Meeting the Moment: How child welfare and substance use disorder treatment professionals can address the needs of adolescents at risk of suicide and mental health concerns.
The National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare (NCSACW) invites you to a webinar to learn strategies to help the increasing number of adolescents at risk of suicide and mental health concerns. Among adolescents ages 15-19, rates of suicide began to increase in 2000 from 8 per 100,000 adolescents, reaching a peak of 11.8 per 100,000 adolescents in 2017. In 2019, suicide was the second leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults. Increases in suicide rates parallel increases among adolescents and young adults with self-harm attempts and depression.
A number of factors, including the opioid epidemic have contributed to the increased number of adolescents at risk of suicide. Adolescents who use opioids and adolescents of parents with opioid use disorders are at increased risk of suicide. Adolescents involved in the child welfare system, particularly those who experience long-term foster care or age out of foster care, are particularly vulnerable. Young adults ages 18-25 years of age have the highest rate of opioid use among all age groups. In 2017, the suicide rate among young adults ages 20-24 years was 17 per 100,000 young adults, representing the highest rate since 2000. The experiences of young adults who age out of foster care without secure and permanent caregivers magnify the risk of suicide and other mental health concerns.
Join this webinar to learn:
- How to identify adolescents at risk for suicide and mental health concerns.
- Prevention based interventions and strategies for adolescents at risk for suicide and mental health concerns.
- Key strategies and resources to promote resilience, recovery, and positive youth development for adolescents involved in child welfare.
Presenters:
Nancy Young, PhD – Project Director, National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. Dr. Young will provide a brief overview and highlight key data on adolescents, child welfare, and substance use disorder treatment.
Mighty Fine, MPH, CHES – Director, Center for Public Health Practice and Professional Development, American Public Health Association (APHA). Mr. Fine will discuss prevention based interventions that child welfare, substance use disorder treatment, and other professionals can implement with adolescents.
Contact
NCSACW is a national resource center providing information, expert consultation, training, and technical assistance to child welfare, dependency court, and substance use treatment professionals to improve the safety, permanency, well-being, and recovery outcomes for children, parents, and families. Reach us via email: ncsacw@cffutures.org or visit our website: https://ncsacw.samhsa.gov/.
The webinar is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Children’s Bureau.