Adolescent Substance Use: What School Counsellors Need to Know
In this course, Dr. Amanda Giordano explains the critical aspects of adolescent substance use, including its neurobiological foundations, risk factors, and evidence-based intervention strategies. She explores how brain development makes adolescents particularly vulnerable to addiction and presents research-backed approaches to prevention and early intervention.
About this course
In this course, addiction specialist Dr. Amanda Giordano (Ph.D., LPC, Associate Professor of University of Georgia) introduces the complex issue of adolescent substance use, providing a research-based perspective on the interplay between neurodevelopment and addiction vulnerability. She discusses the latest data on adolescent substance use trends, the impact of substances on cognitive and emotional development, and effective intervention strategies, including Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). By integrating neuroscience, clinical research, and school-based interventions, this course helps equip mental health professionals with the tools to identify, prevent, and address substance use in adolescents.
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