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Gabby Dixon, a high school social worker, discusses her experiences working with adolescents who are at risk of or using harmful substances. She shares that she fell in love with social work and supporting teenagers while in high school. Gabby addresses substance issues every day, with alcohol and weed being the most common substances used by students. She highlights the importance of understanding the root causes behind substance use, such as home issues, lack of understanding, grief, and identity struggles. Gabby also mentions that some students use substances to cope with academic pressure. Implementing interventions for substance abuse can be challenging when parents and school environments have conflicting attitudes. All right, welcome back to the social workers and training podcast I'm your host Sarah juice, and we have another fascinating guest here with us today to talk about What it's like working with? adolescents Who are at risk of or using? Substances that could be harmful to them. So I have an experienced social worker here And her name is Gabby Dixon Gabby. Are you with us? I am with you. Hey, good morning. Good morning. How you feeling today? I'm doing all right Okay Wonderful. Well, I know we're gonna have a pretty great interview So I do want before you get started to just introduce yourself. Tell us how you came into This field of social work and what your experience has been like so far Yes, so This is my second year in social work. I'm a new in high school Honestly that I wanted to kind of I my story is a bit odd But I knew that I wanted to go to school every single day specifically high school I wanted to work with high schoolers, you know in high school We were trying to figure out our careers and I was like, I thought I wanted to be a teacher But no, I don't think I want to be a teacher and then I fell in love with social work I fell in love with the idea of Supporting other supporting teenagers supporting people like myself at that time. So Once I knew I wanted to be a social worker, I hit the ground running got my bachelor's degree I didn't take a gap year went straight to my master's degree. I did internships even in my undergrad degree Time and you really don't have to but I wanted to get that experience. I wanted to see what it was like working within a school supporting you know teenagers and Here I am two years later. I gave my master's degree High school social worker and I am currently served in through 12th grade Wonderful. Wow, so you you knew what you wanted to do from the very beginning and you stayed the course And here you are as a professional social worker. Congratulations on that. That's really awesome Okay, well, I know you don't have a lot of time but because you're busy supporting all of these students in the High school, so I do want to thank you for taking out the time to talk to me But I do want to get into the meat and bones of this Or meat and potatoes of this interview because it's a lot to kind of dissect when it comes to our youth and What it is they're going through and why they're turning to substances Yeah, so just it's kind of like a general starter question How often do you feel like you are helping? Council and advise the youth who do use substances um Honestly last year, you know every single day. I can't even Every single day. I feel like I'm addressing You know some type of substance issues some type of whether it's alcohol whether it's you know, weed, vape pen Just addressing it every single day. Every single day. Yeah Wow and What is it that you feel like you see the most especially at the high school you're at maybe what are students turning to mostly? Honestly, I would say it's a good 50-50 between alcohol and weed it's alcohol is one that you kind of wouldn't you know notice to pay attention, right? because that's a Both are really out there right because of the the smell right and because of the side effects but you can kind of hide alcohol a little more until You have a student real real experience for example. You have a student Who's brought to you by an SRO security officer At 9 a.m. Because she is stumbling all over the place slurred speech And you can smell the alcohol with her breath, right? No Yeah Okay, 50-50 and just talking about that student when you do talk to that student What type of things are coming up in the conversation As to why they chose to do that before school is it happening the night before? What are they saying? Yeah I pulled her of course didn't get much because right she's intoxicated. So this day I followed up with her and just you know just tried to get a feel for what's going on, you know What made you want to have a drink and I'm not talking about like a seagram or You know anything light in that nature. I'm talking about full-blown Like one of those Toronto ones, right? So what you know just kind of you know, just and of course when I go through these moments and this is a genetic student But I still have to support her I just kind of talked to her about you know, home life, you know, what made you wanna Have a drink of this nature and 9 a.m And this particular student was living with grandma Doesn't have a good relationship with mom nice great So beginning of the year trying to find her her way in high school But it really the root cause was just like that I don't feel understood at home. I don't feel understood at home I'm living with my elderly grandma and she doesn't understand. She can't relate. I'm in nice ready, you know I want to do these things. I want to go out. I want to do this So a lot of home issues sometimes are the root cause for Some of our scholars engaging in You know different substances and not knowing how to process not knowing how to you know Navigate these emotions. Uh, I don't feel understood right? So because you don't understand me Look, this is what I'm going to do when I get out this house in the moment that I leave every day at 7 o'clock this is what I want to engage in because You don't Understand you don't even you can't even reason with me, right, right? Wow, okay Thank you It's real. I mean they are dealing with things at home But I just wonder like what other challenges have you heard are they dealing with issues with identity or sexuality? What other things come up in your conversations as to the root cause of Why they are abusing or using substances and how easy is it to pull it out of them to explain and For them to explain and get to the root of what's going on a lot of Recreational they see their peers doing it They see their family members doing it. That was a big shock to me this year. I had a meeting with the family And parents stated clearly I would rather her smoke weed than do the vape pen And you know, okay, so it's a practice that's used at home And that the family members parents guardians, they're okay with it, right? Um, so a lot of times it's just recreational because my peers doing my favorite rapper is doing it So I feel like I'm going to do it. Then yes, you have some scholars who are dealing with grief, right? they've lost It's only my second year, but I mean we've had so many scholars who've lost their parents Right. They're so young but they have lost mothers and fathers and they are struggling with that grief They don't know how to move it. They don't you know, it comes and goes as it flows one day You're okay. And then the next hour you're not because you're grieving this person that was here once and now they are not here Then they decide to numb the pain with you know Smoking weed or they know I have one student his father passed in January and by November December He's shutting down. He's engaging in drug smoke. He more he knows The grief that anniversary death date is coming. So Try to you know, manage those emotions around grief. Then I have some who deal yes, but you know identity issues Those you know, it goes always back to that at home like they're you know struggling at home and then even you know Dealing with relationship issues peer-to-peer. They are engaging just to be transparent engaging in you know Sexual relations at an early age. So they're they're trying to navigate Relationships, they're trying to navigate friendships or you know, I Like my friend but now I think I'm starting to develop different feelings for my friends, but you know Let me mask it. Let me smoke it. Let me drink the way so yeah Wow, a lot of things are coming up in these conversations Our grades ever a pressure for them. Do they bring that up or is it mostly they're not really worried about the academic piece The academic piece for some I noticed that some of my kids who smoke And they are concerned about their grades They They they like to seem like they have a good handling, you know It's weird because I Don't I'm gonna just say that this way. I know how to say it those who my scholars who? Are high achievers. They are also smokers They are trying to keep that pressure, you know Under the rest of feeling like wow. I have a 15 page paper whoa, you know I have I had this big math assignment or I'm not understanding these concepts or the moment that I Walk in your school. I'm stressed. So, you know, yeah, they are trying to grade I feel like it it doesn't come up in conversation, but I think Subconsciously it's just in the back of their mind like and It's stressing me out, but I'm not really saying it's stressing me out, but I'm a smoke So and then of course my some of my kids who are not doing well or who don't necessarily have an interest in school right, that's their go-to and when I say they don't have an interest in school, I mean that they just They're doing the bare minimum to get by but it's also like I just need to smoke to just so that I can't get Mistakes if I don't want to be here, right, right Thank you, okay So let's talk about some interventions Yeah What do you think best works? Is it different for everybody or have you I don't know did some things that you were like, oh, this is great Have you done some things that's like hmm, this is not really it? I don't know about what interventions that you've tried and how they worked out Intervention, so I love this conversation because it's pretty hard the first intervention It's hard trying to implement an intervention for substance abuse abuse when Your home parents Are saying yes, and when your school parents when your school social group the school teacher in school administration but we act honestly as a Different home or just the school home, right? But it's hard when the school home is trying to say no and your home home is saying Yeah, right. That is always the biggest challenge and that is the challenge that I ran into Because I'm like, you know Don't do it or you know, maybe I've had a scholar tell me 12th grade. I smoke every single day But they know they're about to go off To the Navy Army or some sort and like man, but that's gonna be the hardest part, you know from you to cut back So I say, okay today's Monday. We're having this conversation. Today is Monday How about we do this since you smoke every single day How about we do this Monday, Wednesday, Friday after school only? Because they're not gonna take my no and so I can say don't do it But they're young adults or they're you know teenagers. They're gonna be defiant or not listen That's just normal human teenage behavior. So I try to say, you know, let's go small You know Cut back fast if you will, maybe let's try it You know smoke what they would say in Friday instead of every day of the week. How about we not do it before school, right? And then just do it after school, right? So just to kind of cut, you know off Innocent how frequent they're smoking. So that's one intervention that I will try with scholars Now for those who feel it that they're like super dependent on it Then you know, I kind of have we'll have that hard conversation with them and their parents and let them know like hey I believe this is you know, a barrier barrier for them learning And you know, they're super dependent on it. I've had those conversations where I'm like, I'm actually recommending that you You know go to a hospital so they can evaluate you You know and see, you know, because if you're so dependent on where you know You have to do it in the school building and that's an issue right like you you can't you've already done it before you guy And now you need to do it in the classroom space and now you need to do it in the bathroom Okay, and this is something bigger than you just smoking. There's there's something bigger going on There's a bigger dependency that I see so You know Recommending that they go get evaluated. It's always another intervention as well as I created this year Because at the beginning of the school year We were having so many drug Issues within our campus. I mean kids were you know, just rolling up smoking in the bathroom bring their bait pens edibles Edibles were being so we have been so so much was going on and I'm like this is a mess and actually unfortunately There was a issue where one of the scholars she was so high And our school is pretty small, but she was you know So how does it in a sense that her parent came up there? Concern cause police everything it was a huge thing And the parents like yeah, y'all have a drug issue here Well, okay now it's time to do something and it's something should have been done before on that But I created a drug program if you will so Basically if a scholar is found Smoking let's say just say this is their first offense or at you know If scholars have weed on them or their person during that bad check Then they would have to go through a drug program and I found this drug program. This is something that courts use different Jobs and companies use if you were to be found at your job or the court system, whatever They found you using drugs in that drug test and they would make you go through a four hour six hour eight hour twelve hour program, so what I did was I found this program that Scholars could use and it's actually more restorative than it is like a punishment because it teaches them About the harmful effects of marijuana the harmful effects of vaping the harmful effects of drugs I mean alcohol use so they would have to And I really wanted it where the parents would have to pay because our parents also need to be held accountable as well What you do at your home is totally fine, right? You can't control that but what you do at this house and when I say this house I mean school is you can't do that. We can't do that at this house. So I really wanted it where the parents would have to pay that fee So there is a fee attached to this as well because we all know once people get that fee They're not interested or they're hit with that fee. They're not interested within With trying to pay it multiple times So if you get caught with weed or smoking weed or whatever on campus you would have to go through a four-hour drug program You would have to answer a set of questions and a quiz and you would get a Certificate of completion at the end on top of that you would have to do a restorative piece Where did that be and there are some options you would do a presentation? You would have to write a paper and this would have to be presented in front of administration on your return Okay so did you Were you able to bring the program to your school or Yes, I was I'm still waiting for administration to approve Purchasing the courses, right? So we allotted about 20 to 25 drug And alcohol courses and then some specifically for marijuana So the school said that they would purchase the courses and I think it came out to be a grand total of $15 dollars but these are courses that we would have in our back pocket and you will be able to Supply the students with and there is also a parent portion as well They don't have to complete a course online But they would have to you know Kind of go through a training or in sign documentation saying I acknowledge that this is not something that students can do On our premises and also create some smart goals for our parents as well, you know To hold them accountable, too So is the program off the ground and running, you know, is it creating it but that's you know Sometimes it's politics and schools Like how it does bring the parents and to it because honestly You know, they I know they need to be involved but it's like there there's always something else going on, you know Yeah, but with this Especially, you know with our kids I think even just being able to interact with their parent with something else Can bring them together get them to talk in and I hope that the program does actually Live space for them to like connect with each other, you know Yeah, and if not, then that's something that you know, we could even Try like we know it's a lot of times. They just need to talk To each other. So that's cool. I like that Now when it comes to like an intervention like that, what do you think I'm a pro? Well, you talked about the pros, but what could the times be of that? It's self-paced right you can do this at home you can do this at school they would Certificate they will probably be able to answer some of the questions off the top of their head But it's really that that that's one of the downsides of it they would just you know click through it Um, but um, I think that's probably You know, they wouldn't take it serious And I think we were also discussing myself in the team or our care team was discussing how this should be a graduation requirement, right? All scholars should be taking this course. So, you know, not that we're just targeting those Yes, we are trying to target those who are repeat offenders if you will but we want everybody to have this knowledge you want everybody to Be aware of the consequences because then after that it leads to suspension after that You know, you will have to pay a fee because you cannot do this here. It's not what you do in a school, right? Yeah, that's real, okay, I mean I I Think that actually be dope for every student to have to go through it and then You know, if you if you have to pay to go through it again, it's like, okay, you know, what are you doing? But I like that idea too Because it's like even though a certain student may not be using The other students in the class know about it. They see it and it affects them too, you know They're thinking about it they need to process this stuff too, so I really do like that idea of you know, yeah So now I have a question about assessing students What do you think is the best way to assess? So is it like if somebody's coming in every day? Is it one time as a one-time offender? Somebody who you think there would be abused and like what tools do you use? To measure like, okay, this student needs this student really really needs some extra support Yeah Have a peer team referral so heavily rely on teachers all of administration everyone we heavily rely on everyone because Clinicians are not the only one, you know that Can see or in the spaces where students are so we have a care team referral where you can refer Students if you notice as a teacher Somebody who is constantly, you know under the influence when they come in or you know Low-performing because they are under the influence in that particular class then teachers administration, I've even had someone from the main office refer someone right because Everybody we all get to interact interact with the kids in a different way. So we utilize care team referral form We after the referral is sent in One of the clinicians will go ahead and talk to the scholar So after that we keep do a check-in and check-out system With that particular scholar for a certain amount of a lot of weeks we monitor, you know how they're doing if any improvements are made work alongside our Director of culture and the Dean's to you know heavily support the scholar and if it does not get better Then that's you know where we go to next steps of like different interventions Maybe you need to participate in this drug course program after three or four times if you continuously come in the building Intoxicated we always find some type of substance on you. You're smoking on the property then this is a Something that it seems like you're dependent on it and we're going to call in from outside sources So to see if they can help you In a way that we cannot Okay. All right. Sounds like a pretty smooth program. Hopefully it's working pretty soon Lee Cool somebody's at your door. Hold on Gabby so much great information that you're giving me and there's a social worker in training This is I have been super super helpful But now I want to kind of get into like the ethics piece And just ask you Clinician of any race What are some ethical dilemmas that they should be aware of when it comes to working with black and brown youth Specifically when it comes to Abuse and use of substances and an outside of the school Abuse and use of substances and an outside of the school I'm trying to think of any instances I did my supervisor actually was My social work when I was in my master's program. She was my supervisor. She was I'm white and I I think that There was one time where I did kind of notice, you know where she was not necessarily And maybe she didn't have the best training around Drug use because I feel like a lot of schools don't honestly and you know, we get our guidance from CPS about what we should do about drugs and they really Isn't much either but I you know, sometimes just be I Think she was just a bit insensitive when it came to you know, um scholars who Dealt with substance abuse Just a bit insensitive. I'm in my eyes, you know, I definitely Get that, you know scholars should not be doing it on the premises But I you know, there's this one time where she was instantly just like, you know, yeah, they should you know be suspended They you know, that's it. Like they always do this. They should be suspended. They should be out of here There was no real conversation around why What's going on? What you know? What how can I help you or what other coping? Skills do you need to be taught? in order to deal with whatever you're dealing with whatever it is because Just because these are kids and you know, I'm a black woman and you know, I'm black family back culture, you know Can't they have no issues? No, they do. It's their issues, you know They don't have to be deals and things like us adults where we feel as if we have permission to Do whatever because we have a different set of issues, but all in all, you know Just being insensitive or just you know, trying to immediately go the route of punishment When it comes down to substance abuse And not being restorative and not having that conversation I'm hoping I'm Definitely definitely is it's you know Trying to break that school-to-prison pipeline because you know some schools It's like the minute you get caught with something on you where you come in high or drunk Whatever the case might be you can get a record immediately Escorted out in handcuffs and it's like is it we really need to jump there so fast or can we kind of you know Talk to these kids and see what's going on and put a different plan in place That won't change the whole trajectory of their lives Yeah, yeah, so no, thank you for that I know we talked a bit about families a little bit earlier, but I do want to know If you think that more can be done on the parents in collaborating with the school To help support our teens or Do you feel like? Maybe it's not always best to bring in the family. What are your thoughts about family? yeah, I think family involvement is key because we are Parents at the school. So we want to merge you want to blend that family. Yes. We want family involvement I would love you know, I Respect that Particular family where I'm set with a young lady and the mom said, you know, I would rather her smoke the weed than the bait I respect that. I can't hey, this is your kid your life. I respect that but Having those conversations or getting that family involved you know, we're just making sure that Boundaries aren't crossed at school because we wouldn't come into your home and cross boundaries So we want to make sure that the boundaries aren't crossed at the school So I think family involvement is key and I know that I was talking to Miss Hill she works with a lot of outside partnerships and we want to get some Get some, you know different programs within the school and have families come out at family night where you know they talk about just a couple of minutes of SEL to share with the families about you know, some of the implications of Substance use and you know really kind of honing in on why kids or why teenagers? Go straight for a substance instead of trying to talk it out instead of trying to solve a conflict Peacefully or you know feeling like they need to just you know, drink or smoke it out instead of doing anything coping any other way, so Family involvement is key Gotcha, thank you One of my last questions is do you think it's realistic For I guess adolescents to ever really just Completely stop using or should we find ways to just help them with not abusing Um It's a very unrealistic to think that they will stop because I spent a lot of time in my first year thinking that oh Yeah, this kid said they were stopping and I would be a big fan. Oh, man, I didn't help but no So it's unrealistic to think or to expect them to stop. I think it's What we should be focusing on is being proactive Ensuring that it doesn't get worse Than what it does and in working in a black community. That's what I'm seeing right now They need alcohol, but I know we go to the suburbs. I know we probably go to Not I wouldn't say far more but you know far out there and maybe I think we would start to see What if you wait? And there have been a couple of Instances at this particular school where we've heard of like, uh-oh somebody You know talk to them somebody pop this or some type of pill But we want to be proactive and make sure that those types of substances Don't get into the school and really make sure and understand that the kids know what how harmful it is So I don't ever want to um, they get oh, yeah They're never going to do it and then what was the other part of the question? I'm gonna make sure I'm answering No, that pretty much answered it It was basically like do you think this is like Do we end can we end this or do we just need to find some other solution? No, we gotta teach them how to cope. We gotta teach them how to cope. I have one young young lady She's very hard on herself overachiever, but you know, she started to notice, you know Just having kids reflect and pay attention to your body, you know, pay attention to you. Do you feel productive you? And I don't even think kids know what they're smoking sometimes You don't know if you're smoking sativa and you don't know if you're up or down You don't even know how to really work it not to say that I want them to know I mean learning on your own time right, but She started to pay attention and reflect about wow when I smoke before school Honestly, I'm not paying attention. But when I do it after school, I feel okay So just having them reflect on how their body feels And giving them that autonomy and you know agency to be like, okay to make that decision like okay Yeah, I think I can't wait after school. I don't need to do it every single day I noticed that I'm unproductive or I noticed that I'm not as focused Okay My final question for you Miss Dixon is how do you self-care do all of this? I know it can be stressful and chaotic and you said 50 50 like that's a lot you're dealing with a lot How do you? Find that balance and still take care of yourself to still be able to pour into these students That is a great question, I hope I don't get emotional but I've honestly been struggling with self-care My first year I was just like I needed to be at school every day I don't think I took one day off and that nobody told me to do that Worst advice I could have given myself to be honest But I felt like I needed to be at school every day for that to learn because I was new to the field of Social work. I wanted to learn so much from my peers. I felt like everybody in this is the imposter syndrome Talking to me at that point, but everybody else this is their 10th 12th 20th year in education my first So I wanted to learn so much but now Taking those days You know, that's how I you know Self-care I take I really make sure to take my day. I'm taking my day. I'm disengaging, you know from All work and it's hard because I have the notifications on my phone I have this on my phone, you know I'm saying so I'll turn notifications off But that's my biggest thing. That's how I take care of myself When I need a day, I'm learning and not the best day sometimes and I'm learning how to Call off because sometimes it is very hard for me. But also I've really Tapped into other Problems as well, right? I'm learning. I just learned how to properly use a firearm And I love it. I didn't know that I would love I Been scared of firearms because of the way people misuse them and mistreat them and harm other people But now that I've been learning how to properly Defend myself and properly use a firearm That is one of my go-tos now because you know, I'm just able to release all of those frustrations Worries and anxieties right at the range. So I'll maybe take myself out to eat Or one of my favorite practices that I can do every single night When I take a shower, I wash the day away But I'm literally speaking it out loud of the things that I want to wash away The things that may be sad the things that The sadness that the kids feel right the things that I cannot change as a social worker because a lot of times they come in And they tell me these things. I hate my mom. My mom cringes at me. I can't tell you to curse back I can't tell you to leave because you can have nowhere to go and you're a child So I have to wash that pain away because there's nothing that I can do about it. But listen, let me that safe space So that's really one of my favorite things Take that night shower and I intentionally say everything that I want to wash away Wow, what a great Conversation. I learned a lot from you and really do appreciate this work that you are doing for our youth Thank you so much for just taking out the time to you know, help me understand what I'm really about to you know Get myself into But also to remain very much I guess true to myself and how I already kind of do things Yeah, no judgment just just helping people with their true true needs, so Thank you. Thank you so so much and that is all for our social work and training interview Amazing, thank you. Thank you. I want to have a great rest of your day and I appreciate you My interview with Gabby Dixon reaffirms many of my current beliefs about the approach I should take as a social worker Especially since I want to work with the black youth in high schools But it also opened my eyes to how often I will face this particular issue of Substance use that they are living through as they maneuver high school I want to first highlight our conversation about solutions in this case Interventions because I'm always trying to focus on what can be done about what has been done so for example in a 2003 studied by Kenneth W Griffin at all title Effectiveness of a universal drug abuse prevention approach for youth at high risk for substance use initiation Findings indicated that youth at high risk who received the program reported less smoking Drinking inhaling use and poly drug use at the one-year follow-up assessment Compared to youth at high risk in the control condition that did not receive the intervention Results indicate that a universal drug abuse prevention program is effective for minority and economically and disadvantaged interest inner city youth who are at higher than average risk for substance use initiation Their conclusions suggest that universal prevention programs can be effective for a range of youth. I Love that in our conversation that she mentioned there does need to be a universal drug program We spoke about how this intervention must happen at tier 3 with the reach to all students in the school And I think that's trying away from the topic makes students feel that the drug use of the school is being hidden It creates an additional layer of distrust between students and the staff and administrators in the school We also talked about her views on parent involvement in these Interventions with teens I could tell that Gabby was conflicted with having to process their teens Drug use while they are promoting this activity in their own home Parents have a lot on their plate Trying to work and raise their children while still just being a human being themselves We focus so much on the child or adolescent But we need more services for parents to help them be able to process how difficult life is for them Doing the best they can to raise their children and the article family-based Interventions for the prevention of substance abuse and other impulse control disorders and girls They mentioned how parents are working so much that is difficult to be as involved in their children's lives contributing to these development issues our children growing up in homes of Substance abuse depressed highly stressed and dysfunctional parents Unfortunately, even functional parents are spending less time with their children because of the worldwide economic crisis That has parents working more hours Now this is not a reason to fault parents But to honestly commend them for how hard they are working from a team perspective, though It is difficult. However, if parents knew that their team just needs to talk to them Things will possibly improve Teens want to be able to talk to their parents and be authentic as real as parents want their children to be Maybe they should try doing the same. For example as Mentioned in the nation's health article tips for talking to teens about drugs and alcohol They mentioned kids are going to be more likely to listen Likely to listen if parents are being authentic says Walker Harding Who's also the chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine? but fear Fear has never worked. However parents should be wary of offering First-person experience as it's not always helpful or relevant for instance A sign noted marijuana is much more potent now than it was years ago. Like we talk in class So first-person stories might not represent the actual risk that teens face today As I mentioned we talked about in class how you know, we have to speak and be real with our with our youth, but Exposing and everything about ourselves may not be necessary just having those conversations with them Allowing them to process what they're currently dealing with and also us understanding that drugs are different these days So Finally I want to touch on how we ended our interview With talking about self-care I want to just mention how this work can be very very heavy and sometimes students Go through a lot that we wear on us all day and then shows up in our conversations with our family and friends and one thing that Gabby said that stood out to me was just sometimes the little things like taking a shower Washing the day away and speaking out those things that have affected you they do help I Want to end this podcast with The fact that I just had a student who came to me to talk about The fact that they have just started trying Lean Which is like a syrup a Drug in drug form that people can mix with maybe pop or soda and and sip it and the reason why they were Turning to it was because they had just lost their grandfather and I felt like whoa Here I am in this Adolescent drug and self-abuse Abuse class and what do I do? Oh my gosh. What do I do? And honestly, I didn't know what to do but I did listen and Try to understand where the student was coming from I think I really Tried to remind the student about Loss and death as I had just also in the winter quarter taking a Taking the aging death and dying a dying class It was hard because I'm thinking about wow You are mourning, of course And you're also, you know starting to use a substance that you can possibly get addicted to So we started having a conversation just about the realities of life and how one thing that we can't control is When we're going to lose our loved ones or when our loved ones are going to lose us And I asked the student is this something that you feel like if you know that death Is something that is honestly promised to all of us. We just don't know when But are you telling me? That every time someone passes away, this is gonna be your coping method and They thought about it and they were able to come to the conclusion that hmm You might be on to something Everybody in my life. I may I May lose at some point as I especially as I get older but if this is the only way that I cope or manage my feeling I can possibly become an addict and Then I'm not in control anymore. This drug is in control of me So I feel like just asking that one question Instead of saying don't do that. You know, that's bad, you know Why would you do that? I? kind of just Because it's an adolescent and we talked about how much you know They don't think about the future and the consequences Putting a consequence in his face And Or the future just make him think about the future his his whole kind of Or a change and he said I never really thought about like that. I never really thought about the future I was just living. I was just doing so one thing I've learned is through all of this through this difficult second year of Graduate school is that Sometimes a simple question with our young people can spark a lot of self-discovery and Push them to see things from a perspective of Someone who is thinking things through before it's too late That'll be all today on the social worker and training podcast, I thank you for your time I thank you for a wonderful quarter and Hopefully I'll see you soon Signing out Sarah juice
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