Welcome to STEP - Strengthening Teens Empowering Parents

Alcohol and drugs are a big problem for a lot of teens.  There are a lot of reasons that teens might experiment with or use alcohol and drugs.  Whatever the reason a teen started, they may need help to stop and extra support to learn the skills they need to stay drug and alcohol free.    

This website is a place where teens, parents, and community members can find information about teen alcohol and drug use.  For teens and parents who need more help and information the Strengthening Teens, Empowering Parents (STEP) Program is a free, confidential alcohol and drug prevention and treatment program that can provide that support. 

For teens, who live in Hood River, Sherman, or Wasco Counties, STEP offers 5, 7, or 12 sessions depending on the needs of the teen.  By building on the teen’s own strengths we work to increase personal motivation and teach coping skills that will help them reach their goals.  Sessions cover the topics of: solving problems, preventing relapse, managing anger, increasing pleasant activities, managing depressed feelings, and managing thoughts about alcohol and drugs.

For parents, who live in Hood River, Gilliam, Sherman, or Wasco Counties, STEP offers educational sessions designed to empower parents and help them become more effective supports for their teen.  The Family Support Network (FSN) includes 6 sessions with the parents, and 4 sessions with the teen and the parents working together to practice the skills both the parents and teen learned in the program.

Teens and parents can participate in the STEP program either in face-to-face sessions or online.  Teens will have a face-to-face assessment and two individual sessions.  Teens will then be offered the choice of either online or face-to-face groups.  Parents will be offered the choice of either online or face-to-face groups.   

All teens, parents, and community partners will have access to blogs and interactive learning.  Registration to the website is required to receive a confidential username and password.  Access is granted to blogs and materials for the group to which an individual belongs only (i.e. teens to the teen blog, parents to the parent blog, etc.).

The STEP program follows federal law 42-CFR Part 2, which requires confidentiality of information in all alcohol and drug prevention/treatment programs unless a person gives written permission to release it.  There are a few exceptions to this, such as when the information is about a threat of harm.  All information disclosed in an online blog or in an online group will be confidential as the identities of teens and parents will be protected by unique usernames.  For more information about confidentiality, please contact a STEP program staff.     

The STEP program is grant funded and is free to teens and parents.

You can contact the STEP program at 541-386-2620 in Hood River County and 541-296-5452 in Wasco and Sherman Counties.