Philadelphia, PA -- (SBWire) -- 08/10/2016 --In an effort to help parents and families find the most scientifically-informed and trusted resources, the Treatment Research Institute (TRI), a nonprofit substance use research organization, has curated the most widely available, recognized and trustworthy resources. As an easy to navigate website – the new Family Resource Center - serves as a central hub for resources to help parents and caring loved ones prevent drug or alcohol use, intervene early, find treatment and support adolescents and young adults in addiction recovery.
"One of the most common themes we have heard from focus groups and other parent-led discussions is that parents are looking for comprehensive and trustworthy sources of information about dealing with substance use, from prevention to treatment to recovery," said Kimberly C. Kirby, PhD, the Director of Parents Translational Research Center (PTRC) at TRI. "Parents have enough to worry about when dealing with a child's substance use issues – we tried to alleviate some of that burden by creating this site, which includes only those resources that our research team has reviewed and determined to have some scientific support, or to provide useful information."
There is a lot of good information out there about adolescent substance use, but there is also a lot of bad – and even dangerous – information out there too. The Treatment Research Institute looked to the most prominent organizations in the field to begin its pursuit to curate resources that are best suited for parents looking to address their child's current substance use problem. The Family Resource Center serves as a starting point for families.
The directory of resources included are backed by various degrees of scientific support and those that come from the most notable, national sources, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, The Partnership for Drug Free Kids and Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. By organizing and vetting these quality resources, the Treatment Research Institute hopes to relieve families of the burden of sorting and evaluating information themselves.
"If there had been this type of resource available to us back when our son started to battle his addiction, our family would have had a better path forward," said mom and substance use recovery advocate, Cherylyn Marcy. "My hope is that this website will provide parents the ability to understand the disease of addiction and know that they can find the resources they need to help their child."
The new website is a capstone project of the Parents Translational Research Center (PTRC) at the Treatment Research Institute. Funded in 2010 by the National Institute on Drug Abuse under Award Number P50DA027841, the PTRC is one of the first translational research centers of its kind devoted to research and development of practical tools for parents and other caregivers confronting issues of drug or alcohol use in their adolescent. Many of the tools developed through the Parents Translational Research Center were done in collaboration with the Partnership for Drug Free Kids, a nationally recognized non-profit focused on providing information and support to families dealing with substance use issues.
As science-informed and community focused resources continue to evolve, TRI will make them available on the website. Learn more at www.FamilyResourceCtr.org. For more details about the Treatment Research Institute, visit www.tresearch.org.
About Treatment Research Institute
Treatment Research Institute has been a leader in the substance use research field, with a belief that science can only be truly impactful when it is used to improve policies, programs and practices. TRI's work focuses on applying research to change behaviors, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for individuals, families and communities affected by addiction. Collaborations with distinguished partners from across the globe have enhanced TRI's quest to advance the way in which addiction is perceived and cared for. TRI's relentless commitment to discovering and disseminating solutions to substance-use problems drives its work, mission and vision. Learn more about TRI at www.tresearch.org.
Treatment Research Institute Brings Together the Best Resources in the Field to Help Parents and Families Address Adolescent Substance Use