1. Volume 1, Issue 3 thedailymistake.org by Tom Tracy
Fall 2009 Do you or anyone you know and credit cards, people who are involved with
in their 20s or 30s have sto- and relationship, and hiring and supervising
ries that are worthy of challenges faced. What- new employees to get
theDailyMistake.org? ever people have learned there perspectives and
Who are we kidding,
of course you do!
Whether you picked
the wrong college,
got carried away with
credit cards, took on way from real experience advice on choosing a
too much student debt to could be useful to people career, getting a job,
earn a degree, studied in a coming along or just get- and succeeding on the
field where there are now no ting started. So please job. They can post
jobs, . . ., whatever real post your stories. And if their stories at
world, post-schooling ex- you can, interview and www.theDailyMistake.
periences you have had, post the stories of other org, be interviewed by
please share them at people with interesting Wri2me or a student in
theDailyMistake.org. paths and experiences. their area, and even be
With the deteriorating job interviewed via Web
WWW.JUVENILETREATMENTNETWORK.ORG
This is the Web site of
Wri2me, a Portland-based market, the increasingly cam and Skype.
nonprofit organization that high cost of college edu- Your stories and advice
is focused on helping Maine cations and debts in- can really make a dif-
Treatment News
people in their teens and 20s curred to finance them, ference for people
make important decisions, is and the low completion coming along behind
Maine Juvenile
collecting the rates from col- you.
stories and leges, our teens
Check out :
perspectives and 20s are facing
www.theDailyMistake.
of people difficult choices. org Post your stories.
with recent They need advice Be in touch with Tom
real world from people who Tracy
experience. These may be are unbiased and unafraid (ttracymaine@gmail.co
about getting a job, choos- to tell what worked and
m, 207-415-8412).
ing a career, whether the what didn’t.
schools and programs at- Wri2me is also looking
tended were worthwhile and
for people of any age
worth the cost, money, debt
Inside this issue:
What message about Marijuana is
thedailymistake.org Cover winning online? (YouTube views)
Encouragement of Marijuana Use from Internet Page Two • “How to Hide Your Stash” 78,130 views in
18 months.
The Online Mom & WiredSafety Page Three
• “New Ways to Hide Your Wee” 1,099,466
Reclaiming Futures Every Day Page Four views in 6 months
Recovery Capital Page Four • “Marijuana: Facts for Parents” 8,882
views in two years.
• “Marijuana Can Destroy Your Life Parts
1, 2, and 3” 588 views in two years.

2. Encouragement of Marijuana Use From the Internet
by Paul Grazia MSW Intern - Juvenile Treatment Network
With schools, agencies, juvenile • Sites that review, in detail, the Meanwhile, Anti-Drugs videos are
justice and parents working dili- best places to buy and use drugs in often very hard to come by and are
gently to lead the battle against Portland usually either parodies or just vid-
adolescents’ exposure to mari- • A 33-Chapter book which ex- eos of town meetings or national
juana, one would think that plains a step by step methodology speakers. Aside from the content,
marijuana usage would be way to become a successful drug dealer which in general will be uninterest-
down. However, that assumption • An in-depth tutorial on how to ing to youth, there is another major
doesn’t take into account the grow marijuana in your home barrier as their titles are often very
drive and determination of the without your parents knowing formal and not subject to a typical
many marijuana users who en- • Message boards where mari- adolescent search. Consider these
courage far too many Maine juana users discuss everything videos from YouTube:
youth to become users them- from detecting under cover police • “Marijuana: Facts for Parents”
selves. In 2008, the MYDAUS officers and hiding your usage registered 8,882 views in over two
from your parents years
...we are losing the online battle, • Videos about various ways • “Marijuana Can Destroy Your
to smoke marijuana. Life Parts 1,2, and 3” combine for
badly...our lack of easily accessible
• Videos showing and dis- 588 views since August 2007.
online resources, especially with
cussing the best places to hide And finally, there is zero anti usage
videos, is incredibly detrimental to our videos addressing any sort of drug
marijuana at your home and in
fight against marijuana use in Maine.
your car with special emphasis usage for the state of Maine.
on how to avoid detection by
results (Maine Youth Drug Al- drug sniffing dogs. These numbers make it very appar-
cohol Use Survey) showed that ent to me that we are losing the
22.7% of adolescent have used With the technological compe- online battle, badly, and that our
marijuana at least once in their tence of adoles- lack of easily ac-
life and 12.7% have used in the cents at an all time cessible online
last 30 days. For every preven- high, their expo- resources, espe-
tative action and intervention we sure to this danger- cially with vid-
conduct, there are always people ous material is in- eos, is incredibly
who conduct their own measures evitable. It is my detrimental to our
to ensure that the usage and dis- feeling that even fight against
tribution grows, and even re- though drug use marijuana use in
cruits new members. amongst adoles- Maine.
cents is declining perhaps the last
Like any other resource, the battlefield is online. Consider the As Maine citizens interested in re-
marijuana users display their in- following videos from YouTube: ducing substance use, it is our re-
formation online through a wide • “How To Hide Your Stash” sponsibility to be aware of this
variety of mediums including recorded 78,130 views in about an online solicitation as it has an im-
YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, 18 month period measurable effect on our efforts. By
message boards, and custom • “New Ways To Hide Your increasing our awareness of the
made web pages, some of which Weed” recorded 1,099,466 views matter, we will drastically improve
even require a password to enter. since February, 2009 only 6 effectiveness within our target
Through my research online, I months ago! demographic and reintroduce inter-
have found: vention into a medium in which it
has been long absent.
Page 2 M A I N E J U V E N I L E T R E A T M E NT N E W S

3. The JTN Recommends: being informed about e-technology
During discussions with parents, JTN members and providers of substance abuse prevention and treatment,
we hear frequently about lack of knowledge regarding e-technology. Or maybe about familiarity with the
World Wide Web and its offerings but being overwhelmed by what’s available. Or maybe concern about
safety. We’ve investigated and discovered a few safe and easily negotiated places for the “digital novice.”
We are encouraging you to be informed about the web because our “digital natives” are. It is a grand part of
their culture and it is not going away.
http://www.theonlinemom.com/main_cmt.asp
About The Online Mom Network
The Online Mom Network is a community of caring parents* that aspire to be in-
formed and knowledgeable about the technology that is such an everyday part of our
children's lives.
You can use the web page for information or you can become a member. As a member of The Online Mom
Network, you will receive weekly Newsletters, technology bulletins, and special offers. All the up-to-the-
minute information and advice on the latest gadgets, web sites, and tech developments that your kids are ex-
periencing and that you need to know about!
*You do not need to be a parent to join or benefit from the information.
http://www.wiredsafety.org/
Welcome to WiredSafety, the world's largest Internet safety, help and
education resource
WiredSafety, Is A 501(c)(3) Program and the largest online safety, education and help group in the world.
We are a cyber-neighborhood watch and operate worldwide in cyberspace through our more than 9,000 vol-
unteers worldwide. (WiredSafety is run entirely by volunteers.)
WiredSafety is a resource for:
• help for online victims of cybercrime and harassment
• assisting law enforcement worldwide on preventing and investigating cybercrimes
• education
• providing information on all aspects of online safety, privacy and security.
For these links and other resources visit us at our website:
www.juveniletreatmentnetwork.org
VOLUME 1, ISSUE 3 Page 3

4. The JTN Also Recommends: Reclaiming Futures Every Day
Another great resource grown to 27 sites thanks to a new Reclaiming Future Every Day is a
we want to highlight in investment by RWJF. great site for anyone wanting to learn
this newsletter, is the more about juvenile justice and also
Reclaiming Futures Every Day is
online blog, Reclaiming what is currently happening on the
set up to promote the sharing of
Futures Every Day. ground. We feel this could be a great
information about implementing
resource to many of you in the Juve-
The blog is a great the model between the sites. It is
nile Treatment Network.
online resource for anyone who also designed to spread news, infor-
wants to learn more about the Re- In addition to the blog, you can fol-
claiming Futures model. Reclaim- low Reclaiming Futures Every Day
ing Futures has been helping young on Facebook and Twitter. You will
people who have found themselves find links to both of these features on
in trouble with alcohol, drugs, and mation, and new research on juve- the right hand side of the page. You
crime. It began in 2001 with a nile justice reforms and adolescent can also sign up to have a weekly
grant from the Robert Wood John- drug treatment. The goal is not only digest delivered to you directly via e-
son Foundation (RWJF). It started to share information between imple- mail.
with 10 pilot sites and has now mentation sites, but also with the
You can find the blog at this address:
broader public.
http://blog.reclaimingfutures.org/
Recovery Capital: A Commentary by Michele Hylen, LCSW, CCS
Do you know what makes Recovery ery. William White and Susan Godley adolescence itself. One way to start is
Capital? Recovery Capital is the “total in “Adolescent Recovery: to take an inventory of Re-
internal and external assets that an indi- What We Need to covery Capital for each youth
vidual can mobilize to initiate and sus- Know,” (2) pointed out we live with or provide ser-
tain recovery.”(1) Things like suppor- this dilemma as primary. vices to. We’ve talked a lot
tive relationships, positive interests and They note that we typi- about “strengths based.”
activities, perseverance despite difficult cally think of recovery as Recovery Capital is just that.
odds, enjoyable employment or school, resolution of problems Telling a kid to get rid of
stable housing are examples of such that help move us toward friends who are detrimental
Capital. These are the resources or greater physical, emo- is not always achievable.
assets we have in the bank if you will, tional and relational Maybe the telling is, but the
things to keep us going and headed in a health. What does this actually ridding isn’t. Re-
preferable direction. If we veer away, mean for youth? More covery Capital for youth
these are the things that can bring us importantly, what does sometimes means taking the
back to the road of recovery. this mean to youth? How positive risk to keep some of
do we gauge such a shift and change? those friends and interact differently.
Recovery Capital is a great concept
Adolescents are constantly shifting and You get the message. There are no
when adults are working toward change
changing, constantly moving forward easy answers. With youth in particular,
of any kind, particularly with substance
and backward, sometimes simply be- let’s make sure we are helping them
abuse recovery. We know that persons
cause that is what their brains do – the build Recovery Capital that they appre-
with higher amounts of internal and
second most important challenge, the ciate before or while they are removing
external assets are more likely to re-
adolescent brain. the assets (friends who use, feeling
cover from alcohol and other drug use
high) they define as important.
without professional involvement or As parents, providers, teachers, proba-
with less professional involvement. tion officers, and members of our
With adolescents or youth we run into a youths’ communities, we wrestle to- 1. Cloud, W. & Granfield, R. A Life Course Perspective on
gether to discern how to define adoles- Exiting Addiction: The Relevance of Recovery Capital in
few more challenges. Treatment, p 199.
cent recovery from drugs and alcohol,
One challenge with youth is that we 2. White, W. * Godley, S. (2007). Adolescent recovery:
from mental health problems, from What we need to know. Student Assistance Journal, 19
lack consensus on a definition of recov- (2), 20-25.
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