Drug & Alcohol

Youth with mental health conditions are also at risk for experimenting with substances to self-treat their psychological discomfort. This can be especially true when they have unwanted side effects to medication or their conditions are untreated or unsuccessfully treated. Some youth may have stopped taking their medication because they don’t want to be different or sick. Youth may not understand why they feel the way they do, and they may discover that drinking or taking drugs alleviates their discomfort. For some youth, this use can progress to depend­ence and addiction.

Find support: You are not alone. Others have been where you are and can guide you to where you are going. They can walk alongside you.
Obtain an assessment: Get your youth an in-depth, integrated, trauma-informed substance use and mental health assessment.
Decide what is best for your family: Determine the best course of action given the identified needs of your family.
Ask questions: Screen treatment providers to find out whether they can meet your youth and family’s needs.
Investigate costs and coverage: Find out as much as you can about the costs and what is covered by your health care plan.
Plan for after treatment: Prepare an “after” plan for ongoing healing and health maintenance after co-occurring treatment.

 

                Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs

The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs is providing education, intervention and treatment programs to reduce drug and alcohol abuse and dependency for all Pennsylvanians. 

Bureau of Treatment, Prevention, and Intervention

The Bureau of Treatment, Prevention and Intervention perform numerous tasks within the Department to provide county authorities, providers and communities throughout the Commonwealth with the tools they need to effectively prevent and treat drug and alcohol problems, as well as problem gambling.

TREATMENT DIVISION

Responsible for program planning and development of standards, policies, guidelines, service descriptions, and outcome data for the clinical functions of case management and treatment systems for drug and alcohol issues and problem gambling.

PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION DIVISION
Provides for the development, oversight, and management of substance abuse prevention services statewide, and strives to increase the effectiveness of implemented services through evidence-based programs and state-approved, effective programs and strategies. 

Bureau of Quality Assurance for Prevention and Treatment

The Bureau of Quality Assurance for Prevention and Treatment is responsible for ensuring that drug and alcohol programs throughout the Commonwealth meet or exceed high-quality standards and licensure requirements. The Bureau is composed of the following two divisions:

(1) EVALUATION AND CONTRACT COMPLIANCE DIVISION
Ensures that the Single County Authorities (SCAs) adhere to grant agreement requirements and carry out their administrative functions effectively in order to assure the timely access to, and the provision of, a quality service delivery system, as well as efficiently manage all available resources at the local level.

2) PROGRAM LICENSURE DIVISION
Safeguards the public by assuring that facilities providing drug and alcohol treatment services meet minimum standards of care based on published regulations.