Resources
Are you concerned that your child may be using substances or struggling in other ways? Here’s how to help.
Mental Health and Substance Use Resources
As a parent, you can support your child by talking with them about how they are feeling, looking for signs that they may be struggling, and getting them help if they need it. These organizations offer guidance on mental health, substance use, and arranging for treatment.
The Partnership to End Addiction has several helpful resources for parents, including a guide to raising resilient kids and information about medication misuse.
If you find out your child is using drugs, the Partnership offers helpful next steps and an eBook on how to respond.
Check out the Partnership’s tips for recognizing that someone needs help for their substance use, along with information on co-occurring disorders (when someone struggles with both mental health and substance use).
The Partnership’s Help & Hope By Text program offers personalized messages for parents who need support with substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery.
FindTreatment.gov is an online tool from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that identifies local mental health and substance use treatment facilities.
Use the SAFE Locator to find treatment facilities or family support resources near you.
Shatterproof, a national nonprofit organization, provides data about substance use and addiction in America. They also run the Treatment Atlas, a confidential treatment locator.
Explore the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s resources on drug use, health, and the developing brain, and watch their video to learn why drugs are so hard to quit.
Sound It Out Together is an Ad Council campaign that uses the power of music to inspire conversations between parents and children about emotional wellness.
Crisis Hotlines and Text Lines
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (formerly the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) provides free, confidential, 24/7 support for people in distress.
Crisis Text Line is a free, 24/7 texting service that connects people experiencing any type of crisis with a live, trained crisis counselor.
Never Use Alone is a judgment-free hotline that provides a life-saving point of contact for people who use drugs, increasing their odds of surviving an overdose.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7 treatment referral and information service.
