Full Answer
Can adolescents consent to alcohol and drug treatment?
Many adolescents who abuse drugs have a history of physical, emotional, and/or sexual abuse or other trauma. Adolescent substance use needs to be identified and addressed as soon as possible. Drugs can have long-lasting effects on the developing brain and may interfere with family, positive peer relationships, and school performance.
How many teens in the US need treatment for substance abuse?
Adolescent Substance Abuse. Being a teenager and raising a teenager are enormous challenges. For many teens, illicit substance use and abuse become part of the landscape of their teenage years. Although most adolescents who use drugs do not progress to become drug abusers, or drug addicts in adulthood, drug use in adolescence is a very risky ...
What are the evidence-based approaches to substance abuse treatment for adolescents?
Research evidence supports the effectiveness of various substance abuse treatment approaches for adolescents. Examples of specific evidence-based approaches are described below, including behavioral and family-based interventions as well as medications. Each approach is designed to address specific aspects of adolescent drug use and its consequences for the individual, …
Do US state laws favor mental health over drug abuse treatment?
This study examined US state laws regarding parental and adolescent decision-making for substance use and mental health inpatient and outpatient treatment. State statues for requiring parental consent favored mental health over drug abuse treatment and inpatient over outpatient modalities. Parental consent was sufficient in 53%–61% of the states for inpatient treatment, …
What are the 5 levels of care for substance abuse?
Levels of CareLevel 0.5: Early Intervention.Level I: Outpatient Services.Level II: Intensive Outpatient/Partial Hospitalization Services.Level III: Residential/Inpatient Services.Level IV: Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient Services.
What are the three elements of a substance abuse program?
A recent publication of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Overview of Addiction Treatment Effectiveness (Landry, 1996), divides substance abuse treatment along three dimensions: (1) treatment approach -- the underlying philosophical principles that guide the type of care offered and that ...
Can a 14 year old refuse mental health treatment in California?
Health & Safety Code § 124260 “[A] minor who is 12 years of age or older may consent to [outpatient] mental health treatment or counseling services if, in the opinion of the attending professional person, the minor is mature enough to participate intelligently in the mental health treatment or counseling services.” ( ...
Can minors go to therapy without parental consent in Illinois?
Illinois law permits minors age 12 and older to receive a limited amount of counseling services or psychotherapy on an outpatient basis without parental consent, and providers are prohibited from notifying the minor's parents without the minor's consent “unless the facility director believes such disclosure is ...
What are the substance abuse prevention strategies?
What are the Basic Prevention Strategies?Information Dissemination. ... Prevention Education. ... Alternatives. ... Problem Identification and Referral. ... Community-Based Process. ... Environmental Approach.
What is the first step in treating a drug abuse problem?
While addiction treatment can vary according to the specific drug, a successful program often includes different elements, such as: Detoxification. Usually the first step is to purge your body of drugs and manage withdrawal symptoms. Behavioral counseling.
Can a 13 year old give consent for medical treatment?
Children under the age of 16 can consent to their own treatment if they're believed to have enough intelligence, competence and understanding to fully appreciate what's involved in their treatment. This is known as being Gillick competent. Otherwise, someone with parental responsibility can consent for them.
Can a 15 year old consent to medical treatment?
You can provide medical treatment to a child or young person with their consent if they are competent, or with the consent of a parent or the court. You can provide emergency treatment without consent to save the life of, or prevent serious deterioration in the health of, a child or young person.
When counseling a minor child the legal right to confidentiality belongs to the?
One of a therapist's most important ethical duties when treating minors is to discuss confidentiality concerns with the parent(s) and the child. The therapist should be clear about the law and their own confidentiality policies. Some important topics to discuss include: The therapist's disclosure policies.Sep 27, 2019
When can a parent deny medical treatment to a minor child?
The medical community is in agreement about the appropriate course of treatment for the child. The expected outcome of that treatment is a relatively normal life with a reasonably good quality of life. The child would die without the treatment. The parent is refusing to grant consent for the treatment.Jan 29, 2021
What is minor consent age?
In California, we have minor consent laws which enable young people aged 12 and over to consent to some services. Minor consent laws allow young people aged 12 and over to consent to certain services without parent or guardian involvement.
Can a 17 year old go to the doctor alone in Illinois?
Under Illinois law, a minor is a person who has not attained the age of 18 years. 1 In general, a minor cannot consent to medical treatment, and a parent, guardian, or person in loco parentis2 must consent to the treatment of a minor.Mar 9, 2021
What is the importance of therapy for teens?
Therapy will focus on a number of important life areas of the teen, in addition to his or her relationships with parents. It is essential for parents to be involved in the teen's treatment. Relationships are a critical ingredient to combat a teen's substance abuse problems.
What are the factors that affect substance abuse?
Some of the factors that may place teens at risk for developing substance abuse problems include: 1 Insufficient parental supervision and monitoring 2 Lack of communication and interaction between parents and kids 3 Poorly defined and poorly communicated rules and expectations against substance use 4 Inconsistent and excessively severe discipline 5 Family conflict 6 Favorable parental attitudes toward adolescent alcohol and drug use, and parental alcoholism or drug use
Can parents talk to their kids about drugs?
Parents cannot be afraid to talk directly to their kids about drug use , even if they have had problems with drugs or alcohol themselves. An excellent resource on how to talk to kids about drugs is: Parents - The Anti-Drug. Parents are encouraged to give clear, no-use messages about smoking, drugs, and alcohol.
How does drug abuse affect family?
The drug problem can also contribute to greater family problems including financial issues . Relationships may become strained or even broken due to the underlying issues caused by the substance abuse problem. This can have a long lasting effect on an adolescent’s future relationships and attitudes towards family members.
Why do young people use drugs?
A young person may begin to use drugs or alcohol as a way to alleviate their social anxieties but this can easily lead to a dependency on these substances.
What is juvenile delinquency?
Delinquency in juveniles is characterized by antisocial and problem behaviors of a criminal nature. It is often linked to drug and alcohol abuse as many of the behaviors and incidents associated with the crimes are committed when under the influence.
How does alcohol affect people?
Alcohol and other drugs can make a person feel social, lively, chatty and lose their inhibitions. It can make problems seem to disappear and a person may feel that they cannot go to social events, socialize with friends or attend school without using a substance.
What happens when you abuse drugs?
But if a person is abusing drugs or alcohol they may find themselves in situations beyond their control or not to their liking. Substances can make a person more confident, more sexual and people lose their inhibitions.
What is the ages of adolescence?
Adolescence is an important, exciting and interesting time for any person to go through. Typically, adolescence refers to the ages between 13 and 18 where a person will undergo significant physiological and psychological changes that will impact significantly the rest of their life.
What happens when you use substances?
They may not want to be seen with a friend who is drunk or high all the time for fear of what that person might do. Feelings of shame, embarrassment and awkwardness are common.
Why do adolescents abuse drugs?
In some instances, their drug addiction might be caused by a pre-existing mental health disorder. In addition, substance use disorders can also cause other severe mental health problems for your child.
How long does it take to get out of rehab for alcoholism?
The length of the stay at the drug and alcohol rehab facilities for teens and adolescents will vary significantly depending on the particular needs of your child. In most cases, however, the rehab plan might be drawn out to take 6 months, 90 days, or 30 days based on the withdrawal symptoms and severity of drug addiction as well the presence of co-occurring conditions, among others.
What is the purpose of drug and alcohol treatment?
In particular, they focus on issues related to drugs like marijuana, meth, ecstasy, heroin, and cocaine, as well as over the counter drugs and alcohol, prescription medications, among other intoxicating substances.
How many high school students have used intoxicating substances?
Teens have a reputation for experimentation and partying. According to recent research, around 75 % of all students in high school have used intoxicating substances at least one time in their lives. In addiction about 50% of all these students currently use alcohol and drugs.
What is adolescent specific rehab?
Additionally, adolescent-specific programs may also offer fully-accredited academic programs, which are beneficial to teens that may have fallen behind in school or need additional academic help to succeed. Adolescent-specific rehab programs help teens to not only heal their bodies, but also their minds and spirits, ...
What is a drug rehab program?
Typically, most adolescent-specific drug rehab programs offer individualized care plans within the context of a dynamic treatment program that encourages teens to develop new life skills and rebuild damaged relationships with family members. A variety of treatment options are offered and may include:
Why is family counseling important?
Family counseling at a treatment center is important because the center provides a safe environment for families to interact. This can help all parties feel like they have an equal voice and that their opinions matter.
How many teens use alcohol?
The 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health reported that: 2.2 million American adolescents ages 12-17, or 9% of that population, used alcohol in the last month.
What is dual diagnosis?
Dual diagnosis is a term used for co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders. Teenagers who are diagnosed with a co-occurring disorder have two separate illnesses and each illness deserves its own treatment plan.
How does peer support help teens?
This peer support, especially with group therapy, can help isolated teens connect and feel more comfortable during the treatment process.
What are some ways to help teens cope with stress?
A variety of treatment options are offered and may include: Holistic treatments, such as yoga, acupuncture and meditation, can teach teens positive ways to cope with stress and anxiety that support whole body mental and physical health from the inside out.
What are the problems with substance use?
Developing relationship issues over substance use. Having physical or psychological problems related to substance use. Spending less time in favorite activities due to substance use. Neglecting work, home, or school responsibilities due to substance use or its effects. Using the substance in dangerous situations .
Why do teens relapse?
In addition, teenage relapse risk is based on peer pressure and the feeling that continuing to abuse substances contributes to social standing. This is in marked contrast to adults, who tend to relapse due to stress or other negative emotional effects.
How to diagnose substance abuse?
The Diagnosis of substance abuse in adults is based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which has an established set of 11 criteria used to determine the presence and severity of a substance use disorder. As described by Psych Central, these criteria include: 1 Using more of the substance or using it longer than intended 2 Needing more of the substance over time to get the same effect 3 Craving the substance 4 Spending large amounts of time using or seeking the substance 5 Developing relationship issues over substance use 6 Having physical or psychological problems related to substance use 7 Spending less time in favorite activities due to substance use 8 Neglecting work, home, or school responsibilities due to substance use or its effects 9 Using the substance in dangerous situations 10 Being unable to stop using the substance even in the face of consequences 11 Experiencing withdrawal symptoms if substance use is stopped
Why is substance use disorder missed?
For this reason, sometimes the beginning of a substance use disorder in adolescents is missed because the behaviors are overlooked as being a part of “normal” teenage development.
What is withdrawal syndrome?
Using the substance in dangerous situations. Being unable to stop using the substance even in the face of consequences. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms if substance use is stopped. For adults, the severity of the disorder is determined through the number of symptoms that are present.
Why are teenagers different from adults?
Because teenagers have different developmental, mental, and physical needs compared to adults, and because this is the time period when most people first experiment with drugs and alcohol, treatment must be finely tuned to fit the mental, physical, ...
What is the goal of aftercare?
Aftercare and Relapse Prevention. The main goal of treatment is relapse prevention. As such, the levels of aftercare provided for most adults once they leave rehab are based on the degree of relapse risk. If an adult is considered to have a higher risk of relapse, more intense aftercare may be required.
Introduction
Legal Framework
- Until 50 years ago, parents had the legal right to make most decisions for their minor children. During the 1960s and 1970s, the Supreme Court established that minors have certain constitutional rights, including the right to privacy with respect to contraception and abortion . During the 1970s, many states established laws that allowed minors to consent to treatment for …
States Determine Confidentiality Rights of Us Teens
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), which took effect in 2002, protects confidentiality for minors under some circumstances. Parents (and guardians) have control over health information and access to it for nonemancipated minor children except in situations (like those described above) in which minors are legally able to consent to health care…
Clinical Framework
- As mentioned previously, studies show that adolescents are less likely to seek health care for sensitive issues if they believe that their parents will be informed. Many adolescents are unaware of their right to confidential care for certain services, and many report that they have never discussed confidentiality with a health care provider [1,6]. Many adolescents choose to involve t…
Issues Related to Substance Abuse
- A common question that arises when caring for minors with suspected or identified substance abuse is: when is it appropriate to perform urine drug testing without the adolescent's consent? An adolescent with impaired mental status or one who has been involved in trauma, violence, or overdose should be tested for drug use. Testing can be a useful tool to monitor drug use in adol…
Summary
- When screening and treating minors for sensitive health conditions such as substance abuse, confidentiality should be honored whenever possible, and potential limits to confidentiality clearly explained in advance. Adolescents are able to consent to alcohol and drug treatment in most states, but involvement of the family is optimal in most cases.