Vol. 4, No. 4
September 1999

Treatment and Prevention: What You Can Do

• Learn to recognize the symptoms of substance abuse and use.

• Incorporate the CAGE or another screening tool into your initial meetings with families.

• Understand ethics and confidentiality as they relate to substance abuse.

• Develop your knowledge of substance abuse treatment strategies and keep up to date on the treatment resources in your community.

• Build a relationship with the Qualified Substance Abuse Professional (QSAP) in your agency and/or a substance abuse clinician at the nearest mental health center.

• Learn about the protective factors that help children and adults avoid becoming involved with drugs and alcohol.

• Increase your knowledge of the resources and programs in your community that help people develop their resiliency.