Once a family has identified that a teen is suffering from a mental health or substance use problem, the next step is to find the most appropriate teen rehab options to meet their needs.
This is an incredibly important step, as finding the most appropriate type of treatment for a child is just as important as getting them into treatment in the first place.
The following is a look at some of the most popular types of teen treatment programs, and how they differ from one another.
Residential Teen Rehabilitation Treatment
Residential treatment is very beneficial because it provides a controlled environment for the teen.
There are many invaluable and lifelong benefits your teen may experience in treatment. These may include therapy, support groups, experiential therapies, and peer relationships. When a teen goes into treatment, they often begin in detox. Then, the teen will continue with various forms of and counseling.This will help them develop the coping skills they will need after treatment. Also, these skills will help them avoid chances of relapse.
The treatment programs in a residential setting usually last between 45 and 60 days. Length of stay depends on the severity of the addiction or mental health issue. Also, how long the teen has been engaging in self-destructive behaviors.
A residential rehab is usually the best choice adolescents. However, there could also be some problems that will arise because of this. Some teens will feel they are being punished and that their parents are trying to get rid of them. This is a common feeling among many teens.
To combat this, some programs ensure that the family is active in the healing process. They are also urged to stay in touch on a regular basis while the teen is in treatment. Teens will need to know they still have the love and support of parents and the entire family needs to heal.
Why Choose Residential Treatment for Teens?
One of the main reasons for choosing this type of rehabilitation is the success rate. More teens will successfully complete the program and learn to live a positive life than they would if they were receiving outpatient treatment. The ongoing counseling, support groups, and life skills available to teens throughout their stay provides the groundwork for sustainable healing.
Family Therapy
While a teen is in residential treatment, the family will also go through their own recovery process. It is common for many parents to take the blame for their teen’s behaviors. If parents are willing to seek counseling while the teen is in treatment, the end result will be much better and more long-term. Not only will this help the parent learn about the behaviors and rebuild their own self-esteem, but it also shows the teen that the parents do care and want to help and support the teen. Being in residential treatment provides a great opportunity for teens to overcome their self-destruction and lead a happy, healthy life.
Benefits of Tailored Treatment
Your teenager needs the utmost support, guidance, and assistance throughout the entire treatment process. Your teen is not a number or statistic. Your teen deserves to learn to live without destructive behaviors and/or drugs and alcohol.
Rehabilitation does not mean punishing your teen for their behaviors. But rather, it means surrounding them with the support that they need to battle and overcome their struggles. Having a positive network of people surrounding recovering teens makes all of the difference.
Holistic Teen Treatment
More and more facilities are implementing holistic care practices into their standard treatment programs. This includes programs that enhance the mind, body, and spirit in addition to standard processes such as detox, counseling, and aftercare. Among the most popular holistic practices in teen treatment are:
- Yoga
- Adventure Therapy
- Meditation
- Equine-Assisted Therapy
- Nutritional Counseling
- Acupuncture
Outpatient Teen Treatment
This is a process in which the teen will travel to a hospital or a facility to attend outpatient sessions. They will then be free to leave instead of remaining at the facilities after counseling sessions. Outpatient rehabilitation is usually long-term and the teen can attend meetings and counseling sessions for as long as they need to.
These programs also have less structure than an inpatient rehabilitation. This type of rehab is usually for moderate behaviors or substance use disorder or for teens that have already been through inpatient rehabilitation and need continued support.
Services Offered with Teen Outpatient Treatment
When a teen has moderate behaviors or substance use disorder, they can receive services through outpatient rehabilitation. These services include individual therapy sessions, group therapy, relapse prevention, drug screenings, life skills, and re-socialization skills. All of these services can help the teen remain sober and learn new skills that will help them avoid an addiction in the future.
Though the patients at an outpatient program are not confined in a controlled environment, their process through the rehabilitation center will be somewhat similar to those in an inpatient setting.
Inpatient vs. Outpatient Teen Treatment
Though both types of teen treatment are positive choices, it’s important to take a few factors into consideration. Under certain circumstances, it can be immediately clear which type of treatment is the better choice for your child:
- Co-occurring disorders. If your teen is diagnosed with a psychological or behavioral issue, this will increase drug cravings and make it harder to fight drug addiction. Inpatient Dual Diagnosis treatment that addresses addiction and the disorder are necessary to make real progress.
- Withdrawal symptoms. If your teen becomes physically ill when he or she stops taking their drug of choice, then inpatient care is needed because round-the-clock medical care is vital.
- Influence of friends at home or school. If your teen will be unable to resist the temptation to get high because he or she is in constant contact with friends who give them drugs, inpatient care may improve their chances of success.
Aftercare Services
After a teen has completed rehabilitation, the goal is to remain sober and avoid any relapse. To make sure of this, some teens may have to change things in their social life. They may need to find a new group of friends who are not involved in drugs. Some teens will become involved in hobbies and sports to fill their time, helping them avoid temptation and reducing the chance of relapse. Another thing that will help is ongoing therapy. Even though the teen may no longer be engaged in unhealthy behaviors or addicted to a drug, they will still have patterns and tendencies, meaning the chances of relapse are high. Receiving therapy and attending supportive group meetings will be beneficial as the teen continues on their road to recovery.
Rehabilitation Programs to Avoid
There are a number of teen rehab programs available that offer addiction treatment to teens, but many of them do not provide some of the basic services and care that all parents in search of addiction help should seek for their child. The best teen treatment programs will provide teen-specific services, segregate boys and girls at almost all times, emphasize education and academics in addition to providing exemplary medical care and psychotherapeutic treatment.
Rehabilitation Centers That Include Adult Treatment
Teens and adults are at very different stages when it comes to emotional, physical, social, mental, and behavioral development. The issues that they face and the struggles that they deal with are exceedingly different, as well. It is not appropriate for a teenager to be included in process groups and therapies that include adults who are sharing adult problems. Nor is it realistic to expect teenagers to thrive in a program created to meet the needs of adults and not teens. No combination program will be effective for teenagers. Instead, choose a teen program that treats children under the age of 18 only to ensure that your teen receives age-appropriate treatment.
Teen Programs That Don’t Segregate Boys and Girls
Putting boys and girls together when their focus should be on treatment and healing defies the purpose of the program and puts your teen’s health in jeopardy. Instead of choosing a teen program that mixes both genders in the same residence, therapy sessions, or educational classes, opt for a teen rehabilitation facility that keeps boys and girls separate. Gender-specific treatment is best.
Treatment Programs That Don’t Emphasize Education
The academic experience is not only a big part of your teen’s present life but sets the stage for the experiences he or she will have over the next 50 years in terms of career and employment opportunities. Few teens do well at school when they are living with substance use issues, and it’s important that parents choose a teen program that provides them with an academic focus in addition to medical care for detox issues, dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders, and a wide range of therapies that address the problems.
The Importance of Treatment for Teens
Even the “best” kids can engage in destructive behaviors, but this can be compounded if the peer group or environment play a negative role. Teen treatment is the best way to help these young people break the cycle of destruction before it threatens a child’s entire future – well on into adulthood. Why? Because even the strongest willed individuals are unlikely to stop self-harming or using drugs on their own without professional help. And the best-intentioned parents will likely lack the knowledge base required to help their child overcome the physical and psychological components of their issues. Only teen treatment can help remove an individual from their harmful environment and provide the kind of compassionate care required to help break the destructive cycle.
View the treatment facilities of Newport Academy and call now to find out more about our Newport Academy teen treatment program options. We are here to help, any time.