Featured Grant OpportunitySchool Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) (Funding Opportunity) 

Featured Grant OpportunityShare with Youth: NOAA Student Opportunities Database

Featured Grant OpportunityShort Courses in Social Determinants of Health for Research Education in Nursing Research (Funding...

Featured Grant OpportunityResearch on Law Enforcement Responses to Opioid Overdoses (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityComprehensive Partnerships to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) Program (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityRisk and Protective Factors of Family Health and Family Level Interventions (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityPersonnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities--Doctoral...

Featured Grant OpportunityStanding Announcement for Tribal Title IV-E Plan Development Grants (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityProviding Research Education Experiences to Enhance Inclusivity for a Diverse Substance Use and...

Featured Grant OpportunityFY 2024 Research on School-Based Hate Crimes (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityChallenge America (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityResearch and Evaluation on Firearm Violence and Mass Shootings (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityNational Juvenile Court Data Archive (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityGraduate Research Fellowship (Funding Opportunity)

Featured Grant OpportunityCommunity Programs for Outreach and Intervention with Youth and Young Adults at Clinical High Risk...

Featured Grant OpportunityPrint and Disseminate Child Victims and Witnesses Support Materials (Funding Opportunity)

## Breadcrumb

            -           Strengthening Families to Prevent Teen Drug Use      

# Strengthening Families to Prevent Teen Drug Use

Experts say one way to prevent young people from using drugs is to strengthen family relationships, so that youth develop an open and trusting relationship with parents. "Parenting Wisely," an online-based SAMHSA-model program developed by Family Works, Inc., teaches parents how to better communicate with their teenage kids and disciplinary strategies that can help gain their children's trust.

"Kids who are more likely to use illegal substances excessively often times have behavioral problems—substance abuse is one of them. Our program teaches parents to gain control of these behavioral problems," explained Donald Gordon, former psychology professor and President of Family Works, Inc.

"Parenting Wisely" is a computer-based program that teaches parents about the importance of supervising and monitoring their teens; and effective disciplinary tactics, such as parent-child contracts, which facilitate discussions among families, and indicate the rewards and consequences of breaking the rules. The program also provides strategies that parents can use to improve communication with their teens. "We teach parents how to listen to their kids so kids will want to talk to their parents by teaching them to use active listening—a way of reflecting back what children say and showing interest," Gordon noted. "They also learn how to voice their complaints in a way that doesn't put a kid down."

Unlike other parenting education programs, "Parenting Wisely" comes on a CD so it can be used by parents from their own computer. This, Gordon says, makes it easier to reach those families that might feel embarrassed to talk to a professional about family issues.

The program has been shown to reduce risky behaviors among youth. "We typically see a 30 to 60 percent drop in teen behavioral problems, and find that parent and child substance abuse diminishes," Gordon said.

### Announcements

Resource: Prescription for Disaster: How Teens Misuse Medicine

Resource: How to Talk About Mental Health: For Parents and Caregivers

Resource: Essentials for Parenting Teens

Resource: Coaching Steps for Families

Supporting Young Parents

### Feature Article

Healthy Youth Development through Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation

Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

AdoptUsKids Project Helps 10,000 Foster Children

Back to School!

### Federal Links

Office of Population Affairs (OPA)

Title X Family Planning Clinic Locator

Report: Expenditures on Children by Families, 2015

Resource: Helping Military Parents Keep their Children Safe

Resource: National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse