Responding to substance abuse and its related issues

Abstract

The substance abuse services field possesses three distinct levels of response to the issues resulting from the use, abuse, and addiction to chemical substances. The primary response is prevention; the secondary, intervention; and the tertiary, treatment. These response levels also exist for problems outside the realm of substance abuse, as teachers and mental health practitioners working with young people know. While this monograph is essentially designed to illustrate the response levels to substance abuse, the information presented is applicable in a wide variety of situations.

The paper defines and explains each of the three response levels as well as discusses each level's application to adolescents in need. The components of model response programs for youth are also presented and examined.