A new program in Salinas, California, puts young people at the center of substance use prevention. This new approach meshes well with the abundance of programs in The Golden State to deal with substance misuse. Indeed, for families looking at addiction treatment in Monterey County, it adds to a peer-led approach the county has built for years.
The idea behind peer-led prevention is simple. Teenagers listen to other teenagers. A 16-year-old talking about vaping, alcohol, or pills in a school assembly lands differently than the same message from an adult with a slideshow.
Peer Prevention in Monterey County
Monterey County already has infrastructure here. The Safe Teens Empowerment Project, run by Sun Street Centers, is a youth-led, peer-to-peer effort that works in 46 schools and at community events across the county. The organization reports the program served more than 7,300 county residents in its most recent year.
Teens in the program take on leadership roles rather than just attending presentations. They help produce the county’s annual overdose awareness event. Sun Street Centers branches and community partners are hosting the third annual Overdose and Drug Awareness Symposium on August 13, at the Oldemeyer Center in Seaside, with a resource fair starting at 5 p.m. The event is free.
California’s Central Coast Invests in Prevention
The local numbers explain the urgency. Monterey County recorded 138 overdose-related deaths in 2023, according to figures cited by Sun Street Centers. Fentanyl has driven much of that toll, and county providers have repeatedly described young people as among those most affected.
The county has also expanded services for adolescents. Sun Street Centers announced an adolescent substance use disorder residential treatment program. It’s the first of its kind in Monterey County.
Fentanyl and Teen Substance Use
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid far more potent than heroin, and it now shows up pressed into counterfeit pills that look like prescription medications. A teen who takes what they believe is a Xanax or an oxycodone tablet bought outside a pharmacy may be taking fentanyl instead. That’s why a single first use can be fatal.
Signs that a teen may be using substances include a sudden drop in grades or attendance, a new friend group paired with secrecy about where they go, changes in sleep and appetite, unexplained money problems or missing valuables and mood swings that go beyond ordinary adolescence. Physical signs can include red eyes, unusual smells or unexplained drowsiness.
None of these alone confirms substance use. A pattern of several, appearing together and persisting, is worth a conversation and a professional assessment.
If you find a pill you can’t identify, don’t assume it is what it looks like.
Families Can Start the Conversation
Lead with what you’ve noticed rather than an accusation and pick a low-pressure moment instead of a confrontation. Ask questions to your loved one and then let the silence sit. Make clear that your concern is safety, not punishment. If your teen discloses drug use, treat it as the beginning of a process rather than a single crisis to resolve that evening.
An assessment by a clinician who works with adolescents will tell you more than any checklist. Adolescent treatment differs meaningfully from adult treatment and involves family programming, school coordination and attention to co-occurring mental health conditions.
Addiction Treatment in Monterey County & Beyond
Monterey County Behavioral Health maintains services for county residents who are Medi-Cal beneficiaries, uninsured, or undocumented, and to families involved with the Office of Education, child welfare, or juvenile probation. The county’s Child and Youth System of Care provides outpatient specialty mental health and substance use services for children, teens, and young adults.
Our online directory lists verified treatment centers across California, searchable by city, level of care, and specialty programming including adolescent treatment.
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