FAMILY SERVICE AGENCY OF MARIN A division of Buckelew
Programs, FSA offers a host of behavioral health services for teens and
families. 415.491.5700, fsamarin.org
KAISER PERMANENTE SAN RAFAEL CHEMICAL DEPENDENCY
SERVICES Individual and group treatment and support groups for Kaiser
members. Walk-in hours Monday–Friday 9 a.m.– 3 p.m. 415.491.3000
MARIN COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES
The mental health and addiction arm of Marin Health and Human Services,
BHRS offers prevention, intervention and treatment services.
888.818.1115, marinhhs.org/behavioral-health-recovery-services
MUIR WOOD ADOLESCENT AND FAMILY SERVICES A private drug
and alcohol treatment program with outpatient programs for boys
and girls in San Rafael and an inpatient program for boys in Sonoma.
855.300.1720, muirwoodteen.com
NIDA FOR TEENS The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
produces effective fact-based educational materials for teens,
including the PEERx program on prescription drugs.
teens.drugabuse.gov, teens.drugabuse.gov/peerx
NOVATO BLUE RIBBON COALITION FOR HEALTHY YOUTH
novatoblueribbon.org
PAR TNERSHIP FOR DRUG-FREE KIDS A national organization
providing resources, education and referrals as well as the documentary Breaking Points, available for individual rental and community
showings. drugfree.org
RXSAFE MARIN A coalition of community members and
experts working to prevent prescription drug misuse, abuse and
addiction. rxsafemarin.org
SAN RAFAEL ALCOHOL COMPLIANCE TEAM (ACT) A cooperative
program run by San Rafael and Terra Linda high schools and the SRPD to
prevent teenage drinking and drug use. facebook.com/sanrafaelact
REDWOOD HIGH SCHOOL WELLNESS CENTER An on-campus
counseling center offering confidential supportive services for students
struggling with substance-related concerns as well as stress, anxiety
and depression, sexual health issues, family conflicts, and more.
415.945.3663, tamdistrict.org/rhs_wellness
REDWOOD HS BE THE INFLUENCE redwoodptsa.org/be-the-influence
DRAKE HS BE THE INFLUENCE tamdistrict.org/Page/8878
TAMALPAIS HS BE THE INFLUENCE tamdistrict.org/Page/9403
T WIN CITIES COALITION FOR HEALTHY YOU TH
thecoalitionconnection.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION
These organizations offer information and
support to educate parents and teens about
drug abuse prevention and treatment.
Last January, Redwood High opened an on-campus Wellness Center,
providing substance abuse counseling and education, sexual health services, and mental health support on both a drop-in and an appointment
basis. The response was even better than expected, says Wellness Center
director Jessica Colvin. “We had between 50 and 200 students a day
dropping in, and we saw several hundred individually.” A second wellness
center is opening at Drake this fall, and Tam will have one come January.
Perhaps the biggest effects may stem from a school-based initia-
tive known as “Be the Influence,” which focuses on uniting parents in a
shared effort to hold the line on partying and abuse.
Parents who sign up to participate get access to contact info for other
parents, making it possible to confirm a child’s whereabouts, ascertain
there will be adult supervision at a party and in general check in about
what’s going on in the teens’ social world.
“What it does is create a culture in which parents don’t feel so isolated
and alone,” says Linda Henn, coordinator of the program, which started
at Redwood, then spread to Tam and Drake and on to Branson, Marin
Catholic and San Domenico. “So often parents feel like they’re the only
ones saying no, and you start feeling like you’re going crazy; no parent
wants to be the bad guy when everyone else is giving in.”
Other efforts center around educating parents in ways to hold the
line more firmly, says Burke. “It’s [parents’] job to set limits and provide
boundaries and consequences, whether that makes us popular or not.”
And while kids may kick and scream over limits, they’re often secretly
relieved to be able to blame parents for preventing them from doing
something they weren’t entirely comfortable with. “My daughter tells me
now that what helped her decision-making more than anything else was
having her ‘mean mom’ to provide her the cover to say no. But we have to
give them that opportunity to blame us.”
And if you think your child is in trouble? “One of the most helpful
things a doctor once said to me was, ‘If you think there’s a problem,
there’s a problem,’ and I’ve found that to be true for so many kids,” says
Sheff. “Trust your gut.” m
