"Brain Cells. Trust Me, You Need Them," and More in Our Weekly Roundup

• Families and teens often need a quick orientation to the juvenile justice system -- but there's never one there when you want one. YouTube is changing that, though. Above is a 9-1/2-minute video from a Florida teen court that provides a thorough overview of how things work there (although it is, unfortunately, cut off prematurely.) Anyone have other examples they want to share?

 
 Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment and Related News

• Last week, I linked to the Addiction Technology Transfer Center Network's (ATTC) explanation of the rationale behind Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) (scroll to the sixth bullet from the bottom). Now, they've released part 2 of their series on SBIRT. This time, they explain the SBIRT model in more detail, listing evidence-backed screening tools and strategies for brief intervention, as well as helpful tips on making successful treatment referrals. (Image at right is the "readiness ruler" developed by OHSU, which encapsulates key SBIRT concepts.)
• Say you're planning a pro-recovery event for teens in your area, and you want maximum publicity. Face it: you want to get an ad on TV. Out of your reach, right? Not anymore. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Recovery Month program has created public service announcements (PSAs) you can use to publicize your addiction recovery event on your local cable television stations. Even better? One of them can be customized so you can add information about your local event. (This all works best if you get the support of the TV station -- and who doesn't want to help teens?). (Hat tip to the ATTC Network.)
• Think it's a bad time to invest in technology in your adolescent treatment agency? Albert Villapiano tells you why you're wrong: investing in technology can help you save time, money, increase revenue -- and help you get ready for sweeping changes that are likely to come with health care reform and electronic health records. (Dr. Villapiano wrote a post for us in December 2009 describing an evidence-based assessment for adolescents developed by his company.) But if you do invest in an electronic health record system, make sure it's compliant with whatever system your state is or will soon be using -- otherwise, your agency may soon be unable to bill for services. (Thanks to Paul Savery for tipping us off to Dr. Villapiano's new column.)

• "Brain cells. Trust me, you need them." That stark phrase is at the heart of a long essay by a youth, "A.M.," in recovery from addiction. A.M.'s essay appears in the latest issue of the Reclaiming Futures newsletter from our site in El Paso, Texas. Congratulations to A.M. for having the courage to share his or her experience, and to El Paso for another great issue. 

 
Conferences

• Planning to hold a treatment-related conference yourself? You may be eligible for partial support from SAMHSA for a "conference grant." Apply now - deadline is September 30, 2010.
• The National Conference on Addiction Disorders will be held in Washington, D.C., September 8-11, 2010 -- addictions professionals can earn up to 30 credit hours. (Hat tip to the ATTC Network.)
• The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and the Justice Research and Statistics Association (JRSA) will co-sponsor the BJS/JRSA national conference on October 28-29, 2010 in Portland, Maine. The focus will be on "using statistics and research to improve justice policies and research," and there will be pre- and post-conference sessions on October 27th and October 30th on cost-benefit analysis, crime victimization surveys, evaluation, evidence-based programming, and effective Web sites.
• Given the epidemic of heroin-use among adolescents, you may also want to attend the American Association for the Treatment of Opiod Dependence conference in Chicago, October 23-27, 2010. There's nothing specific to adolescents on the agenda that I can see, but plenty to learn that could be applicable. (Again, hats off to the ATTC Network.)

 
Job Opportunity

• Itching to work for one of the premiere juvenile justice organizations in the country? The W. Haywood Burns Institute is looking for a Community Justice for Youth Regional Manager. I don't see an application deadline, so hurry!
• It's probably too late too apply for the top job at the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), according to Youth Today. But don't expect a new boss there very soon, as the final candidate will have to be confirmed by the Senate.