Adolescent Services
One of the most challenging patients to address clinically is the adolescent.
At Caron we treat the whole adolescent - mentally, physically and spiritually. All of Caron’s programs are staffed by full-time professionals to ensure each patient receives an individualized treatment team, consisting of no less than a psychologist, addiction counselor, medical staff and pastoral care counselors. Adolescents partake in individual and group therapy, therapeutic activities, daily lectures and continue care planning. With this structure, each and every adolescent who comes to Caron for treatment is given the tools to help form a solid foundation for a life of recovery.
Caron’s gender-separate and gender-specific treatment services for adolescents 13-19 years old, allow our professionals to provide an accurate drug and alcohol assessment, address co-occurring psychiatric issues, and simultaneously meet increasingly complicated family needs. Programming for males and females are within separate self-contained units.
During a typical one month treatment stay, adolescents are challenged to increase their insight into the disease process of addiction via group, individual and family counseling sessions. This process is designed to motivate patients to implement healthy lifestyle changes. With their counselor, adolescents discuss issues such as:
- Self-esteem, self-loathing
- Anger
- Relationships
- How to utilize 12-Step programs/meetings in recovery
- The consequences of alcohol and drug addiction
- The benefits of staying sober
They also partake in life-skills training, and are assigned simple chores while in treatment to build on the sense of “community” and development of self-pride and accomplishment – often something lacking within an addicted adolescent.
Extended Care
After a primary treatment stay, an appropriate referral to an adolescent’s next level of care is made. Some adolescents may be recommended to continue treatment in one of Caron’s gender-separate and gender-specific adolescent extended care programs on our main campus in Wernersville, PA.
During extended care adolescents are gradually reintegrated into their home environment via home passes and extended visitations. Additionally, family therapy is a critical tool to help parents and their children openly discuss family dynamics and enhance levels of honesty and trust.
Adolescent Education
Caron is one of only a few treatment centers to offer onsite education.
During the course of an adolescent’s stay in primary and/or extended care treatment, they have the opportunity to be involved in Caron's Education Program, a program that is individualized in nature. Patients receive assignments from their home school and the teaching staff helps them to catch up and maintain their academic status.
Caron provides an alternative education program licensed through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The teachers are licensed to teach in an alternative education setting and have solid experience in handling the emotional and behavioral difficulties that our patients bring into the classroom setting. In addition, through these educational resources, we are able to provide up-to-date educational testing as needed. Special tutoring for GED testing is available, as is tutoring over the summer months.
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* Caron's entire adolescent continuum of care is smoke-free. Statistics show that a person who is chemically dependent has a better chance at long-term recovery if they stop smoking. Patients who enter treatment addicted to nicotine will receive nicotine replacement therapy as part of Caron's tobacco cessation program.
