Substance & Addictions Therapy

Addiction Teen Treatment Center Specifically for Teens Ages 14 – 18

In most cases, addiction teen treatment center settings have been almost exclusively based on 12 Step programming. Often times, clients with different addictive behaviors have often been treated in a similar manner, using with the same approach. When this happens, teens with addictive self-harming behaviors, or compulsive social media use are being treated in the same groups as substance abusers though they are suffering from different addictive behaviors.

While 12 Step programming is valuable, helpful, and widely used for helping individuals who are struggling with addictions, there are other valid approaches that are very effective as well. Solstice East believes in using a variety of approaches to treat addictive behaviors, which is one of the many aspects that makes us a leading teen treatment center.

In our teen treatment center, we have found this to be more effective in the following ways:

• We are able to successfully engage more clients in their own recovery

• It results in a higher percentage of positive, long-term outcomes.

Our addiction teen treatment center is designed to serve adolescents struggling with a variety of addictive behaviors which include substance abuse, self-harm, disordered eating, unhealthy relationships, and technology addiction. Furthermore, teens with non-substance abuse behaviors have their own group to address these issues thus avoiding the problems associated with combining them into the substance abuse groups.

Specific Treatment for Specific Age Group

Adolescents need treatment interventions specific to their developmental stage, and should not be treated as if they were adults. In our experience as a teen treatment center, we’ve found that young women have their own set of gender-specific, developmental issues which can impact who they are and the decisions that they make. Therefore, young women require specific addiction treatment that addresses their specific needs.

It is for these reasons that we also employ other interventions in our teen treatment center beyond the traditional 12 Step model. These other interventions more relatable to young women include Women for Sobriety, Rational Recovery, and SMART Recovery. Studies have shown gender specific interventions such as Women for Sobriety have been found to be more effective for females in recovery than standard 12 Step programming.

Interventions For Addictive Behaviors in Teens

In addition to our age and gender specific programming, we also provide a powerful model for intervening with addictive behaviors in adolescents including:

Assessment

Our internal addictions specialist facilitates in-depth assessments and works directly with the clinical team to identify risk factors and a plan for moving forward. This often includes an in-depth addictions handbook, developed by our expert, that is designed to enhance awareness, provide psychoeducation, and identify triggers and coping strategies.

Transition Planning

Toward the end of treatment, students also participate in a weekly transition group where they look toward the future at the activities, people, and places that “bring out the best in them, not the stress in them.” They’ll identify roadblocks to the continued well-being and create plans to respond to and recover from challenges. A relapse prevention plan will be finalized prior to graduation from the program.

Parents will also participate in a bi-monthly parent teleconference focused on tips and tricks where they begin to practice their part in helping things go well post-treatment.

Group Therapy

Group therapy and addiction treatment are natural allies. One reason is that people who abuse substances often are more likely to remain abstinent and committed to recovery when treatment is provided in groups, notably because of rewarding and therapeutic forces such as affiliation, confrontation, support, gratification, and identification. This capacity of group therapy to bond patients to treatment is an important asset because the greater the amount, quality, and duration of treatment, the better the client’s prognosis (Leshner 1997; Project MATCH Research Group 1997).. In addition to our weekly process, specialty, equine, and experiential groups, our addictions specialist facilitates a weekly, comprehensive substance abuse group for students who have struggled with addiction, misuse, and overuse.

Aftercare Post-Treatment

Solstice was one of the first programs in the country to create an in-house aftercare program with a full-time aftercare, industry expert. Our specialist facilitates a weekly student transition group and a bi-monthly parent teleconference as students and families near the end of treatment. Should families choose, our industry expert is available to provide comprehensive aftercare planning and collaborative coaching post-treatment.

At Solstice we understand the needs of adolescents are different than those of adults, and that one addictive behavior can easily be replaced by new addictions. Because of this, our interest is in addressing the core challenges that lead to addictive behaviors in order to provide healthier outlet. This unique focus is one of the reasons our teen treatment center has been so successful.