101737: The Adolescent Addict (Chapters 1 - 4); and An Interview With Michael L. Dennis, Ph.D. (Chapters 1 - 3)

About the Course:

This course is based on two films from the HBO Video Series “Addiction.” *Separate links are provided for each of the two films.

In The Adolescent Addict, two effective therapies are profiled. Experts discuss how families can deal with the challenging dynamics of an addicted adolescent while at the same time seeking the right treatment.

In An Interview with Michael L. Dennis, Ph.D., Dr. Dennis, Senior Researcher at Chestnut Health Systems, discusses the vulnerability of an adolescent’s brain and the prevalence of co- occurring disorders in teen addiction. He cites various resources and organizations that can help parents find the proper treatment their child needs.

Journal/Publisher:

Home Box Office, in association with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Publication Date:

March 2007

Author

Sheila Nevins (producer)

About the Author:

Sheila Nevins is President of Documentary and Family Programming for HBO and Cinemax. She earned a bachelor of the arts degree from Barnard College and a master of fine arts degree from Yale University. Nevins has overseen production of nearly 500 documentaries, earning 9 Oscars, 13 Primetime Emmys, 10 Academy Awards, 22 News and Documentary Emmys, and 18 George Foster Peabody awards for HBO and one personal George Foster Peabody award.

Recommended For:

This course is recommended for health care professionals, especially addiction counselors, psychologists, mental health counselors, and social workers, who seek knowledge about addiction in adolescents. It is appropriate for all levels of participants’ knowledge.

Course Objectives:

1. Explain the importance of addressing addiction in adolescents and what parents of addicted children need to know.

2. Describe the current state of adolescent addiction treatment and identify promising strategies for addressing the issue.

3. Discuss factors to consider when looking for addiction treatment and what should occur when treatment has ended.