The Adolescent Substance Use & Addiction Program (ASAP) at Boston Children’s Hospital provides national leadership in the evaluation and treatment of substance use problems and disorders in children and adolescents.
As part of the Division of Addiction Medicine, ASAP is staffed by pediatricians, licensed independent social workers, and psychiatrists specially trained in addiction medicine. Our clinicians are uniquely qualified to evaluate and support adolescents and their families with a full range of substance use problems and disorders, from teens who have just begun using substances to those struggling with addiction.
Adolescence is a time of uncertainty, when young people are establishing their independence and discovering their place in the world. The developmental changes that mark adolescence make teens uniquely susceptible to substance use disorders, vaping, and associated problems.
Treatment for adolescent substance use requires a distinctive approach that recognizes and respects the special vulnerabilities of this period of life. ASAP’s approach to substance use is built around our understanding of this important transitional period.
