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CUTV Radio News Interview
"Ottawa, Ontario – Children who begin using substances while their brain is still rapidly developing can become addicted much faster than an adult, sometimes as quick as six months depending on the substance. According to the Canadian Alcohol and Drug Use Monitoring Survey, youths 15 to 24 years old have the highest self-reported use of illicit substances compared to other Canadians and are approximately five times more likely to report harm because of drug use. A child struggling with addiction can’t be expected to navigate their way through these challenges by themselves. It’s a family process. Shontelle Prokipcak is a registered social worker who
has been providing mental health and addiction services for children, youth, young adults and their families in the Ottawa Region for over 14 years. Shontelle has extensive training and experience in counseling, crisis management, trauma, victim assistance, addiction issues and treatment, as well as youth conduct disorders.
“I collaborate with schools and the family doctor and the families themselves, even grandparents, so everyone is working together,” says Shontelle. “I try to get everybody on board with my treatment plan because we have better outcomes from that kind of collaboration.”
Shontelle's expertise is working with children, youth and families who have challenges at home or in the community and struggle with anxiety and depression, behavioral problems and addiction.
“Kids don’t know how to regulate their emotions because they’ve been using substances to do that,” explains Shontelle. “We work on concrete skills for the kids to use to deal with stress.”
