Being exposed to the substance abuse and mental health world for the first time is a hard step. Sometimes, people put it off for years due to the typical images they have in their minds of what “rehab” looks like (lab coats, angry people…). While it’s true that every program is a little different, our program focuses on a time-tested enthusiastic approach – specifically tailored for reaching young people with substance use disorders. Most people are surprised when they show up to the Cornerstone Program for the first time and discover that it is not a somber place.
The Cornerstone Program is the only alcohol and drug rehab program in Colorado that utilizes the ‘Enthusiastic Approach’ to sobriety. We believe that the best way to help teens and young adults recover is to help them discover a way of life that is better than using drugs or alcohol.
To learn more about our alcohol and drug rehab program for teens and young adults, contact our Denver drug rehab center today or call us at (303) 690-0082.
We Recognize that Teenagers Respond Differently than Adults
Most drug and alcohol treatment centers are aimed at adults with alcohol or drug problems. These programs may have “young adult” or “adolescent” programs, but often they are just slight modifications of their rehab’s adult programs. Historically, teenagers and young people struggle in these types of addiction centers.
Whereas adults are often seeking help for a long-standing alcohol or drug problem, young people are most often urged by close family members to give up their drugs and alcohol. This is especially problematic because oftentimes, young people may have not been using long enough to experience the types of consequences that would traditionally prompt someone to decide to change. When these young people end up in adult programs, they typically feel like they don’t fit in, they don’t develop the necessary positive peer relationships to form a support network, and they struggle with a feeling that if they quit drugs they will be are doomed to a boring life. Parents and young people end up with a feeling of frustration and hopelessness.
The Enthusiastic Approach to Teen Alcohol & Drug Rehab
Anonymous surveys of teenagers have shown consistently over many years that the primary reason teenagers use drugs and alcohol is to have fun! While it’s true that there may be a number of other factors and reasons teenagers cite, almost all of them agree on this point.
Young people are driven by their desire to have fun and connect with people their own age. They are also going through an extremely tough time in life. The teenage years are full of insecurity, excitement, drama, and change – even without drug use! Teenagers are constantly working to discover where they fit in the world, who to follow, and what to believe. This important developmental stage cannot be glossed over – we work to meet teenagers where they are, rather than to make them be something they are not.
The enthusiastic approach is specifically tailored to address the needs of young people with drug problems. Our approach focuses on providing young people with a suitable replacement for the fun, excitement, and camaraderie that young people associate with drug use. Our treatment programs help young people identify and work on the issues, behaviors, and thoughts that may be contributing to their drug problem while also working to help them fill the void that drugs and alcohol leave behind.
What Sets Our Alcohol & Drug Rehab Program Apart
- The Cornerstone Program is comprised of a qualified staff with meaningful years of experience working with young people. We help in every step of the early recovery process all the way through the transition into long-term recovery.
- Since everybody has different needs, we provide individualized outpatient treatment options.
- Our intensive outpatient drug program’s discharge is solely progress-based, not finance-based.
- If needed, we are an excellent option for teens or young adults leaving residential treatment programs.
- Our Aftercare program and support group for teenagers and young people offer young people a vital opportunity to continue to be supported from discharge through the transition into long-term recovery.
- The Cornerstone Program is the only treatment program in Colorado specifically for teens and young adults that provides a 12-step support group before, during, and after treatment for up to 2.5 years.
- We consider parent support to be a necessary element in the recovery of a teen; therefore, we provide a parent-support group.
Our Symbols of Sobriety
At The Cornerstone Program, there are three primary symbols that acknowledge sobriety and family involvement in our alcohol and drug rehab program.
- Wanna Ball: As a reminder of their promise to enter drug rehab and remain clean for 30-days, teens and young adults receive a ‘wanna ball’ which is a round musket ball that they can carry with them.
- Monkey’s Fist: When young people achieve 30 days of continuous abstinence from substance use, a ‘monkey’s fist’ knot is tied around the Wanna Ball and it is turned into a necklace. The monkey’s fist knot is a mariner’s knot the was historically used to throw from a ship to the dock – a ship’s first contact with the land. In sobriety, this knot symbolizes a newly recovered young person’s peers helping them anchor their newly found sobriety. After a year of sobriety from drug abuse, the teens and young adults receive a ‘year’s fist’, consisting of three hundred and sixty-five braids.
- Parent’s Heart: After 30 days of involvement in our parent support group, parents receive a ‘parent’s heart’. This heart is made from carved wood and suspended by a piece of leather, this symbol features an embossed monkey’s fist in the center. It is a symbol of support from parents to the young person being pulled ashore in recovery.
Contact Us for Teen Drug Rehab in Denver, CO
If you have a teen or young adult who is battling addiction, please contact our Denver drug rehab facility at (303) 690-0082. Our drug and alcohol counselors will be happy to provide you with a free evaluation and discuss a course of action tailored to your situation.