About EXCEL's Substance Abuse Recovery Program for Troubled Teens
EXCEL Academy of Texas troubled teen boarding school students share many things in common. The most important, and the one for which we offer an unparalleled program of support is for substance abuse recovery from the detrimental effects of using drugs and/or alcohol.
EXCEL students have all struggled with the damaging effects of alcohol and drug use and abuse. Many of our students are masking pain in their lives while others have been detrimentally impacted by negative peer influence. Some of our students struggle with being part of family system with a history of substance abuse and addiction. Our Substance Abuse Recovery program for troubled teens is designed to help the student identify the triggers and impact of substance abuse, better understand why they used illicit drugs, how their use impacted their relationships and decision making, and focuses on giving them skills to live a productive life in recovery beyond their stay at EXCEL.
Our credentialed and licensed clinicians and chemical dependency staff utilize industry standard, evidence based methods for the treatment of substance abuse. The approach is integrative, utilizing the psychotherapy models of twelve step recovery, Motivational Interviewing, Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change™, along with our primarily cognitive-behavioral therapy. We offer broad-based clinical services that enable our adolescents to become motivated to maintain substance abstinence and work through the issues that underlie their substance use. Central to our recovery program are our daily on-campus 12 Step meetings, as well as off-campus meetings for students who have earned the privilege. We have created a community culture in which the kids are enthusiastic about recovery.
In addition to the 12 step meetings, group sessions are held several times per week. These groups focus on recovery from substance abuse recovery and recovery from the issues that underlie substance abuse. EXCEL Academy of Texas believes strongly in the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. We integrate a traditional 12 step model into our daily programming helping students explore the steps, work through them, and learn how to use community based resources. We utilize community based resources such as AA and NA meetings, as well as, adolescent focused recovery and sobriety programs in our local community.
We utilize clinical tools such as the SASSI (Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory) and review the scores with each student in the early stages of their enrollment. This tool helps communicate the level of substance abuse and related thoughts and behaviors about drugs and alcohol. This information is shared with the student and the family and is key in developing the overall Plan of Care for each student.
As students near their graduation or transition from EXCEL, Relapse Prevention groups are increased and a robust aftercare plan is developed with our Aftercare Clinician. No other Therapeutic Boarding School has such an integrated or robust Substance Abuse Recovery Program.