Substance Use Resources for Parents and Caregivers

About Substance Use in Children

•  Resources for Parents and Educators on Substance Use, Health, and the Developing Brain : Use this resource to educate yourself about substance use and how it can affect your children. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) provides research-driven information to help you make educated decisions on how to handle your child’s substance use situation.
•  “Talk. They Hear You” Fact Sheets and Resources : Having access to the right resources helps to start and continue the conversation with children about the harmful realities of drinking alcohol and using substances, especially at a young age.

Risk and Protective Factors

• Risk and Protective Factors for Substance Use in Youth : Learn more about substance use risk factors as well as protective factors that may reduce the risk of youth engaging in substance use that can lead to substance abuse.
• High Risk Substance Use in Youth : Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about high-risk substance use in adolescents and how some youth are at an increased risk for behaviors that can lead to poor health outcomes.

Prevention Tips and Strategies

• Prevention of Substance Use and Mental Challenges : Understand how prevention and early intervention can help when it comes to reducing the impact of substance use. 
• Promoting Resilience to Curb Substance Use: Educate yourself on how you can boost your child’s resilience and prevent substance use challenges. Tools include a parent tip tool, mindfulness practices, tips for managing stress, and more.
• Preventing Substance Use Among Children and Adolescents — A Research-Based Guide for Parents  (PDF): This guide for parents from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) shares detailed information for parents to learn more about preventing substance use in their children.

Talking to Children About Substance Use

• Five Goals to Remember When Discussing Substance Use with Kids: Use these tips to start talking to your children about alcohol and other drugs before they are exposed to them.  
• Answering Your Child’s Tough Questions : Learn how to hold an open, honest conversation about drinking and substance use, and establish your rules and the behaviors you expect.
• Talking With Your Child About Alcohol and Other Substances : Learn more about how you as a parent can have a major impact on your child’s decision not to use substances.
• Substance-Specific Conversation Guides Tailored for Parent and Caregivers : Explore the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s comprehensive set of "Talk. They Hear You" resources to help you navigate conversations with youth, teens, and young adults about substance use topics and encourage healthy behaviors.

How to Know if a Child Needs Help

• How To Tell If Your Child Is Drinking Alcohol : Recognize these warning signs to determine if your child may have a problem with alcohol or other substances.
• Find Support with Screen4Success : Understand the health, wellness, and well-being of your children with this tool from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
• Screening and Assessment for Substance Use: Use this resource to identify substance use and dependence in youth.
   

Treatment Types and Programs

• Find Nearby Treatment Providers and Programs : Enter your zip code to quickly identify appropriate treatment providers, programs, and facilities for a teen in need.
• Listing of Helplines and Help Resources : Browse a list of resources that may be useful for a teen struggling with substance use issues. This includes a list of targeted need-based helplines, support resources, and treatment locators, such as an opioid treatment program directory and a substance use treatment finder.
• Learn the Science Behind Why and How Recovery is Possible for Everyone : Explore the science behind substance use and learn about the latest research on treatment methods and promising recovery practices.

Support For Families Recovering Together

• Resources for Families Recovering from Substance Use : Use this resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), designed to help families as they support a loved one through their journey with substance use.
• For Friends and Family Members : Learn more about how to support your child with substance use and why friends and family can make all the difference in a person's recovery process.
• Families Family Support Guide (PDF): Reference this resource to help get your child the support they need if dealing with substance use challenges. 

Teen Substance Use Overview

• Teen Substance Use — Information for Family and Friends : Read more about the impact of substance use at an early age, risk factors for teen substance use, types of substances, and more from the Indian Health Service (IHS).
• Reasons Why Teens Turn to Substances: Learn more about why teens use substances and how you can talk to your teen about, and prevent, substance use.
• Substance Use in Teens — A Guide for Parents and Caregivers: Learn how to identify signs of substance use in your teenager and gain a better understanding of the different types of substances and their potential impact on mental health.

Risk and Protective Factors

• High Risk Substance Use in Teens : Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about high-risk substance use in adolescents and how some youth are at an increased risk for behaviors that can lead to poor health outcomes.
• Risk and Protective Factors: Understand the factors that may increase the likelihood that a teenager engages in substance use.

Prevention Strategies and Methods

• Substance Use Prevention Resources by Age : View a comprehensive list of free tip sheets covering a range of substance use prevention topics for individuals (ages 10 and up) and young adults. 
• Teen Substance Use Prevention Strategies Resource Listing: Explore various types of prevention models and intervention strategies with links to additional resources via Youth.gov.
• Youth Substance Use Prevention Resources: View a list of practical resources and tips to aid you in adopting and implementing prevention strategies to curb substance use in youth and teens.
• Understanding and Decoding Emojis Used to Communicate About Substances Online (PDF):  (PDF) Primer for parents and caregivers on how emojis are used in the context of substance use behaviors. It lists symbols used to communicate about specific substances often advertised and sold online in various settings.

Talking About Substance Use

• Substance-Specific Conversation Guides Tailored for Parent and Caregivers : Explore the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s comprehensive set of "Talk. They Hear You" resources to help you navigate conversations with youth, teens, and young adults about substance use topics and encourage healthy behaviors.
• Conversation Starters for Parents — Teens and Substances : Use these resources to help you hold productive conversations with your teens about substance use and its effects.
• Talking With Your Child About Alcohol and Other Substances : Read more about the influence parents and caregivers have on a child’s decision to experiment with substances and why discussing alcohol and other substances is an important step to curbing unhealthy patterns.
• Stop Overdose Toolkit and Resources : Learn more from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) about overdose risk factors and the role you can play in helping to prevent fatal and non-fatal substance overdoses. 

How to Tell if a Teen Needs Help

• Substance-Specific Signs and Symptoms — Information for Family and Friends : Reference this resource to learn more about warning signs for commonly used substances, if you’re worried that a family member may be misusing substances.
• How To Tell If Your Teen Is Drinking Alcohol — Warning Signs and Finding Help : Learn how to spot changes that are sometimes indicative that a teen is struggling with alcohol or other substances.

Substance Use Screenings and Questionaries

• Screening for Health, Wellness, and Wellbeing — Screen4Success : Use this new tool, developed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), to help parents and caregivers better understand the health, wellness, and well-being of their teen.
• About Screening and Assessment Tools: Use this resource from Youth.gov to identify substance use, and dependence in youth.

Substance Use Treatment Options and Locators

• About Teen Treatment Options: Learn about the elements of effective treatment programs and approaches to help guide you in selecting the best treatment for a teen in need.
• Find Nearby Treatment Providers and Programs : Use your zip code to quickly identify appropriate treatment providers, programs, and facilities for a teen in need.
• Listing of Helplines and Help Resources : Browse a list of resources that may be useful for a teen struggling with substance use issues. This includes targeted need-based helplines, support resources, and treatment locators, such as an opioid treatment program directory and a substance use treatment finder.
• Learn the Science Behind Why and How Recovery is Possible for Everyone : Explore the science behind substance use and learn about the latest research on treatment methods and promising recovery practices.

Opioid Use Help, Recovery, and Harm Reduction

• Opioids in Teens: Learn more about opioid use in teenagers as well as the importance of family involvement in recovery.  
• The Opioid Epidemic — How to Protect Your Family : Learn more from the American Academy of Pediatrics about the opioid epidemic’s effect on children and teens and what parents can do to protect their families.
• Messages of Hope for Those Looking to Begin Their Own Recovery Journey: Share the recovery journals of these high school students with your teenager to let them know that they are not alone and that there is hope to a path toward recovery. 
• Harm Reduction Overview and Methods : Learn about the importance of harm reduction as part of a holistic approach to addressing substance use challenges and preventing overdose deaths from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Support For Families Impacted by Substance Use

• Resources for Families Recovering from Substance Use : Use this resource from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), designed to help families as they support a loved one through their journey with substance use.
• Support for Youth and Families Facing Substance Use Challenges: Learn about ACF’s resources and initiatives to support youth and families as they journey toward and tackle recovery together.
• For Friends and Family Members : Learn more about the important role that friends and family members play in recovery and how you can support a loved one’s recovery journey.
• Families Family Support Guide (PDF): Reference this resource to help get your teen the help they need if dealing with substance use challenges. 
• Words Matter — Preferred Language for Talking About Substance Use Topics: Talking to children about alcohol and other substances is an important part of establishing awareness and educating children on the dangers of substances.