focusing on children aged 7 to 18, the site includes a mental health dictionary and other drug-related information.

TO FIND PROVIDERS IN CONNECTICUT'S COMMUNITY RESOURCES DATABASE:
Search by program name:
Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free.

-----------------------------

SOURCE: Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration website: “A Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy & Drug Free,” http://family.samhsa.gov.
PREPARED BY: 211/rj
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: May2007