Drug and Alcohol Treatment

• Individualized treatment within a group dynamic
• Harm Reduction
• High Risk Behaviors
• Stages of Change
• Motivational Interviewing
• Co-occurring disorders
• Coordination of care

Empower Youth, takes a harm-reduction stance to the treatment of high-risk behaviors and substance abuse with adolescents. We focus strongly on education about addiction as a disease, and relapse-prevention. Substance abuse in adolescents is often a symptom of other complications in a youth’s life, therefore, Empower Youth, approaches all of its participants with a co-occurring disorders treatment style.

We incorporate motivational interviewing, and believe that in order to make progress with individuals who engaged in high-risk behaviors, a clinician must meet them at their current Stage of Change. We emphasize anger management, impulse control, and emotional awareness in terms that youth can understand, and incorporate into their coping skills.

Our target population is youth, ages 12-24 who are abusing substances and are also having additional behavioral, social, psychological or emotional problems. Empower Youth, strives to coordinate care with all aspects of participants’ lives, including school, home, courts and physicians where applicable. Every participant attends an intake appointment with their parents in order to determine the appropriate level of care, and understand the participant’s history and presenting problem. We provide Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient group therapy, as well as Individual therapy and Family coordination meetings. It is our goal to provide individual therapy or family coordination meetings at a minimum monthly basis for participants who are involved in outpatient groups. Family Coordination meetings are opportunities for the family to check-in with the therapist and participant, and to voice and address any concerns within the home.