Resources for Parents & Caring Adults

Cannabis 101 – What Every Parent Needs to Know

Watch the video series or bookmark the entire playlist on YouTube to have it at your fingertips when you need it.

This 8-part video series on cannabis awareness and education aims to equip parents, caregivers, and caring adults with valuable insights into cannabis-related topics, fostering a deeper understanding of its effects on adolescents. Each video provides information on a specific topic related to helping youth establish healthy brains and bodies. This series also offers practical guidance on initiating open and informed discussions with children about substance use, promoting a supportive and proactive approach to cannabis education within families.

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"Powerful Parenting Prevention in 3 Minutes"

This video series of 10 micro-lessons provides parents with information and tips on topics that are key to guiding their child to a healthy lifestyle and creating a substance-free youth culture within their family. Each lesson is presented by an expert from Caron Treatment Center’s Education Alliance and is 3 minutes or less. Available in English and Spanish. Watch a brief clip:

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Prevention Playlist on YouTube

For current trends and solutions from our education and prevention experts, watch or subscribe to Caron’s Prevention Connection playlist on YouTube. It's your resource for building a culture of substance-free youth.

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Conversations That Matter- Behavioral Health Strategies for Building Resilience in Youth

This podcast series explores issues that affect youth mental and behavioral health and provides practical strategies for raising, nurturing, teaching, and encouraging children and teens to build healthy patterns that last a lifetime. In each episode, Tina George, Senior Coordinator of Student Assistance Programming, sits down to speak with an expert about critical topics that address the heart of the challenges our youth face, including social media usage, emerging substance abuse trends, and the pressure to perform.

• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Watch on YouTube

My Child and Addiction

A monthly podcast series featuring parents sharing how they cope with the challenges of parenting a child with Substance Use Disorder. The group includes mothers and fathers — some of whom are in recovery, some who are married, and others who are not — with children in their teens through adulthood. Since the series began in 2017, the mothers and fathers of the group have been joined at each meeting by a Caron Treatment Centers professional to provide invaluable clinical guidance. The group has tackled dozens of topics related to coping with the impact addiction has on the entire family.

Download at no cost on these apps: Apple iTunes and Spotify

Digital Learning Program - PREP: Prevention Resources & Education for Parents

This FREE online course provides parents and caregivers with tools and education that research shows can help to reduce the chances their child will use substances during adolescence. This 45-minute interactive digital course can be taken anytime, anywhere. A video version of this program is available in Spanish.

Flyer / Webpage

Digital Learning Program - The Impact of Substance Use Disorders on the Family:

Participants increase their understanding of how addiction impacts family members and how they can provide understanding, support, and resources to the children, teens, and families they serve.

Flyer / Webpage

View the Full Library of Courses

Visit this package to learn more about upcoming events available through the Education Alliance - upcoming events

Connecting and talking with your child is an essential part of keeping them healthy and encouraging the development of their good decision-making skills. But getting your child to give you more than a “yes” or “no” answer can sometimes be challenging.

Try using these conversation cards to start a conversation with youth of any age. Use them as a game, as part of your family meals, or even while driving in the car.

Click here to download cards and access conversation prompt ideas.

Visit our Education Alliance Resource Kit for tools and information on the full continuum of care – from substance use prevention to recovery.

Whether concerned about a pattern or simply curious about their habits, youth can take this anonymous screener as the first step towards getting clarity, support, and valuable insights into their relationship with alcohol or drugs. Based on their answers, youth will be presented with information specific to their areas of concern. This tool can be used alone or as part of a conversation with a caring adult.

Click here to access the screening

These days, the impact of social media, anxiety, and peer pressure is weighing heavily on parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other caring adults. When you add vaping, legalized marijuana, alcohol, and other substances that are now easily accessible to youth, raising kids today can feel a bit overwhelming.

Being an informed parent is critical to keeping our kid's brains and bodies safe and helping them make healthy choices.

By answering questions about a child's age and the areas of concern, adults can access curated resources that address their concerns. Topics include nicotine, cannabis, how to talk to their child about substances, and getting support for the whole family

Click here to access our ePrevention platform page for families

Raising children can be challenging. Things become much more complicated and confusing when substance use problems enter the picture. The PREP program provides the essential knowledge, skills, and resources parents and caregivers need to address youth substance use effectively.

Parents of children in elementary, middle, and high school will benefit from this program.

Available in an in-person or digital format. A recording in Spanish is also available.

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This program offers education about the increased risk student athletes face and strategies for how to avoid that risk. In this presentation, parents and caregivers learn how they can communicate substance use prevention messaging to their student athletes.

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This program helps parents of soon-to-be college students communicate accurate, healthy and practical messages to their children regarding alcohol and drug use in college.