Youth in diversion programs through the juvenile legal system (JLS) are at increased risk for opioid use (OU), but established prevention programs have neither been developed for, nor tested with, this population.
A recent study (2024) published in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment identified three key directions for the development of tailored prevention programs for families participating in JLS diversion programs.
First, such programs should address knowledge gaps identified in adolescents and caregivers, including general knowledge about what opioids are, how to detect OU, and where to find accurate information about OU.
Second, such programs should aim to increase adolescents' motivation to avoid opioids by harnessing both intrapersonal (e.g., coping with mental health problems, sensation seeking) and interpersonal (e.g., peer and family relationships, performance in school, list) factors.
Finally, such programs should equip adolescents and caregivers with the skills needed to manage opioid prescriptions and prevent overdose such as caregiver-adolescent communication, parental monitoring, adolescent opioid refusal, overdose detection, and naloxone administration skills.
Prevention Plus Wellness’s (PPW) Opioid PPW for adolescents and Opioid & Stimulants PPW for young adults are motivational screening and brief interventions providing tailored opioid use prevention content for use in classrooms (groups) and one-on-one (individually).
Learn more about the Opioid PPW program: https://preventionpluswellness.com/products/evidence-based-opioid-prevention-plus-wellness
Learn more about the Opioid & Stimulant PPW program: https://preventionpluswellness.com/products/opioid-stimulant-ppw-program
Read the full study article: https://www.jsatjournal.com/article/S2949-8759(24)00182-6/fulltext