Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center, BC3 To Discuss Addiction Issues In Teens & Young Adults

PITTSBURGH – Navigating adulthood is a new and exciting time for older teens and young adults. The newfound freedom that comes with leaving home for the first time often brings fresh challenges and experiences — and new pressures.

The Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center and Butler County Community College will host an important conversation on addiction issues unique to families with older teenagers and young adults in its second annual “Discover Recovery” community forum on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.

Gaiser’s 2024 community dialogue on addiction treatment focuses on family matters, bringing together clinical and medical experts, parents and school and university leaders to shed light on issues ranging from the early warning signs of addiction to how mental health and family history impact addiction and recovery. The event will run from 7:30 to 11 a.m. at BC3 Founders Hall and is open to the public.

“Whether they’re heading to college, moving away for a new job or just moving out of the family home for the first time, young adults trying to navigate their new life may sometimes experiment with things they never would have considered before,” said Gaiser Executive Director Joseph Mahoney. “We want parents to be able to talk to their children — no matter their age — about these issues, but they need education and resources. We are so proud to join with BC3 to get the conversation started.”

The program features a keynote speech from certified addiction medicine specialist and Gaiser Medical Director Dr. C. Thomas Brophy on the early warning signs of addiction in young adults and older teens, along with a Q&A panel with parents of children in recovery. Breakout session with experts include:

BE AWARE. TAKE ACTION: A Q&A with Dr. Brophy about how genetics can impact addiction
MIND OVER MATTER — OR NOT: The importance of mental health in addiction and recovery and how mental health and family history can dovetail.
PLAN AHEAD TO PREVENT: The role of awareness education for families and the community
IT’S JUST A POP CAN: Learn about commonplace items used to hide drug paraphernalia in dorm rooms or when adult children move back in with their parents.

WHEN:
Monday, January 8, 2024
Registration/Breakfast 7:30-8:30
8:30-9 Keynote from Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center Medical Director Dr. C. Thomas Brophy
9-10:15 Breakouts
10:30-10:45 Parent Panel

WHERE:
Founders Hall, Butler County Community College, 107 College Drive, Butler, PA 16002

About the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center
Integrating time-tested methods and the newest care innovations, the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center has changed lives and met community needs for more than 50 years. A nonprofit substance use disorder center located in Butler, PA, the Gaiser Center stands at the forefront of trauma-informed care, recognized as the region’s longest-running addiction treatment program and a Pennsylvania Center of Excellence for treatment of opioid use disorders.