Friday, February 6, 2009

Angry & Oppositional Adolescents:
Struggles & Strategies

Persistent, unregulated emotional and behavioral issues in adolescence have a broad impact that is frequently evidenced in increased incidence of drug and alcohol use; poor school performance, disruptive school behavior, and high school drop-out rates; abusive or inappropriate sexual behavior; and teen pregnancy.  When dealing with these adolescents, the primary focus is on eliminating the problematic behavior.  Progress for these youth is often defined as the “absence of bad behavior” rather than the acquisition of appropriate developmental skills or the movement towards positive goals. 

This workshop presents a treatment approach with adolescents that proceeds from three basic assumptions:

1. Adolescents are angry and unresponsive for a variety of reasons and, therefore, interventions need to be individualized


2. Adolescents will do well if given the skills and support necessary


3. For adolescents to make positive changes, the systems in which they operate (family, school, and community) need to support those changes

• Create treatment plans that target developmental progress as well as problem behavior resolution
• Integrate current neuro-developmental research into practical treatment interventions
• Engage families and other service providers in providing a more collaborative, consistent response to “difficult” adolescents

We will examine ways in which a strength-based, systemic approach can be used in everyday clinical practice, outreach and residential programs, case management, and school-based interventions with adolescents and their families.

Instructor

Kevin Creeden, M.A., LMHC, is Director of Assessment and Research at the Whitney Academy.  He has over 25 years of clinical experience treating children, adolescents, and their families, working extensively with physically and sexually aggressive youth.  Mr. Creeden has published articles and book chapters on the neuro-developmental impact of trauma on sexual behavior problems.  He is guest faculty in the Boston University School of Social Work advanced training program in trauma-focused treatment.  An engaging and dynamic presenter, Mr. Creeden trains and consults nationally and internationally.