- 12-week intensive outpatient program educates teens on refusal strategies and coping skills for real-life interactions
- Licensed clinicians will coordinate with area psychiatrists to provide referrals for medication management and psychiatric services
- Program provides unique opportunity for family members to participate in a psychoeducational support group at the same time as their teen is in treatment
Canaan, CT—While last year’s Monitoring the Future survey shows that teens overall are cutting back on use of cigarettes, alcohol (including binge drinking), prescription opioid pain relievers, and synthetic marijuana, the percentages of misuse among adolescents remain too high. Teen addiction continues to be a significant problem in this country. This January Mountainside launches a 12-week adolescent addiction treatment program to tackle the problem locally.
In Mountainside’s Adolescent Outpatient Services, teens attend weekly individual therapy sessions to cultivate positive decision-making skills and develop goals. Teens in the program learn vital coping skills to manage environmental and emotional triggers for misuse to maintain their sobriety. The company’s licensed clinicians coordinate with area psychiatrists to provide referrals for medication management and other psychiatric services to provide teen clients any additional safety nets they may need.
What differentiates Mountainside’s program from others is its unique attention to the issues facing each client’s family. Family members of teens in Adolescent Outpatient Services are invited to participate in a psychoeducational support group at the same time their loved one is in treatment. By changing family dynamics and teaching the entire family new communication skills, the program helps create a more supportive emotional environment for long-term recovery.
“In an ideal world, no one – especially young people – would struggle with addiction. Yet, the reality is that far too many teens do struggle, and right beside them, their families,” said Stephen Langley, Mountainside Executive Director. “Mountainside built this program to change lives and to give teens suffering from addiction the ability to start their recovery journey while still being able to live at home and attend school.”
Program details:
- 12 week program (24 sessions), Tuesday and Thursday after school
- Weekly individual therapy sessions available; minimum attendance of four individual sessions.
- Adolescents Aged 15-17
- Family therapy sessions available