Prescription Medication and Street Drug Considerations in
Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Programs

Larry Wells, LDAC

Abstract

In the 1980's, the mental health and medical community tried to solve many adolescent behaviors through medication. Some of these medications created inappropriate risks for clients in outdoor-based substance abuse or behavioral healthcare programs. This dynamic requires programs to increase their knowledge and awareness of how both prescribed medications and new street drugs pose risks to adolescents entering outdoor challenging environments. This paper argues that all program staff need to be aware of the risks and side effects associated with prescription medications and street drugs when considering outdoor behavioral healthcare programs. These considerations need to be carefully written and understood in program policy and procedures, serving as a critical component of risk management.

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