Addressing the Needs of Substance Abusing Adolescents

As individuals with multiple needs, substance abusing adolescents may seek the support and assistance of school counselors. The purpose of this article is to provide professional school counselors with information they can use to assist students with substance abuse issues. Specifically, this article examines (a) complexity of addressing substance abuse in schools, (b) recognizing and assessing adolescent substance abuse, (c) adolescent substance abuse prevention and intervention, and (d) collaboration with teachers and community stakeholders.