Quote of the Week


"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way" ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.



First Time Visitors - parents of teenage drug abusers and/or Juvenile Court Youth
Posted by:Ken Sutton--Monday, December 10, 2001


This blog is a place to share with you what other parents have learned as a result of the substance abuse problems of their teenagers. These teenagers can be extremely difficult to deal with and parents need all the help they can get at a time when it is difficult or embarrassing to ask for help.

The Allegheny County Juvenile Probation Office sponsors a meeting on the first 3 Saturdays of each month where you can tap into a wealth of knowledge many parents have found to be extremely valuable. If your child is not in the court system you are invited to learn the skills that may help keep them out or to learn how getting them into the system can be instrumental in saving your child’s life. If your child is in the system you are invited to learn the skills to help your child save his/her life. In any case, you are welcome to review this blog to see if there is information here that can help you and your child.

There are no quick fixes at the meeting. This is not a 12 step program. Many parents find attending a NARANON group or POTADA meeting helpful as well.

If you are a first time visitor to this site we recommend that you read some of the role plays and then come to the next meeting.

If you have been coming to the meeting we recommend that you review the site, read the role plays and consider writing a post for the site – something from your perspective that could help other parents. What you have learned. What you wish you knew.

Everyone is welcome to leave comments. Comments are moderated so they will not immediately show on the blog but usually by the next time a reader visits the blog the comments will have appeared. There is a box to the right of this post where you can insert your email address, which allows you to receive email whenever there is a change made to the blog.

Read More......

What are the role plays and how can they help me with my problem teen?
Posted by:Ken Sutton--Sunday, December 09, 2001

In our meetings we use role playing to work on real problems that parents are currently having. It turns out that a lot of the problems we have with our teens are common to all parents and they just occur at different times (take a look at the role plays posted here back to 2004 to see what I mean). Watching others play out a problem you have been having with your child can be very enlightening. Likewise, playing the part of your child and seeing how other parents handle you is very instructive.

There is an opportunity to discuss the role play and to do it over with different approaches as suggested by other parents and probation officers (who have years of valuable experience). Having the ability to share these experiences really makes a difference when the situation occurs in your home with your teen.

Note, no one is required to participate in the role plays.

These role play links are to the text of the summaries written up by the probation officer after each meeting. They give you a good flavor of how the meeting is conducted.

Read More......

Directions To The Eastern Probation Office
Posted by:Ken Sutton--Sunday, April 08, 2001


The Eastern Probation Office is located at 907 West St., Wilkinsburg, PA 15221
Penn West Offices is at the intersection of Penn and West Streets. Take Braddock Ave from the parkway (exit at Swissvale / Edgewood) towards Wilkinsburg. Make right onto Penn ave- go two lights, make right onto West St., turn right into parking lot. Call for information: 412-247-6365.

Read More......

Directions To Trinity Lutheran Church
Posted by:Ken Sutton--Sunday, April 08, 2001




Trinity Lutheran Church is at 2500 Brandt School Road, Wexford, PA 15090.
Directions: Coming from I 79 exit 73 Wexford/910 turn east (which is right if coming from the south, left if coming from the north) on Route 910 and at the first red light make a right turn onto Brandt School Road. Travel 1.4 miles and Trinity Lutheran Church will be on your right. There is a cemetary in front of the Church. The drive way is marked "Do Not Enter." Please continue past the cemetary to the next drive way, which is marked "YMCA" and turn right onto this drive way and it will take you around back of the church to the "Educational Building." This is where we meet. There is lots of parking in front of the educational building. Call for information: 412-247-6365 or 412-861-6757. If you are calling Saturday morning use the second number.

In case I79 is under construction or closed here are alternate directions:

You asked for alternate directions just in case Penndot closes down I-79 and I-279 to one lane for construction like they did last Saturday.
- Get off of I-279 North at the McKnight/Evergreen Exit (Exit 11)
- Stay to the left to to merge onto Mcknight Road
- Stay on McKnight Road for about 71/2 miles
- You will come to a Giant Eagle and a Target on your left (across McKnight from the Showcase Cinema North)
- Just past the Target (at the light) make a left onto Pine Creek Road (you will need to do a quick zig to the right to stay on Pine Creek Road instead of turning into the Target)
- Go straight across Perry Highway (Rt 19) and stay on pine creek for about 2 miles
- bare right onto Brant School Road (be careful to watch traffic coming from your left)
- stay on Brant School Road for a little over 1/2 mile - Trinity Lutheran Church will be on your left (watch fo the YMCA Child Care sign)

Read More......

Alliance Map Placeholder
Posted by:Ken Sutton--Sunday, March 04, 2001

Read More......

Credits

This layout (edited by Ken) made by and copyright cmbs.