Supporting Recovery and Wellness in Young People

Young People are in urgent need of support for problematic substance use but many of us have never considered working with them or don’t feel we know how. Working with Young People as a Peer or Advocate in any role is a little different from working with older adults, but if we take the time to consider the particular needs and attributes of Young People we can apply all of our existing skills to successfully supporting this unique and valuable part of our population.

This training will explore some of the key differences in the lives of adolescents and emerging adults from older adults, focusing on development, relationships, substance use, recovery language and identification, the power of the peer approach, and appropriate recovery supports. It will also challenge us to look at ourselves and consider any biases we may have that could impact our ability to effectively support younger generations.

Participants will leave with an understanding of the particular dynamics of supporting Young People and be better able to treat them as valuable resources in their own wellness.

At the end of this workshop participants will be able to:

• Explain key differences and similarities in the cultural, developmental, emotional, and life circumstance aspects of young people versus adults
• Understand the role of family in a young person’s process
• Describe the meaning and implications of the language we use with young people
• Identify multiple sources of Recovery Capital as well as effective approaches for supporting Young People
• Consider the potential of age bias in ourselves

Approved for 6 hours for CARC (Recovery Coach) recertification in Massachusetts and 4 hours for CARC recertification in New York