What We Are Community Education, Early Intervention, Treatment Foundation to support the Renaissance Campus; established 25 years ago Renaissance Campus- five to six month residential program Renaissance House and Promise House forty two beds for males ages 12-20 Stepping Stones twenty beds for females ages 12-20

What Is Face 2 Face Proactive Educational Program Students hear directly from their peers about the dangers and consequences of the decisions they made Information is provided to parents and educators about current trends and concerns Early Intervention Program

Early Intervention Program One time meeting; lasts 1-1.5 hours Students are referred by educators or parents Attendance by student, and at least one parent (or guardian) is required The following takes place at an Early Intervention: Students and parents have an opportunity to have confidential conversations with a counselor Students and parents have an opportunity to speak with adolescents in recovery Families are provided with information regarding current trends and concerns as well as various treatment options

The Stereotype of an Addict Male Dirty Bad Crazy Hair Jeans Yellow or Missing Teeth Red Eyes

The average American teenager! Reality…. The average American teenager!

Current Trends Teens are still abusing alcohol & marijuana; they remain gateway drugs 90% of teens progress into some kind of Rx medication Progression from pain pills into Heroin Dabs/Wax and synthetic drugs are popular More teens are facing legal consequences for their drug use PINS program, drug court, etc.

Prescription Medications Pain killers, anti depressants, anti anxiety, ADD/ADHD meds most commonly abused Most teens crush and then snort them Function while high; coming down and withdrawal more noticeable Not as easy to get as they once were Quick and high tolerance = rapid addiction Difficult to support habit financially

Prescription Medications Oxycontin Hydrocodone & Lortab Suboxone Adderall & Ritalin Xanax Opana

Heroin Opiate derived from Morphine Many teens progress into Heroin because it is more affordable and pills are harder to come by Heroin overdoses have quadrupled since 2002 (CNN). Apx. 120 Americans die each day from overdose (CDC). 256 Opiate related deaths in Erie County in 2015 102% increase from 2014 293 suspected or confirmed cases so far this year 400-500 anticipated for 2016, and 1,000 for 2017. Most commonly snorted and then used intravenously

Heroin and Fentanyl Covered heavily by the media recently Deadly Heroin/Fentanyl combo is readily available in WNY Fentanyl is 50-100x’s more potent than Heroin (drugfree.org) Added Fentanyl allows a user with a tolerance to Heroin to still achieve the high they are always chasing Dangerous drugs become more desirable on the street

Synthetic Drugs & Dabbing Synthetic drugs are legal, cheap and are chemicals combined to mimic illegal, more expensive drugs Substances include Molly, Cloud 9, Bath Salts, and K2/Spice Dabbing is the process of extracting THC oil from Marijuana and vaping it Has no marijuana odor and no field test

What Can You Do? Hold children accountable and enforce consequences Educate yourselves; use the resources the kids are using Home drug testing Marijuana (28 days) Rx medications (2-3 days) Safely dispose of Rx medications Don’t hesitate to reach out for support Vitally important to work with parents of kids who are using to encourage early intervention. The worst thing a parent can do is wait and hope experimentation is a phase their child will grow out of. If teachers or counselors are not sure what to do, they should reach out to their administration, or consider contacting the parent with their concerns. Call KED and we will help you, even if you cant tell us specifics about the student you are concerned for

Jessica Hutchings, LMSW CONTACT US Jessica Hutchings, LMSW Email: jhutchings@ked.org Phone: 827-9462 x315 Website: www.ked.org

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