Parent Training Materials

A Parent’s Guide to the Teen Brain

New discoveries about adolescent brain development have opened up fresh ways of thinking about teen behavior, and offer new insight into how parents can help their teens understand the risks of drugs and alcohol. For instance:

Scientific evidence reveals that the brain is fully mature at about age 25 — much later than previously believed. One of the last areas of the brain to develop is the Prefrontal Cortex, which is responsible for processing information, making judgments, controlling impulses, and foreseeing consequences.

This new information throws into stark relief the major risks of teenage substance use, including the possibility of causing permanent neurological damage to the developing brain. Concerned parents want to know how to apply these findings to real life. That's what A Parent's Guide to the Teen Brain is all about.

Through an entertaining and compelling mix of media — video, interactive segments, scenario-based role-playing experiences, expert advice, and practical tips — A Parent's Guide to the Teen Brain illustrates the links between teen behavior and the big changes happening in teen brains. In doing so, the site offers parents the keys to keeping their own perspective while guiding their teens more effectively through this tumultuous time of life.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America partnered with Treatment Research Institute and WGBH Educational Foundation to develop A Parent's Guide to the Teen Brain.

Center for Parent/Youth Understanding

The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a nonprofit organization committed to building strong families by serving to bridge the cultural-generational gap between parents and teenagers. At a time when an already confusing youth culture is changing quickly, CPYU helps parents, youth workers, educators, and others understand teenagers and their culture so that they will be better equipped to help children and teens navigate the challenging world of adolescence.

Founded in 1990 by Walt Mueller, CPYU has developed an international reputation as a voice providing cutting-edge information, resources and analysis on today's youth culture.The mission of CPYU is to work with churches, schools, and community organizations to build stronger relationships between young people and those charged with helping them grow into healthy adulthood.

Family Dynamics Institute

A Christian non-profit marriage and family ministry. Family Dynamics is a nonprofit marriage and family ministry headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee (just outside of Nashville). By the grace of God, we have been blessing marriages and families for over 15 years. By training seminars we teach people how to have healthy marriages and families and how to lead others to have the same. Our goal is not just to educate, but to actually change behavior. We teach people to actually apply what they learn. We have strategic alliances with therapists, counselors, psychiatrists, researchers, church leaders, and authors to develop the absolute best tools available for making marriages great. Our method for strengthening relationships has been featured on Focus on the Family, Good Morning America and the Montel Williams Show.

We train those interested in helping couples to go back and lead a marriage and family-enrichment program at their churches or organizations. Everything we do for individuals, couples, and/or families focuses on leading them into loving relationships with each other and with God. We strongly believe that love is the key to fulfilling marriages, nourishing children, and building families.You can learn more about our Dynamic Marriage 8-week classes and our A New Beginning 3-day weekend workshops at www.familydynamics.net and www.savemymarriage.com, respectively.

Focus on the Family

Since Focus on the Family's primary reason for existence is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through a practical outreach to homes, we have firm beliefs about both the Christian faith and the importance of the family. This ministry is therefore based upon six guiding philosophies that are apparent at every level throughout the organization. These "pillars" are drawn from the wisdom of the Bible and the Judeo-Christian ethic, rather than from the humanistic notions of today's theorists. In short, Focus on the Family is a reflection of what we believe to be the recommendations of the Creator Himself, who ordained the family and gave it His blessing.

National Center for Biblical Parenting

We have a vision to help parents change the way they think about parenting. The scriptures are relevant and practical for families of all types, whether they be traditional families, single parent families, or blended families. Our goal is to provide practical biblical resources, National Christian Parenting Conferences, and local Effective Parenting Support Groups to give parents new insight into how to live their lives according to God's Word.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America

The Partnership for a Drug-Free America is a nonprofit organization that unites parents, renowned scientists and communications professionals to help families raise healthy children. Best known for its research-based national public education programs, the Partnership motivates and equips parents to prevent their children from using drugs and alcohol, and to find help and treatment for family and friends in trouble. The centerpiece of this effort is an online resource center at drugfree.org, featuring interactive tools that translate the latest science and research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into easy to understand tips and tools. Research conducted by AP and MTV recently showed that kids see their parents as heroes— at drugfree.org, parents can connect with each other, tap into expert advice for children of all ages, and find the support they want and need in their role as hero to their kids. The Partnership depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and other contributors. The Partnership thanks SAG/AFTRA, the advertising industry and our media partners for their ongoing generosity.

Parenting Teens Network

ParentingTeensNetwork is a communications company focused on producing responsible and appropriate communications for parents and teens. We seek to improve the dialogue between parents and teens about important issues like health and wellness, relationships, technology and media, education, finances and more.

Our mission is to be the leading provider of trusted information, resources and tools that improve the dialogue and relationship between parents and their teens, so that both can lead happier, healthier, and more productive lives.

Our materials are created by award-winning, nationally published authors (many of whom have teens of their own) who go out and get “the real story.” Our content is vetted by our Advisory Board of national experts, including physicians, psychologists, authors, sexual health experts, educators, social workers, money managers and others who touch the lives of teens and their parents. Our materials have also received the support of leading non-profit organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Medicine, the PTA, the YMCA, American School Counselors Association, America’s Promise Alliance, and others.

We offer rich content and tools through our online magazines, Web sites, blogs, podcasts and print magazines, and we have a unique approach to developing content. We take a 360o look at any given problem or issue from the perspectives of teens, experts, and parents. Our teen input guarantees that the topic we are covering is relevant and real-world, and that the solutions we offer make sense to teens. Our parent input guides us with information on subjects that parents care about and solutions that have worked in the past. And our experts ensure that everything we produce is credible, evidence-based, and of the highest quality.

We offer consumers free access to all of our features and tools. We also offer links to other sites for more information, helpful associations, and specialists, as well as recommendations for offline resources, such as books, magazines, CDs, and DVDs.

MySpace/MyKids

This is an online workshop developed from a book with the same name in February 2007. Since most parents feel ill-equipped to deal with this new form of communication, we want to help teach you how to PROTECT and CONNECT with your teens.