Recovery Support Models for Adolescents

Adolescents with substance use disorders face unique developmental, social, and environmental challenges that require tailored recovery supports beyond acute treatment. This talk provides an overview of recovery support models designed specifically for adolescents, including school-based supports, peer and family involvement, recovery-oriented systems of care, and community-based approaches. Drawing on empirical research, the presentation will examine how these models promote recovery capital, support sustained behavior change, and address disparities in access and engagement. Emphasis will be placed on developmentally appropriate design, implementation considerations, and emerging directions for adolescent recovery support.

Presenters

Emily A. Hennessy, PhD

Emily A. Hennessy, PhD, is Associate Director and Director of Biostatistics at the Recovery Research Institute, Associate Director of the National Center on Youth Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. A former Fulbright Scholar to Norway, she earned an MPhil in Health Promotion focused on adolescent well-being, a PhD from Vanderbilt University, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Connecticut. Her research examines health behavior change and recovery capital among adolescents and emerging adults. She has received multiple funded awards, was named 2022 Researcher of the Year, founded the Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Campbell Collaboration Review Group, and co-edited The Handbook of Recovery Capital.

Learning Objectives

1. Describe key recovery support models used with adolescents following substance use treatment.
2. Identify core components that enhance recovery capital among youth and emerging adults.
3. Discuss developmental and contextual factors that influence the effectiveness of adolescent recovery supports.