2024 Adolescent Conference Videos
The following videos were recorded during the Inaugural Statewide Virtual Adolescent Conference, hosted live, June 6, 2024. Targeting a broad behavioral health-related audience, experts in the field of adolescent substance use disorder, child trauma, perinatal care, and epidemiology led thoughtful discussion around adolescent substance use and shared valuable insights, facts, data, resources applicable to a diverse group of adolescent-serving professionals. Many of the components and knowledge areas in this series are transferable and applicable across populations, yet significant emphasis is placed on best practices when providing intervention and care specifically to adolescents.
Recognizing and Challenging Stigma in Substance Use – June 6, 2024
Lucien Gonzalez, MD, MS
This session clarifies the definition and domains associated with stigma as it relates to adolescents and substance use. Learners gain insights into the relationship between substance use stigma and discrimination and receive an introduction to basic strategies that can be helpful in recognizing and overcoming stigma.
Adolescents and SUD: Addiction is a Pediatric Disease – June 6, 2024
Martha Wunsch, MD, FAAP, DFASAM
This session explores substance use disorders as a chronic disease and provides an overview of reward neuroanatomy, explaining unique characteristics of the adolescent brain. The speaker describes the use of screening tools in the identification of signs of misuse or use disorder. The session concludes with a review of fatal overdose trends and a discussion of the adolescent opioid medication treatment literature.
Child Trauma: The Intersection with Substance Use Disorder
George (Tripp) Ake, PhD
This session clarifies and differentiates common terms like trauma, ACES, toxic stress, and child traumatic stress and describes the impact of trauma on child development. The speaker describes the differences between trauma-informed awareness, response, and systems and guides the learner through the identification of strategies for agency culture change, considering the impact of compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress on the workforce.
North Carolina’s Behavioral Health Opportunity: Combatting Youth Substance Use
Kelly Crosbie, LCSW, MSW, Director, Division of MH/DD/SUS
This session outlines the North Carolina DMH/DD/SUS Populations of Focus and Priority Areas and key adolescent substance use prevention campaigns and treatment initiatives in the state. Director Crosbie briefly summarizes recent data related to adolescent substance use and associated needs in North Carolina. She also outlines the most common sources of access as it pertains to substances and adolescents. The session concludes with an exploration of resources for involvement in combatting youth substance use in North Carolina.
Perinatal SUD and Adolescents
Melinda Ramage, FNP-BC, CARN-AP, LCAS
With emphasis on adolescents, this session outlines evidenced-based recommendations for the treatment of substance use disorders during pregnancy and postpartum. The speaker describes perinatal substance use disorder systems of care and identifies opportunities for cross-system collaboration. The session concludes by listing tools known to improve cross system access and exploring their application in the field.