Substance Use Disorders: Appreciating the Challenges of Minority Youth

This webinar discusses the epidemiology of substance use disorders (SUD) and the impact on children and families with special focus on systemic racism as a factor affecting health outcomes for minority youth. Case studies illustrate health disparities and opportunities for enhancing outcomes in the prevention, intervention, and treatment of adolescents affected by substance use (SU) and SUDs.

Presenters:

Hoover Adger, Jr., MD, MPH, MBA
Hoover Adger, Jr. is a professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical interests include adolescent/young adult medicine, substance use disorders and children affected by addiction.  He was the previous director of Adolescent Medicine in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, and now is a senior faculty member in the newly created Division of Adolescent & Young Adult Medicine.  For a decade, he was the director of the HRSA funded Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) Program and was previous director of the Johns Hopkins Substance Use Faculty Development Program.  Dr. Adger is the director of the Substance Use Assessment/Intervention Team at The Johns Hopkins Hospital Adolescent Program.  He is a past Deputy Director of the White House Office of Nation Drug Control Policy.  He is board certified in pediatrics, adolescent medicine, and addiction medicine.  His research interests include substance use disorders and health professional education.  He is a past president of AMERSA and the National Association for Children of Addiction (NACoA).

Kevin M. Simon, M.D
Kevin M. Simon is a board-certified psychiatrist completing dual fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School. Dr. Simon completed a general psychiatry residency in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine after graduating from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Dr. Simon has received research support from the American Psychiatric Association, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Drug Abuse, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Dr. Simon’s research and writings on inequity, race, social determinants, and substance use have been published in NEJM, Health Equity, Health Affairs, Psychiatric Services, Psychiatric Times, Current Psychiatry, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics. He regularly presents at national conferences and has been featured on ABC News, Forbes, and NPR.