Adolescents and Substance Abuse in Connecticut

Liz Jorgensen is a certified alcohol and drug counselor with over 26 years experience treating adolescents with substance use disorders in Connecticut.  She is the Director of Insight Counseling in Ridgefield, CT, and was recently interviewed for a New York Times article that was published on June 9, 2012.  The article is titled "Risky Rise of the Good-Grade Pill".

In our interview, we discuss the Times article and highlight some of the challenges families and adolescents face in accessing treatment for substance use disorders.

This episode is also timely because the Connecticut Department of Public Health released the results of the School Health Survey and Youth Risk Behavior Report on June 8, 2012.

We highlight the role of the Office of the Healthcare Advocate in helping children, adolescents, and families access the care and supports they need and deserve. 

According to Jorgensen, private insurers too often deny coverage for inpatient treatment to adolescents physiologically dependent on painkillers.