Substance use disorders (SUDs) among youth are a growing concern, with unique challenges faced by military-connected families (Gilreath et al., 2013). This webinar provides insights into the vulnerability factors that contribute to youth substance misuse—including high mobility, family stress, deployment-related separation, and peer influences. Protective factors such as family cohesion, positive role models, community connectedness, and structured activities that build resilience are also highlighted.
Strengthening parent-child communication is a key focus of this session. Participants explore strategies parents and caregivers may use for creating open dialogue, setting clear expectations around substance use, and building trust through active listening. These skills are essential for parents and caregivers in military communities, where children may face additional stressors and vulnerabilities due to transitions and separations.
This session is designed for professionals working with military families, educators, service providers, and community advocates who want to deepen their understanding and enhance their ability to support prevention and early intervention.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify key vulnerability and protective factors that influence substance use among youth, with attention to the unique challenges and strengths of military-connected families.
- Explain the role of effective parent-child communication as a protective factor and demonstrate strategies such as active listening, boundary-setting, and clear expectation-setting.
- Describe protective factors and resilience-building strategies for military-connected youth.
- Discover community resources and strategies for supporting youth exhibiting substance misuse behaviors.
