Keeping Teens Drug & Alcohol Free in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, Highwood & Riverwoods
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In this issue: Advice from HP Pediatrician | Free Text Counseling for Teens | Delta Youth Group | HP Reconsiders Retail Marijuana |
Coping Strategies | Building Resilience
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How to Help Teens & Tweens Navigate the Pandemic
By Highland Park Pediatrician Dr. Susan Sirota
We find ourselves nearly 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic with another school year set to begin. Teens and tweens who feel like they can't handle any more loss and disappointment must now prepare for an academic year that will be anything but typical; it's likely to include a considerable amount of online learning and separation from their friends and activities. And,
unlike other hardships they might have experienced in the past, this one will be a marathon rather than a sprint
.
As parents, you can play a critical role in helping your teen navigate through the pandemic. Supporting strategies that build resilience can help mitigate the mental health impact on your teen and reduce their risk of seeking unhealthy and ineffective coping approaches, such as using nicotine, marijuana, alcohol, or other intoxicating substances. We know that 90% of addiction begins in the teen years. When it comes to marijuana, 1 in 6 teens will become addicted, which is possible with even limited use.
How to help your child build resilience and adapt in the face of adversity:
- Make time to listen and learn from your teen. Let them know you understand how they feel; they need your validation. Empathize and work to support them in finding a solution.
- Encourage your teen to stay engaged. Encourage their efforts to find a positive solution for challenging and unwelcome situations. Point out their ability to successfully handle hardships, solve problems and make good decisions.
- Help your teen set a schedule that includes regular meals, daily activity, enough sleep, and time connecting socially, whether virtually or with masks physically distanced from friends and/or family.
- Encourage your teen to set and move toward goals. Taking one step at a time toward a bigger goal allows you to praise all the small steps.
Four healthy ways to help your child navigate the pandemic:
- When you see your teen in victim mode, help them find their way to survivor mode and ultimately to hero mode. Volunteering is one way to help others in need and give teens a sense of purpose.
- Teach your teen to accept that change is unavoidable. New plans can take the place of those that are no longer possible. Share personal examples of how you have experienced this in your past and during the pandemic.
- Model self-care. Good health depends on making time for healthy eating, exercise, sleep, and fun.
- Check in with your teen and take a walk together. Discuss the risks of teen substance use, and turn down the path toward building resilience.
Susan Sirota, MD, FAAP
Assistant Professor Clinical Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Chair, PediaTrust, LLC, Pediatric Partners
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Support is a Text Away
Text-A-Tip is
a great resource for our youth during the pandemic or when talking to a parent or other trusted adult is not possible. Students text anonymously through a cloaked server to get help for themseIves or a friend. A trained counselor responds in under 3 minutes nearly every time.
Use of
Text-A-Tip
has increased significantly during the pandemic. In response to this growing need, the 24/7 support line has added more clinicians. Students can download the app "Lake County Help" or simply
Text 224HELP
to 844-823-LEAD (5323)
to connect any time day or night.
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Calling
DHS
&
HPHS
Students Who Want Positive Change
"Delta" stands for change. Students in Delta youth advisory board work to inspire their peers to lead healthy, drug-free lifestyles through awareness and prevention activities at both DHS & HPHS.
Delta can help students feel positive about themselves AND have a positive impact on others. In September and October, they'll participate in an interactive, virtual training to introduce them to Delta, develop skills in making community-level change and increase their knowledge of drug prevention strategies. It's great for any student considering a career in leading or helping, such as politics, healthcare, and counseling.
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City of Highland Park
to Reconsider Retail Marijuana Sales
The Highland Park City Council has advanced consideration of retail marijuana to the Plan & Design Commission to hold a public hearing process and consider zoning code amendments for retail marijuana sales in the city's industrial district. We'll share updates in the coming months.
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Modeling Self-Care
In this video, Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg
explains how important it is for children to see their parents model positive, healthy coping strategies and practice self-care.
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Kenneth Ginsburg, M.D., M.S. Ed is a pediatrician specializing in Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Professor of Pediatrics at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
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Building Resilience in Challenging Times
A 60 Second Conversation Starter
As parents we want to protect our children from the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19. Even though we can't control the situation, we can strengthen our relationships with our children while building their resilience.
Below are feelings many of us are experiencing, matched with the opportunity they offer parents to model and teach their children lifelong resilience skills. For additional feelings/skills, click
HERE.
- Emotion: "I feel helpless."
- Resilience skill: Find what you CAN do.
- How to respond: Model the practice of saying "yet," which is one of the most calming words. "I can't do ____!" can transform into "I can't do ______ yet." Help your child see that setbacks can be opportunities for trying yet again.
- Emotion: "I don't know how to handle how I feel."
- Resilience skill: Process and release emotions.
- How to respond: Talking about feelings is necessary and being honest with how we feel paves the way for healing.
- Emotion: "I miss my family and friends."
- Resilience skill: Relationships strengthen us.
- How to respond: Show your children that when times get tough and people unify, there can be a future where we hold those we love dear while offering support to those who are more vulnerable.
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It's not one 60-minute conversation.
It's 60 one-minute conversations.
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CTAD is Here for YOU!
Community - The Anti-Drug Coalition remains available as a resource. The overall health and well-being of our residents is our top priority. Follow us on social media for more tips and resources.
If you find our resources helpful, please consider making a donation.
CTAD's goal is to build and sustain a healthy community in which youth feel protected, confident and empowered to make drug-free choices. We strive to transform the environment around our youth to help make the drug-free choice the easy choice.
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If you find our resources helpful, consider donating or contributing your time to our efforts. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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Text-a-Tip:
24/7 anonymous support for students who need help for themselves or a friend. To connect with a trained counselor, download the app "Lake County Help" in the
Apple Store
or
Google Play
. You can also text the code "224HELP" or "224AYUDAME" to 844-823-LEAD (5323).
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Community - The Anti-Drug Coalition | 224-765-CTAD (224-765-2823)
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Community -- The Anti-Drug (CTAD) strives to build and sustain a safe and drug-free community in which youth feel protected, confident and empowered to make healthy choices. The coalition is comprised of parents, youth, schools, local government, law enforcement, clergy, and healthcare providers who work together to reduce alcohol, marijuana and other drug use among youth in Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, Highwood and Riverwoods, Illinois.
CTAD is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization (EIN 451631475). Grants have been generously provided by the Healthcare Foundation of Highland Park and Highland Park Community Foundation. This newsletter was developed in part under grant number SP021482 from the Office of National Drug Control Policy and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The views, opinions, and content of this publication are those of the authors and contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or policies of ONDCP, SAMSHA or HHS and should not be construed as such.
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