Caregiver involvement in adolescent substance use treatment is consistently linked to better outcomes. This presentation will summarize parenting practices that raise or lower adolescents' risk for opioid, stimulant, and other substance use, describe the mechanisms through which caregivers can both amplify and reduce that risk, and present the primary targets of caregiver-focused interventions using a core-elements framework for family therapy. Additionally, concrete, evidence-informed techniques to engage caregivers in treatment and to structure productive family discussions during sessions will be reviewed. By the end of the talk, attendees will understand why caregivers are a critical influence on youth substance use, how parental behaviors and family processes shape risk, and practical strategies to increase caregiver engagement and support positive treatment outcomes.
Samuel Meisel
Assistant Professor
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University
Samuel N. Meisel is a licensed clinical psychologist and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Boston University. He received his PhD in clinical psychology from the University at Buffalo, the State University of New York in 2020. He completed his pre-doctoral internship at Brown University. Dr. Meisel completed a two-year NIAAA-funded F32 postdoctoral fellowship and then a two-year NIAAA-funded K99 postdoctoral fellowship at E. P. Bradley Hospital and Brown University’s Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies. He joined the Boston University faculty in 2024 where he directs the Substance Use Mechanisms, Motivations, and Interventions for Teens (SUMMT) Lab. Dr. Meisel’s research focuses on social relationships, such as peer and caregiver relationships, and how they interact with multiple levels of influence (e.g., temperament, schools, neighborhoods) to influence adolescent substance use initiation, escalation, treatment, and recovery. The overarching questions that guide his work include (1) What are the developmental pathways leading adolescents to initiation, escalation, and recovery? (2) How do we leverage social relationships to improve adolescent substance use prevention and treatment efforts? (3) What are the key ingredients of adolescent substance use prevention and treatment programs that lead to behavior change?
Brandon Bergman
Associate Director
Recovery Research Institute
Dr. Bergman will be introducing our speaker and coordinating the event.