Five Questions To Ask About Treatment For Teens

1. What standardized, scientifically-based tests will you use to help identify what my child needs? Are your staff trained and formally certified in conducting these tests?

2. What scientifically proven approaches to treatment do you typically use to care for adolescents? Do you have any publications or statistics that have shown it works? Are your staff certified to provide this kind of care?

3. What levels of care do you have? What percent of the kids in your program go to each level? Are continuing care or recovery support services available to my child and family after the initial episode of treatment? What percentage of your kids participate in such services?

4. What psychiatric services do you have available on site in the program? Through referral?

5. How much does this cost? Do you have a sliding scale? Do you have grants?

FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT TREATMENT FOR TEENS

1. Relapse is common. Most kids go to treatment 2-4 times before they are able to sustain recovery.

2. Learn to recognize the signs of relapse (spending time with using friends, breaking rules, staying out, inattention, anger, poor hygiene, declining grades) and get kids back into treatment and on the road to recovery right away.

3. Helping your adolescent to participate in continuing care and other recovery support services during the first 90 days after treatment (and ideally the first year) is a key factor in helping them to sustain recovery.

4. While treatment is focused on getting an addicted person to stop, self-help groups, recovery schools and other recovery support services are typically designed to help continue recovery. It is important to try to put adolescents in post-treatment, or aftercare, services that have other adolescents – not just adults.

5. Most adolescents are seen in an outpatient setting a couple of hours a week. Residential treatment is usually reserved for adolescents who are not making it in outpatient treatment and/or who have an environment (peers, home) that is making it very difficult for them to stop.

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