Free Substance Abuse Treatment Available for Teenagers Through UAMS Department of Psychiatry

By todd

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LITTLE ROCK – Young people ages 12 – 18 can receive free help for substance abuse problems from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Department of Psychiatry’s Programs for Young Adults.


 


The PULSE (Power Using Life Skills Effectively) grant program provides five treatment sessions over a 5-8 week period, two parent sessions with a counselor, follow-up sessions and questionnaires at three, six and 12 months to evaluate the participant’s progress and a $10 incentive reward for follow-up sessions and completing the questionnaires.


 


“Teenagers who use drugs and alcohol may be doing so because of other problems,” said Ann Brown, director of the Program for Young Adults. “Signs and symptoms of substance abuse and signs and symptoms of mental health issues often look very similar.  This can get complicated as teens are often dealing with both.”


 


National studies indicate that 50 percent to 80 percent of teenagers with substance abuse problems also have mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or psychotic disorders. Almost a third of Arkansas teenagers indicate they drink heavily on occasion, and 23 percent report using marijuana in the past month.


 


The free treatment program was made available through a $750,000 grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) for a three-year pilot program in central Arkansas. For more information, call 501-526-5992.


 


UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, five centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,170 students and 650 residents and is the state’s largest public employer with almost 9,000 employees. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of about $3.8 billion a year.


 


UAMS centers of excellence are the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute.