New Choices and Freedom House

Our goal for each adolescent is to teach them about their addiction and
facilitate their understanding of the role it has played in the problems in
their life. Then we help them make an informed knowledgeable choices
about the course their life is taking.

The use of mood-altering chemicals during adolescence can have a profound effect on normal development, inevitably intensifying problems of adolescence and delaying development of important coping skills. It is widely perceived as a major contributing factor to other youth problems including crime, suicide, pregnancy, dropping out of school, and hospital admissions.

To serve this youthful population, our treatment program is specially designed
to treat chemical dependency and the interrupted developmental process simultaneously.

Adolescent Treatment Modalities

Biopsychosocial Assessment
Treatment planning begins with a comprehensive biopsychosocial evaluation that includes psychological testing and a psychiatric evaluation if indicated by a board certified Adolescent psychiatrist who will oversee the patient’s treatment plan if there is a co-occurring disorder.

Medical Care
Medical care is under the supervision of Dr. Rick Pullen, D.O. — our certified addictionologist. Medications required by adolescents will be dispensed from our medical unit in our main facility for each patient and self-administered under the supervision of a qualified staff member.

Group and Individual Therapy
Over ten hours weekly is dedicated to group therapy, the primary modality utilized to address the youth’s pathological relationship to mood altering substances. A weekly or more often as indicated individual therapy session is also conducted.

7 Challenges
In a weekly group setting, students participate in “working sessions” where they are encouraged to explore motivating factors and decision-making processes in relation to their substance use. Students will also explore motivating factors to substance use through a non-confrontational journaling process.

Activities Therapy Program
An extensive program of therapeutic leisure activities occurs in four sessions weekly. The patients are transported to planned activities including a weekly visit to a gym where youth work on individual fitness programs. Our philosophy is that an activities program must approximate the real world and the youth’s life outside of treatment. Thus, activities are planned that provide experience in healthy and fun activities that can be continued upon discharge and used to support an abstinence lifestyle.

Animal Encounters
This is a unique outing held each week in which our Activities Supervisor leads youth in trips to animal shelters where the patients actively assist in caring for homeless and abandoned animals. These throwaway pets provide an intense learning experience for our kids who come to understand therapeutic concepts in new ways.

Youth Stewards
Our kids spend time each week in service to our community. Service work is a vital part of recovery and learning to give back. A hallmark of twelve step recovery, we try and make service work understandable and meaningful for our patients.

Twelve Step Program
Our kids attend twelve step meetings twice each week in community locations. They also attend an open speakers meeting on Saturday nights at our main facility where alums share their experience, strength, and hope.

Life Skills and Special Topic Groups
These two weekly groups provide information, education and experiential learning in a wide variety of arenas our kids need help with. Skill building is a key component of these groups.

Refusal Skill Training
This weekly group involves the youth in active decision-making and training to resist peer pressure to use mood altering substances once they are back in the real world.

What to Bring
For adolescents entering either of these residential programs we have provided a link that will take you to our Adolescent Packing Guide. This will be useful in preparing your stay with us.  Click on the link below to view and print.
Adolescent Packing Guide

Aftercare/Continuing Care Services
Each patient attends a discharge planning session that also involves the parents if appropriate during family week and again at the conclusion of the youth’s stay. These sessions are designed to address the continuing care needs of the patient in their home community. Each youth will leave with a written plan and an appointment to begin their aftercare program in their community.

To Make a Referral….
Information needed from Referral Sources:

• A biopsychosocial assessment that includes childhood history, legal history, current family environment, school history and custody arrangements done by a Licensed Addiction Counselor in a state-approved program. We can provide this by appointment.
• Immunization records.
• Family Week Agreement signed by a parent.