ORN Clinical Roundtable: Out of the Shadows: Opioid Use Disorder, Stimulants & Teens-Slide Materials

Slide Materials

Pdf Summary

The presentation, “Out of the Shadows: Opioid Use Disorder, Stimulants & Teens,” explains how to recognize adolescent substance use, assess immediate risks, and connect young people to care. It also introduces the SAMHSA-funded Opioid Response Network, which provides communities with local training and technical assistance in prevention, treatment, and recovery.<br /><br />A case study describes a high-achieving student whose grades, weight, social life, and behavior changed after an injury-related oxycodone prescription. He later obtained pills from peers and social media, including counterfeit pills likely containing fentanyl, and used someone else’s stimulant medication. Alternating drowsiness and agitation illustrate how opioid and stimulant effects can mask one another and make intoxication or overdose harder to recognize.<br /><br />The presentation highlights rising teen overdose deaths and the growing involvement of fentanyl and stimulants. It recommends nonjudgmental conversations, prompt safety assessment—including overdose and suicide risk—and collaboration among families, schools, and clinicians.<br /><br />Treatment should address both substance use and underlying needs. Buprenorphine is presented as a first-line treatment for opioid use disorder; naltrexone may be appropriate after detoxification. Stimulant treatment relies on approaches such as contingency management and cognitive behavioral therapy, as no FDA-approved medication is available. Family-based therapy, treatment of co-occurring conditions, and harm-reduction education—including naloxone access and fentanyl test strips—are also emphasized. Detoxification alone may not provide adequate ongoing treatment.<br /><br />Barriers include family fear and misconceptions, provider stigma or limited training, insurance challenges, shortages of adolescent-focused programs, and fragmented services. The presentation calls for supportive, coordinated, evidence-based care rather than punitive responses.

Keywords

opioid use disorder

adolescent substance use

teen overdose

fentanyl

stimulants

buprenorphine

naloxone

contingency management

harm reduction

family-based therapy