Adolescent Addiction Treatment

Specialized Services

How does Last Door’s Youth Process Group help adolescents recover from problematic drug and alcohol use?

Last Door Youth Program provides a peer-based Process Group designed for 8-10 adolescents ages 13 to 18 years old with substance use disorder. This group is held five days a week in our accredited, licensed addiction care facility whose medical lead is a specialized addiction physician. Our Adolescent Addiction Treatment Process Groups are designed and facilitated by certified CACCF Addictions Counselors and provide participants with recovery mentorship and clinical support to explore issues associated with recovery – addiction education, family systems, friendship, value clarification, self-esteem, recovery capital, and lived experience in recovery and treatment.

Group sessions are carefully composed from 35 years of LDRS group experience, recommended best practice, and innovative research. Within a clinical framework of motivational interviewing, trauma-informed practice, and client-centred approach we add the essential ingredients of laughter, kindness, integrity, gratitude, hope, safety, and fun. Last Door Addiction Treatment Youth Program utilizes a variety of tools and resources to accommodate each residents’ learning process, Tools include videos, movies, written letters, board work, role-playing, active play, music and art, conversational sharing, family participation, eco-based sessions, and valuable shared life experience). Residents are encouraged to share their stories in conversations about various recovery themes while forming friendships, hope and connection with staff and peer group.

LJ’s Adolescent Lived Experience Addiction Recovery Story

LJ, a 15-year-old homeless youth who was isolated and addicted to marijuana, estranged from family, housed in a community emergency shelter was assessed by Last Door’s multidisciplinary staff for substance use and recovery planning. LJ decided to start a recovery journey and participate in Last Door’s Long Term Youth In-Patient Program. During his participation in addiction treatment at Last Door, he accessed group sessions for support to address his substance use and lifestyle choices. As an active participant in group counselling sessions, he bonded with a peer group and formed healthy friendships based on common values and identified goals. He identified his core values, resolved family conflict, built positive regard for himself and family and forged a meaningful path of recovery.

Upon completion of treatment, he returned to live with his family in his home community. Once there he continued his recovery, finished high school and now acts as a peer support worker in the emergency shelter he once accessed supports. During a recent group counselling session, LJ contacted the current youth group participants at Last Door Youth Program to share his gratitude, hope and success in recovery. This story highlights our group counselling peer to peer mentorship and the value of lived experience in inspiring youth to create recovery in their lives.

We can help youth recover from addiction.

Click here to learn more about Last Door’s Adolescent Addiction Treatment

Youth from across Canada participate in Last Door’s youth addiction treatment program.

Author
Peter Beka
Youth Program Manager