The Baltimore County Bureau of Substance Abuse offers specialized services for adolescents. Services include assessment, referral, early intervention, and treatment. The bureau serves adolescents who are in the experimentation, early use, or serious abuse phases of substance involvement.
Specific services are described below. To access any of these services, see the contact information at the bottom of the page. You may also want to read about the signs of adolescent drug and alcohol abuse and the symptoms of chemical dependency.
A counselor will assess the adolescent to determine the extent of his substance abuse. If necessary, the counselor will refer the adolescent to the appropriate level of care in a treatment center convenient to his home.
The PASS Program is intended for families in crisis, when the parents suspect that their child may be using substances or when the child is in denial. A rapid-result urine screen will detect the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and methamphetamines including ecstasy in 3 to 5 minutes. A counselor will assess the adolescent to determine whether a substance abuse problem exists and how serious the problem is. After the urine screen and assessment, the counselor will meet with the family to evaluate the results and assist in making the proper referral, if necessary. The PASS Program costs $50 and includes the urine screen, the assessment, and the post-screen evaluation.
ASAIP is a six-hour series of classes discussing the long and short-term effects, dangers, myths, and legal ramifications of substance use and abuse, along with life skills exercises. ASAIP is designed for the first-time offender of a drug or alcohol violation or youth in the experimentation phase of substance involvement. Classes are held in the early evenings in Arbutus, Cockeysville, Dundalk, and Essex. ASAIP is also available in Baltimore County's alternative schools.
The Bureau of Substance Abuse provides an assessment and recommendations for education and counseling to all students expelled from Baltimore County Public Schools for a drug-related incident, as mandated by the Board of Education. In addition, the Bureau offers ASAIP classes and low-level individual and group counseling in the alternative schools.
Adolescent Addiction Counselors develop and implement individualized treatment plans for youth identified as having a substance abuse problem. Therapy may include individual, group, and family counseling. Youth who require inpatient drug treatment but have no medical insurance may receive a free assessment, which may result in inpatient placement free of charge.
Special services are available for youth who are involved with the juvenile justice system. Juvenile Drug Court provides intensified outpatient treatment as an alternative to placement outside of the community. The Substance Abuse Re-Entry Network supports the reintegration of youth into their communities after placement outside of the community. Gambaru is a nine-month outpatient program for teenage girls that offers supportive services in addition to substance abuse treatment.
All programs, no matter where they are located, can be accessed by calling the Northern Area Treatment Program.
Revised March 15, 2007
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