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In Person
ACE Talks 2025

Adolescent Substance Use: Clinical Trends and Strategies for Mental Health Professionals

Daryl Shorter, MD
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Information

Date & Time

Location

Description

This session will provide an up-to-date overview of epidemiological trends and highlight practical, evidence-based strategies for early identification and intervention of substance use in adolescents. Emphasis will be placed on screening and brief interventions, culturally responsive engagement, and appropriate referral pathways to treatment. In addition, participants will explore opportunities for advocacy and prevention within clinical, school, and community contexts. By integrating knowledge of current trends with actionable strategies, clinicians can better support adolescents at risk and contribute to reducing long-term harms associated with substance use.

Educational Goal

The educational goal of this session is to equip clinicians with current data, practical strategies, and advocacy tools to identify, intervene, and prevent adolescent substance use in clinical, school, and community settings.

Learning Objectives

Participants will be able to:

  • Describe current trends in adolescent substance use and their implications for mental health practice.

  • Recognize developmental and psychiatric factors that increase vulnerability to substance use.

  • Apply evidence-based strategies for screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) as well as opportunities for advocacy and prevention within healthcare, schools, and communities.

Target Audience

  • Addiction Professional
  • Counselor
  • Marriage & Family Therapist
  • Psychologist
  • Social Worker

Presenters

Daryl Shorter, MD
Board-certified in addiction psychiatry and adult psychiatry, Daryl Shorter, MD, is the medical director of Addictions Services at Menninger and also works in Outpatient Assessments. He is also an associate professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine. Prior to his arrival at Menninger, Dr. Shorter served as an attending psychiatrist at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Administration Medical Center in Houston. His research has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, including the American Journal of Addictions, Journal of Psychiatric Practice, Addiction Biology, American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse and Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences. He also has contributed to chapters in books such as Biologics to Treat Substance Use Disorders: Vaccines, Monoclonal Antibodies, and Enzymes, Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology and ASAM Principles of Addiction Medicine. He is a member of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, the American Psychiatric Association and the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training. In addition, Dr. Shorter is a past reviewer for the journals Drug and Alcohol Dependence and American Journal on Addictions. He serves on the board of directors for the Archway Academy in Houston. Dr. Shorter earned his bachelor's degree from Rice University and his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine. His postgraduate training includes a general psychiatry residency at The Ohio State University and an addictions fellowship at New York University.

Financially Sponsored By

  • BrentCare Behavioral Health