OUR SERVICES AND THERAPIES
Adolescent Treatment
Drug use, including alcohol, among teens and adolescents has been a public health concern for decades. Our Teen Alcohol and Drug Treatment’s unique approach has been designed for the still developing young adults. We have utilized clinical research to identify significant differences between adults and adolescents presenting with substance abuse disorder in Avanti’s treatment design. Early adolescent and teen substance abuse treatment effectiveness had been deemed inappropriate by treating adolescents in the same way as adults.
We offer a variety of proven therapeutic services that are carefully combined to fit the personal needs and requirements of each individual client. We know that addiction therapy is never a one-size-fits-all process and that each individual will require a different combination of services based on numerous factors including personal history and the presence of underlying, co-occurring disorders.
Mental Health Treatment
Mental Health Illness is extremely common. Unfortunately, Mental Health Treatment is not always received by the individuals who are suffering. According to studies by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), one out five adults suffer from some type of mental illness. A lot of teenagers struggle to admit to themselves that they have a problem that involves mental health or other disorders. One of the reasons for this is that mental health problems are not always easy to see. Mental health concerns can present in a variety of ways including mood swings, irritability, trouble sleeping, hallucinations, anxiety, depression, and many others. Just like any other health problem, mental health requires professional diagnosis and treatment.
At Avanti, Denver’s premiere adolescent mental health facility, we work to identify these issues along with other co-occurring disorders paired with substance abuse disorders. Some of the more common diagnoses we see include mood disorders, behavioral disorders, eating disorders, self harm, personality disorders, trauma and codependency. We have a uniquely effective and personalized approach combining individual and group therapy, family counseling, CBT, DBT, and a variety of other clinically proven methods to combat these disorders.
Family Support
At Avanti, we believe that addiction recovery is a process that should involve the entire immediate family, being that addiction is an all embracing disease that rips the family apart and deeply affects everyone involved. We have developed an effective and highly involved method of family counseling. We focus on multiple factors involving the existing family dynamic by examining the family unit and understanding the role of each individual family member, ultimately restructuring the family dynamic into something healthy, functional and beneficial for all involved.
Our meetings are available both in-person and online to provide concerned significant others the tools they need to effectively support their loved one without supporting the addictive behavior. These tools help family and friends to better cope with their loved one’s situation and to help regain their peace of mind.
Alumni
Upon completing treatment, clients often wonder “What’s next…?”. Life in long-term sobriety can be overwhelming to those in early recovery as a teen. Avanti has developed a team Alumni Buddy system, where each graduate of Avanti’s program is paired with a past alum. This buddy program works to facilitate a collaboration between alumni, staff and the new client. It also aims to develop healthy relationships and to foster continued growth.
The alumni of the program will guide the new participant in creating new relationships, assimilating to the sober lifestyle, and maintaining a positive outlook.
Community Building
Communities are built on a shared purpose, direction and dedication. Our group therapy sessions are key when building a community with peers who are going through the same or similar circumstances. We also encourage our participants to join peer-led sober communities for teens and young adults such as Full Circle. Understanding that they are not alone but are supported by a strong community of like-minded peers is an integral part of the healing and recovery process. Through collective action, we seek to provide skills, resources, and assistance in implementing changes to benefit those causes identified.
Fitness and Recovery
You may have heard the quote, “A healthy body breeds a healthy mind”. At Avanti, we are firm believers that fitness and nutrition in early recovery from substance abuse is crucial. Our program has an extensive fitness and nutritional program. We work to educate our clients and help them develop healthy eating habits and workout routines. We incorporate fitness training as well as yoga to help to reconnect the mind, body and spirit. Studies have shown the benefits of yoga in a clinical treatment setting which is why we have incorporated regular weekly yoga classes.
Academic Support
Avanti Behavioral Health recognizes the impact that substance abuse and mental health has on educational and vocational goals. Our treatment model includes treating individuals and their families holistically. That involves developing treatment plans, referrals and resources which are implemented to help adolescents and young adults succeed in schooling and vocational interests.
Adventure Therapy
Avanti partners with Adventure Recovery, a recovery based outdoor activities and leadership program. An important part of the recovery process is to expand teens and young adults’ interests and direct their enthusiasm towards new, fun and fulfilling activities that are absent of drugs or alcohol. We believe that showing youth that their life can still be fun and exciting without including harmful addictive behaviors will assist in life-long healing and recovery.
Discomfort is used for growth. Each participant will be asked to get out of their comfort zones to explore new hobbies such as hiking, rock climbing, rafting, paddle boarding, etc. Adventure activities also help to develop leadership skills that will be the foundation in life that allows for healthy relationship building along with strong coping and decision making skills.
Types of Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one of the forms of therapy most utilized to treat addiction in American addiction centers. This is partially because cognitive behavioral therapies have been some of the most studied in the field of clinical psychology. CBT has shown to be an effective treatment for drug and alcohol use disorders, including adolescent substance abuse, in various behavioral experiments.
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been endorsed by the American Psychiatric Association and is well supported by a variety of behavior research, including in a recent systematic review assessing DBT for teens finding it an effective treatment. The term “dialectical” refers to a synthesis or integration of opposites, or in this case, an overall transformation through the seemingly divergent processes of acceptance and change. This technique instills mindfulness in both the therapist and client alike and aims to establish connections between past behaviors and future reactions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is designed to treat those who suffer from the emotional after-effects of traumatic memories. Aiming to guide clients toward a renewed space of awareness, EMDR therapy alleviates distress while acknowledging and addressing the trauma that has caused mental, emotional or physical harm. This therapy aims to promote healing and create an environment in which clients can feel comfortable discussing their thoughts and feelings. Designed to treat victims of trauma, this technique allows clients to empower their own healing processes through careful guidance and facilitation
Denver Teen Psychiatrist
In recent reports, Colorado is among the states with the worst mental health problems, especially in adolescents. Upon admission to Avanti, each teen will undergo an initial detailed psychological assessment. This assessment is geared towards determining whether or not a dual diagnosis treatment is necessary. If necessary, a treatment plan will be developed that includes psychiatric care as well as traditional clinical care.
Psychiatric assessments, from that point, will be ongoing and will be determined whether or not psychiatric medication is necessary. If necessary, a prescribing psychiatrist will closely monitor the effects of the medication over an extended period of time.
