Presented by Lori K. Holleran Steiker, Ph.D., CISW, ACSW

Join Lori Holleran Steiker, Ph.D, ACSW, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs in the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work for a discussion of Adolescents Substance Abuse. Dr. Holleran Steiker will braid her personal, professional, and research perspectives in order to explore the current issues related to adolescent substance abuse. She will discuss the dilemmas that adolescents encounter, the elements of evidence-based prevention programs, what parents or friends can do upon discovery of a child's experimentation (or beyond), how to recognize adolescent substance problems, and how to effectively intervene when a substance problem develops.

Dr. Holleran Steiker was an addictions therapist for over 12 years and during her doctoral program she began research on adolescent substance abuse and prevention. She helped design and evaluate the model "Keepin' It REAL" prevention curriculum and studies culturally grounded adaptations for high risk youth in community settings. She is an Associate Professor and the Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Programs at the UT at Austin School of Social Work. She has been the expert on community panels, local agencies, and at UT via courses and other information sessions on Adolescent Substance Abuse, and has received several teaching awards. Her local research on substance abuse prevention was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and her work now encompasses youth who are in the gap between primary prevention and a lack of readiness for treatment.