May 8th and May 10^th from 6-8:30 p.m. (a two part Special Event Presentation)

Know the Facts! Substance use among youth and young adults is at its highest level. This disease can cause or increase mental and physical health related issues and can lead to problems at school, home, and work. It can put our youth at risk for involvement with the correctional system or worst of all, lead to loss of life. Substance Use Disorder (SUD) impacts the entire family. This special extended workshop will explore local and national statistics, risk factors, and the effects of SUD on the brain and polysubstance use. A video will be shared, “Pleasure Unwoven” a personal journey about addiction by Kevin McCauley. He turns complex neuroscientific concepts into easy, understandable virtual images that helps explain why SUD is a disease. Also discussed are protective factors, the social and mental impact of stigma and how we can help. This information can be used to start these important conversations with our children and youth. Our kids/young adults are our future, so it is critically important that we parents, family and community members truly understand this disease and learn that recovery is possible! Do not wait to get started!

About the G.E.A.R. Parent Network

The G.E.A.R. Parent Network, a program of Crisis & Counseling Centers, is the place where Gaining Empowerment Allows Results. G.E.A.R. is run by parents for parents providing services for parents of children with emotional and behavioral health concerns.

Through parent-to-parent sharing of experiences and knowledge, G.E.A.R. Parent Network empowers parents of children with behavioral health needs to build on their family’s strengths and to advocate for their family’s needs.