How Counselors Can Support Early Intervention in Teen Substance Use

The Crucial Role Schools Play in Early Intervention

For many students, the first signs of substance use or emotional distress aren’t spotted at home—they emerge in school hallways, locker rooms, cafeterias, and on the sidelines.

A student’s struggle might first show up in a coach’s observation of a sudden drop in performance, a teacher’s notice of missed assignments, or a lunch aide overhearing conversations about parties or vaping. In these everyday moments, school professionals have a unique window into behavior that parents may never see.

The reality is sobering:

  • According to the CDC, 20% of high school students reported current alcohol use, and 17% reported current use of drugs in the past 30 days.1
  • Nearly 1 in 3 teens say they’ve been offered drugs at school.2
  • Substance use is increasingly intertwined with mental health challenges, especially anxiety and depression, which can be masked by high-achieving or socially active students until a crisis emerges.3

“School professionals are often the first to notice subtle shifts—a student who suddenly stops eating lunch with friends, a pattern of unexplained absences, or quiet changes in demeanor. My team works closely with educators to validate those observations, offer insight, and make it easier to connect students and families with help early.”

 — Jessica Hillen, LMSW, Clinical Director at River’s Bend

Recognizing Red Flags in the School Environment

While every student is different, certain patterns stand out when viewed in context:4

Academic Signs

  • Declining grades in multiple subjects over several weeks
  • Frequent tardiness or unexplained absences from specific classes

Social and Behavioral Signs

  • Withdrawing from established friend groups
  • Increased disciplinary incidents or conflicts with peers
  • Secretive behavior in hallways or during unstructured times

Physical and Emotional Indicators

  • Noticeable changes in energy—either hyperactivity or lethargy
  • Smelling of alcohol, smoke, or other substances
  • Sudden mood swings, irritability, or visible anxiety

💡 Tip for school staff: Keep brief, factual notes of what you observe over time patterns matter far more than isolated incidents.

Why Early Connection Matters

When substance use or related mental health issues are caught early, students are more likely to maintain academic progress, preserve peer relationships, and avoid disciplinary consequences that can derail their future.

River’s Bend can collaborate with Greater Metro Detroit schools to:

  • Provide consultation for school staff on identifying concerning patterns and differentiating between normal adolescent changes and red flags
  • Help staff understand when and how to share concerns with parents in a supportive, non-alarming way
  • Offer in-service trainings and professional development on adolescent substance use trends, peer pressure dynamics, and the impact of co-occurring mental health conditions
  • Create direct referral pathways so school counselors, social workers, and nurses can connect families with our intake team quickly and confidentially
  • Participate in parent nights or school wellness events to answer questions, share prevention strategies, and reduce stigma around seeking help
  • Coordinate ongoing case consultations (with appropriate consents) to ensure a seamless support plan between school staff and our clinical team
Schedule a Meeting to Learn More

Resources You Can Keep on Hand for Families

When a parent asks, “What should I be looking for?” or “How do I talk to my teen about this?”, school professionals can feel confident handing them:

  • How to Recognize Teen Substance Use Early and Intervene with Compassion – Practical tips and conversation starters for parents
  • Tailored resource packets for parents, including our Back-to-School Checklist: Creating a Recovery-Ready Home and Conversation Starter: A Parent’s Guide to Talking with Your Teen About Substance Use

These tools can be printed for school resource offices, counseling centers, or shared digitally during parent outreach.

How River’s Bend Supports Teens and Families

We offer a continuum of adolescent behavioral health services designed to meet teens at their current level of need:

When inpatient care is necessary, we coordinate closely with trusted partners to ensure a smooth, confidential transition back into outpatient care.

“When schools, families, and treatment providers work together, we see better outcomes, faster progress, and more resilient students.”

 — Jessica Hillen, LMSW

Your Role is Vital

You may not be initiating formal interventions, but your consistent presence in a student’s daily life means you often hold valuable pieces of the puzzle. Your observations, when shared in the right way, can lead to early support that changes the trajectory of a student’s life.

📞 Learn more about our school partnership services and adolescent programs at (313) 550-6018  

References

  1. About underage drinking. (2025, January 14). Alcohol Use. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/underage-drinking/index.html  ↩︎
  2. Abrams, Z. (2024, March 1). More teens than ever are overdosing. Psychologists are leading new approaches to combat youth substance misuse. Monitor on Psychology, 55(2). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2024/03/new-approaches-youth-substance-misuse  ↩︎
  3. Common Comorbidities with Substance Use Disorders Research Report. Bethesda (MD): National Institutes on Drug Abuse (US); 2020 Apr. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK571451/  ↩︎
  4. Bugbee, B. A., Beck, K. H., Fryer, C. S., & Arria, A. M. (2019). Substance use, academic performance, and academic engagement among high school seniors. Journal of School Health, 89(2), 145–156. https://doi.org/10.1111/josh.12723  ↩︎

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