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Empowering Parents and Providers: Tackling the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Amid Cannabis Use

A Part of SunCloud's CEU Program of Events
The event, titled “Empowering Parents and Providers: Addressing the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Amid Cannabis Use,” took place on August 30, 2023. Speaking alongside Dr. Sabet were Dr. Alex Chevalier, MD, Medical Director of Adolescent Program at SunCloud Health, and Dr. Kim Dennis, MD, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of SunCloud Health. The presentation addressed the pressing issue of adolescent mental health challenges arising from cannabis and THC drug use and provided invaluable insights for parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. With the growing legalization and normalization of cannabis, it was crucial to be informed about the potential impacts on adolescents. The event delved into crucial topics, including the latest research on cannabis use and its potential effects on adolescent mental health, identifying warning signs of cannabis use in adolescents, and strategies for engaging and supporting both parents and healthcare providers in the prevention and intervention process. Dr. Kevin A. Sabet is the founder and president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a national non-profit organization that advocates for evidence-based drug policies. As a seasoned policy consultant and former senior drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, Dr. Sabet brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the topic. Along with his public policy work, Dr. Sabet is a published author, renowned speaker, and respected academic in public health. Joined by Dr. Sabet was Dr. Alex Chevalier, a distinguished medical professional specializing in adolescent medicine. Dr. Chevalier served as the Adolescent Medical Director at SunCloud Health, where he significantly contributed to the well-being of young people facing mental health challenges. [colorsection bgcolor=”graybg”]

Watch the Presentation On-Demand

CEs are not available for on-demand viewers. 

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Highlights from the Presentation

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About the Speaker

[one_third][/one_third] [two_third_last] Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., recognized by NBC News as a leading figure in drug politics, has spent over two decades researching and implementing drug policy. He’s currently the President of SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), a non-profit he co-founded with Congressman Patrick Kennedy and David Frum. His notable publication, “Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana”, was published in 2013, with a second edition in 2017. He’s also affiliated with Yale University and directs an institute at the University of Florida. Sabet began his advisory role in the Clinton Administration and later served as a primary speechwriter for drug policy in the Bush Administration. Unique in his bipartisan experience, he contributed to President Obama’s National Drug Control Strategy and resigned in 2011. He’s been highlighted in numerous publications like Politico and the New York Times as a major voice in U.S. drug policy. Dr. Sabet also guides global entities, including the United Nations, on drug-related concerns. His efforts in the field have earned him awards, including the 2014 Nils Bejerot Award. Academically, he holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in Political Science. [/two_third_last] [/colorsection]

The event, titled “Empowering Parents and Providers: Addressing the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis Amid Cannabis Use,” took place on August 30, 2023. Speaking alongside Dr. Sabet were Dr. Alex Chevalier, MD, Medical Director of Adolescent Program at SunCloud Health, and Dr. Kim Dennis, MD, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of SunCloud Health.

The presentation addressed the pressing issue of adolescent mental health challenges arising from cannabis and THC drug use and provided invaluable insights for parents, caregivers, and healthcare professionals. With the growing legalization and normalization of cannabis, it was crucial to be informed about the potential impacts on adolescents. The event delved into crucial topics, including the latest research on cannabis use and its potential effects on adolescent mental health, identifying warning signs of cannabis use in adolescents, and strategies for engaging and supporting both parents and healthcare providers in the prevention and intervention process.

Presented By:
Kevin A. Sabet, PhD August 30, 2023

Dr. Kevin A. Sabet is the founder and president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM), a national non-profit organization that advocates for evidence-based drug policies. As a seasoned policy consultant and former senior drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton, Dr. Sabet brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to the topic. Along with his public policy work, Dr. Sabet is a published author, renowned speaker, and respected academic in public health.

Joined by Dr. Sabet was Dr. Alex Chevalier, a distinguished medical professional specializing in adolescent medicine. Dr. Chevalier served as the Adolescent Medical Director at SunCloud Health, where he significantly contributed to the well-being of young people facing mental health challenges.

Video: Watch the Presentation On-Demand

CEs are not available for on-demand viewers. 

Video: Highlights from the Presentation

About the Speaker

Presented by:Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D.

Kevin A. Sabet, Ph.D., recognized by NBC News as a leading figure in drug politics, has spent over two decades researching and implementing drug policy. He’s currently the President of SAM (Smart Approaches to Marijuana), a non-profit he co-founded with Congressman Patrick Kennedy and David Frum. His notable publication, “Reefer Sanity: Seven Great Myths About Marijuana”, was published in 2013, with a second edition in 2017. He’s also affiliated with Yale University and directs an institute at the University of Florida.

Sabet began his advisory role in the Clinton Administration and later served as a primary speechwriter for drug policy in the Bush Administration. Unique in his bipartisan experience, he contributed to President Obama’s National Drug Control Strategy and resigned in 2011.

He’s been highlighted in numerous publications like Politico and the New York Times as a major voice in U.S. drug policy. Dr. Sabet also guides global entities, including the United Nations, on drug-related concerns.

His efforts in the field have earned him awards, including the 2014 Nils Bejerot Award. Academically, he holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in Political Science.

Rachel Collins, LCSW
Site Director of Northbrook PHP and IOP

Rachel Collins, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Northbrook Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for both adolescents and adults. Rachel earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology and went on to complete her master’s degree in social work from Michigan State University. She has since worked in a wide range of settings, including inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, therapeutic group homes, and private practice. Rachel specializes in treating trauma (using Cognitive Processing Therapy) and anxiety, practicing through a relational, compassionate, and client-centered lens. She is passionate about creating a therapeutic space in which clients feel safe and able to explore various parts of themselves with curiosity as opposed to judgement. In addition to her leadership and clinical work, she is passionate about creating art, and learning about the intersection between creativity and mental health.

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW
Site Director, Naperville PHP/IOP (Adolescents & Adults)

Kayla Corirossi, MA, LCSW, is the Site Director of SunCloud Health’s Naperville Partial Hospitalization (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient (IOP) programs for adolescents and adults. She brings extensive experience working with individuals across the lifespan, including adolescents, adults, and geriatric populations, and specializes in the treatment of mood disorders, trauma, substance use, family systems, forensic populations, and individuals in crisis.

Kayla has worked in a wide range of clinical and community settings, including community-based interventions, police crisis response, correctional facilities, inpatient treatment, PHP/IOP programs, and with vulnerable and underserved populations. In addition to her clinical and leadership work, she is passionate about providing mental health education and advocacy within the community.

Kayla earned her Bachelor’s degree with a double major in Psychology and Sociology from Aurora University and went on to complete her Master’s degree in Forensic Social Work, also at Aurora University. Her clinical approach is evidence-based, compassionate, trauma-informed, and integrative, emphasizing collaboration and individualized care.

Driven by a personal mission to meet individuals where they are, Kayla is committed to helping clients feel safe, supported, and understood. She strives to create a natural and empathetic healing environment while ensuring individuals from all backgrounds and identities know they are not alone and have access to meaningful resources and support.

Elizabeth E. Sita, MD
Medical Director of Adult Services

Dr. Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, is a Board Certified psychiatrist specializing in the care of patients with eating disorders. She completed her undergraduate training at the University of Chicago and graduated with Highest Honors. She then earned her medical degree at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and was recognized with the Chairman’s Award for Excellence in Psychiatry. She subsequently completed residency with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, where she was elected Chief Resident and received the Resident Psychiatrist Leadership & Service Award.
Upon completing her training, Dr. Sita came to Ascension Alexian Brothers Behavioral Health Hospital, where she served as Assistant Medical Director of the Center for Eating Disorders and Director of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Services before transitioning to lead the new inpatient eating disorder unit as Medical Director of Eating Disorder Services at Ascension Saint Joseph Hospital – Chicago. In these roles, she has cared for a multitude of adolescents and adults struggling with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders as well as severe, cooccurring mood, trauma, personality, and substance use disorders.
Dr. Sita has been recognized throughout her training and practice for a commitment to excellence in patient care and for her ability to engage patients in their most challenging moments. Her passions include the care of treatment-resistant eating and mood disorders as well as questions of medical capacity and end-of-life decision making.
She believes that, first and foremost, human connection is key to mental health and well-being and strives to share this philosophy in each and every patient encounter. She is excited to bring her expertise to SunCloud Health as the Medical Director of Adult Services!
 
VIDEO: Meet Elizabeth E. Sita, MD, Medical Director of Adult Services


 https://youtu.be/JbmELh2UGXE

Lacey Lemke, PsyD
Assistant Vice President of Clinical Services

Dr. Lacey Lemke (she/her) is a licensed clinical health psychologist with specialized expertise in the treatment of eating disorders and the practice of medical and health psychology. She completed her doctoral training in clinical psychology with a Primary Care emphasis at the Adler School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Lemke went on to complete both her predoctoral clinical internship and postdoctoral fellowship through Ascension Health, where she gained advanced training working with individuals experiencing eating disorders and self-injurious behaviors, as well as within pediatric subspecialty settings including endocrinology, neurology, and adolescent medicine.

Dr. Lemke is deeply committed to providing evidence-based, compassionate care and collaborates closely with interdisciplinary teams to ensure comprehensive treatment. Her professional mission is to support patients in achieving their fullest potential by guiding them to the most appropriate level of care and empowering them to make meaningful, sustainable progress toward improved health and well-being.

VIDEO: 2. Meet Lacey Lemke, PsyD.

https://youtu.be/iKQeU9s5U2k?rel=o