Raising a teenager is complicated, stressful, and often the hardest season of life. When your teenager is dealing with substance abuse it can seem overwhelming. If you’ve tried a number of approaches without success, it may be time to seek professional adolescent addiction treatment. 
It is important to find a facility that understands the unique needs adolescents have and the importance of family involvement with a history of success with adolescent clients. There are several things to be aware of when investigating adolescent addiction treatment for your child:
Philosophy
The philosophy of a treatment center sets the tone for the way clients are treated throughout their stay in residential treatment. Adolescents have a completely different set of needs for addiction treatment than adults. Therefore, the right treatment facility for teenagers will have a mission of advocating for adolescents and their families. The facility should demonstrate an understanding that family involvement is a key part of recovering from addiction.
The treatment philosophy of the center should follow this same model, by developing an individualized treatment program that addresses the needs of the individual as well as the family unit.
Family Treatment
It is important that an adolescent addiction treatment program provide for the needs of the family as well as for the teen. Research has shown that adolescents are most successful in their recovery when the family has participated in, and understands, the healing process. Treatment of the family as a whole is integral to long term sobriety. Many families report feeling helpless, angry, and anxious about their teen’s issues prior to seeking treatment. This is understandable as the effects of substance abuse are far reaching. The goal of family treatment is to turn those negative emotions into hope for the future.
In order to fully address the needs of families, it is important that centers offer a number of ways for the family to be involved including multi-family group treatment and individual family sessions. In addition to this, a thorough education process should be provided for families including:
- Explanation of the family system including the symptoms of family illness
- Demonstration of the roles, interaction patterns, and rules that are commonly seen in dysfunctional families
- Addressing issues parents often bring into the treatment setting
The opportunity to visit with family and to continue building familial bonds is important for growth and healing and should be supported by the adolescent addiction treatment center.
Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers are experts in the field of providing care for the unique needs of adolescents. Their center was founded on the mission of clinical excellence and supporting the family unit. Visions meets the needs of their clients and their families by: 
- Creating individualized treatment plans based on the specific needs and goals of each individual client
- Utilizing psychiatric evaluations and assessments to determine areas of need and to address those areas through treatment
- Utilizing a Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, DBT, approach to help clients understand that self-harming behaviors, such as substance abuse, are not effective and to develop the tools needed to become and remain sober
- Facilitation of emotional growth to become equipped to handle stressful and uncomfortable situations without lashing out or turning to drugs or alcohol
- Establishing and reiterating the importance of physical health both for overall wellness and as a tool for clean living in all aspects of life
- Supporting the healing process for the family and providing the family with the tools to create a positive and supportive environment for the teen to return to after completing treatment
- A collaborative planning effort for follow up and after care treatment and support to ensure clients have the support they need to abstain from using drugs or alcohol
Schedule an appointment today to speak with a counselor regarding the adolescent addiction treatment available at Visions California locations. Please click below to schedule your consultation or call us at 866-889-3665.
Originally posted on August 15, 2014 @ 8:42 am
