You do everything in your power to keep your children safe, but it’s impossible for any parent to be present at every moment. Even the most responsible kids can fall into social traps, particularly during their impressionable teenage years. When you make the difficult discovery that your child is struggling with substance abuse, determining the right type of treatment can feel overwhelming. Fortunately, effective behavioral health treatment for teens is available, and knowing what to look for in a rehab center can make the recovery process much less stressful.

Established Credentials

You’d expect adequate credentials of an educational or medical institution, and drug rehab is very much along the same lines. The Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) is dedicated to developing standards and evaluating treatment providers, ensuring the value of their services and programs offered. Facilities must meet rigorous requirements while displaying committed effort toward continued improvement, and they remain subject to audits by local health departments as well. Put simply, CARF accreditation is a good indicator that you’re dealing with a trustworthy institution.

Proven Methodology

Evidence-based practices, or EBPs, are treatment methods that have been proven successful in clinical settings. This type of approach is essential to successful recovery, as it factors in data accumulated through professional research and real-world applications. Some treatment methods include:

• Motivational interviewing: Counselors help teens recognize the disparity between abusive behaviors and their own morals, values, and ethics.
• Family therapy: Parents and other close relatives learn to better understand the nature and challenges of addiction, what’s involved in rehabilitation, and how to facilitate continued recovery.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This type of therapy can aid in recovery by teaching teens to change negative thought patterns that cause destructive behaviors.

Inpatient and Outpatient Programs

Treatment for teenage drug abuse begins with detoxification. During this period, teens are prevented from having any potential access to substances of abuse, commonly under the supervision of medical and psychiatric professionals as part of an inpatient program. Some families, however, may not be comfortable with or able to engage in this type of program.

Rehab centers offering outpatient services can be preferable in these cases, allowing teens to recover in an environment that’s controlled but familiar. It can enable more seamless transitions from and back to typical daily life, while also allowing closer involvement of parents or guardians.

Focus on Education

If your child is expected to remain on premises during his or her treatment, it’s important they’re able to continue academic activities. Many rehab programs include educational components, such as internet-based coursework, vocation certification, and preparation for standardized tests. Some facilities even offer training in general life skills, including those intended to preserve the progress achieved during rehab.

Teen substance abuse can destroy lives and fracture families, but early intervention and treatment can lead to recovery. The compassionate professionals at Pyramid Healthcare provide effective, patient-specific treatment options with a range of convenient locations throughout Pennsylvania. Learn more about our recovery programs for teens today, and let us help your family put substance problems in the past.