          
Contact Information:
1425 NW 10th Ave
Sieron Bldg, 3rd Flr
Miami, FL-33136
V - (305) 243-4592
F - (305) 243-5577
Email - Maria
Padron
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Concept
The concept of the Family clinic is to
develop an innovative model of treatment which integrates the best practice in family
therapy with psycho-pharmocology. This clinic will serve as the premiere facility for
clinical care of psychosocial and mental disorders in need of family interventions.
The clinic will apply a family therapy treatment model to families with adolescents
experiencing behavioral and drug abusing problems.
Background
There are approximately 387,771 children living in Miami-Dade county between the ages of 5
and 17 years ( Population Estimates Program , US Census Bureau, July 1998 ). Drug
abuse is a growing problem among this group. The percentages of students who drank
alcohol, used marijuana, or any form of cocaine in the past month are 42.2%, 34.9%, and
8.0% respectively. In addition, adolescents using marijuana are six times more
likely to run away from home, five times more likely to steal, nearly four times more
likely to engage in violence, and three times more likely to have thoughts about
committing suicide, compared to adolescents who are not using marijuana ( The Numbers
Count: Mental Illness in America, NIMH, 1998 ).
Conduct disorder, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and developmental
learning disorders are leading causes of educational failure, secondary mental disorders,
including substance abuse and depression, accidents, injuries, unemployment, physical
illness, and criminal activity.
ADHD is one of the most common mental disorders in children, affecting 3-5% of school age
children. As they grow older, children with untreated ADHD who have a
coexisting conduct disorder often experience drug abuse, antisocial behavior, teenage
pregnancy, and injuries of all sorts. Youth with behavior problems interface with
the education system, the criminal justice system, social services, and health-care
facilities. |
