When
we talk about Adolescent Residential Care, we are dealing with a
large age group comprising children between the age of 10 to 19 years
and some programs even include young adults aged 20 to 24- this
implies 21 percent of the population of the United States. It becomes
imperative for parents to pay special attention to the mental and
physical health of young folks at this age because children exhibit
varied behavioral patterns and emotional swings during this time. In
fact, the behavioral patterns established during this developmental
phase also have an impact on the health status of the adolescents.
Several studies have established that major social problems and
issues concerning public health start during these years of a
person’s life.
Due
to peer pressure, worries related to studies and socializing
challenges, some adolescents are at risk of committing homicide,
suicide, DUI, substance use and abuse, unplanned pregnancies and may
even become prone to sexually transmitted infections, including HIV.
A lot of contextual and surrounding influences also determine the
social behavior and mental fitness of adolescents. Ensuring positive
developmental environment for teenagers and adolescents is essential
for them adopting healthy behavior and developing into productive
adults in the future.
Emerging Issues in Adolescent Health
Since,
adolescence is a transitional period comprising the changes of
puberty and increasing independence, the young ones often become
prone to substance abuse or alcohol addiction. With ethnic diversity
increasing with the growing number of Hispanic and Asian American
youth, cultural responsiveness to health care has become important.
Secondly, to prevent behavioral risk patterns among adolescents
positive youth development interventions are required. This includes
providing the youth support regarding relationships, resources and
opportunities. It has been observed that the leading causes of
illness and death among adolescents are largely preventable if proper
attention is paid. This is where the role of Adolescent ResidentialCare comes into play.
How Adolescent Residential Care Programs Can Help?
Many
behavioral health centers are providing comprehensive diagnostic
assessment and intensive adolescent treatment programs to youth in
the age bracket of 11 to 17 years. This is effective for both mental
health and addiction related issues. The focus is on building life
skills, formulating a recovery plan, family education and their
participation in the treatment process. Anxiety issues, substance
abuse and relapse prevention are dealt with in behavioral therapy and
group sessions. Spiritual enrichment and fitness activities are
incorporated into the daily schedule.
The
first step, of course is comprehensive diagnosis to understand the
problem an individual is dealing with. Then a whole set of treatment
comprising psychiatric care, dialectical behavior therapy,
therapeutic recreation and educational treatment is decided for the
patient. Outdoor programs are designed to provide adolescents a
holistic approach towards recovery. Family counselling sessions are
conducted in order to let the family members assist in the recovery
process and improve family bonds as well. Evidence based programs
also form part of the Adolescent Residential Care services,
formulated to deal with anger management issues.
In
order to meet with the educational needs of adolescents, classes are
conducted in self-contained classrooms. Some of the residential
service providers even provide assistance for GED and ACT preparation
to adolescents of minimum 17 years of age for their higher education
needs. Quapaw House, Inc. is a licensed provider of Adolescent
Residential Care offering a holistic program comprising recreational
therapy, residential treatment and education programs. We recommend
logging on to
http://quapawhouseinc.org/programs/adolescent-residential-services
for complete details.
Summary-
Adolescent Residential Care Programs are designed to help young
adults deal with and recover from substance abuse and other
behavioral imbalances. The focus is on developing self-management
skills and leadership capabilities in a positive peer culture.
