In the Classroom of a Drug Treatment Center
How do you motivate an adolescent in a teen drug treatment center who has been removed from their familiar environment, and now faces 45-90 days in an unfamiliar in the treatment setting?
The answer isn’t simple, as every adolescent struggling with substance abuse issues comes in with a different personality, needs, and academic strengths/weaknesses. There is one common denominator, however, which is: Once they see the purpose of school in the treatment setting and experience success, it all seems to make sense. Getting to this point takes hard work on the student’s part. They have to make a conscious decision to change their self-defeating habits. In order to make this transformation, they work with their therapist and counselor on their substance abuse, family and personal issues. Their teacher observes their behavior in the classroom, communicating any concerns with the clinical treatment team. Students are encouraged to make the most of their time in school and are rewarded with privileges and intrinsic rewards. Teens in residential treatment have responsibilities, goals are set, and they learn how to get organized. Layers of self-doubt begin to peel away. The cloudy haze of drug use dissolves into clarity. They realize that they can do things that they never thought possible. Where there was once only hopelessness despair and addiction, there is a future, with a high school diploma, college, a job, and finally, a career of their choice.
