For the Reporter

Guided Pathways – Support for Youth & Families (GPS) hosts the Fly into Recovery Family Wellness Retreat, a community health forum featuring Paul Weatherly, director of the alcohol/drug counseling program at Bellevue College.

The retreat is Friday, March 29 from 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Camp Berachah, 19830 SE 328th Place, Auburn.

Kent-based Guided Pathways works to support parents and children struggling with emotional, behavioral and/or substance abuse challenges by providing one-to-one parent peer support, parent classes and family social events for King County children and youth, their caregivers, parents and family members.

Weatherly has been licensed as an alcohol/drug counselor since 1993, specializing in the care of adolescents. Over the past 40 years, he has studied marijuana from a user’s and a clinician’s perspective. Families who want a better understanding of the myths and realities of marijuana are invited to attend Weatherly’s presentation at 2:15 p.m., in the Hillside Lodge, Mount Hermon Room.

Recent data from the Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) 2012 shows 10 percent of King County students in eighth grade, 24 percent of students in tenth grade, and 42 percent of students in 12th grade report using marijuana at least once in their lifetime.

According to the survey, kids whose parents had “favorable attitudes” toward marijuana use were five times more likely to have used it by eighth grade and nearly eight times more likely to be “frequent” marijuana users by that time.

Local mental health counselor Linda Herman, LMHC also is a featured presenter at 10:45am. Herman is experienced in helping parents who want to learn how to better deal with difficulties mom’s and dad’s face today in preparing children for life’s inevitable challenges.

GPS staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide printed materials and other resources.

A low-cost lunch is available for those who register for both the morning and afternoon presentations. For retreat registration and lunch reservations (recommended), call 253-236-8264 or register online.

To learn more, visit www.guidedpathways.org.