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Family Support Network for Adolescent Cannabis Users: Cannabis Youth Treatment Series, Volume 3

NCJ Number
193499
Author(s)
Nancy L. Hamilton; Laura Bunch Brantley; Frank M. Tims; Nancy Angelovich; Barbara McDougall
Date Published
2001
Length
153 pages
Annotation
This manual explains and presents guidelines for each component of a juvenile drug treatment approach that involves families and serves youths who report marijuana as their main drug of choice.
Abstract
The family support network (FSN) intervention process is a family intervention designed for use in conjunction with any standard adolescent treatment approach. The FSN approach seeks to engage families in the treatment process, improve parents’ competence in supporting their children’s recovery, and shift therapy from time-limited formal treatment to a support group for parents. FSN’s components include case management, six parent education groups, and three or four income family therapy sessions. Case management includes referrals to community support groups and other support services for both parents and adolescents. The parent education groups should not exceed 10 parents per session. The groups each last 90 minutes and take place at the same time and location as the adolescents’ sessions. These interactive sessions focus on the following topics: (1) the family support network, adolescent development, and functional families; (2) drugs and adolescents; (3) relapse signs and recovery; (4) boundaries, limits, authority, and discipline; (5) communication, conflict resolution, and fighting fair; and (6) the family context. Staff requirements for FSN include case managers, parent education specialists or counselors, and home visit therapists. Weekly clinical supervision allows the interdisciplinary team to meet the needs of individuals, families, and therapists more effectively. Weekly staff meetings should review each family’s case. Forms, checklists, illustrations, appended form and study, and 29 references