In New York state, 112,000 children between the ages of 12 and 17 report using drugs in the last month.1
Thankfully for Dan and his family, he is no longer one of them. While at WGA, Dan* achieved a coveted milestone in the recovery community – his one-year anniversary of sobriety.
Addiction and recovery services are provided at WGA via Van Clef cottage, which is home to a licensed Outpatient Substance Treatment Program that serves residents with diagnosable substance use disorders. Approximately 60% of WGA residents utilize Van Clef services. The program is licensed by the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) and is certified as a New York State Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. Van Clef also offers Opioid overdose training to its clients.
Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselors work with youth whose lives have been affected by any combination of personal or family substance use. Individual and group counseling takes place multiple times a week depending on the individual needs of participants. Most have co-occurring mental health challenges. Some receive counseling because of court mandates while others agree to enroll in treatment because their lives have become unmanageable. The majority have received treatment in other programs with little or no success.
“I don’t need drugs to feel good anymore, or to make money or to live a good life,” says Dan, who admits that his significant past substance use history created many issues in his life. It strained his relationship with family members to the point where they didn’t want him around. It got him in trouble with the law, affected his judgement and decreased his performance in school. “I am doing better in school and have just passed [to the next] grade finally,” he says proudly. “I just received my [driving] permit. I have a job that they tell me that I work very hard at, and my relationship with my family is awesome now.”
Dan looks and feels healthier, too, which is a big motivation for him to stay drug free. One of the first things he noticed after arriving on campus and being clean from methamphetamines is that he could run and breathe better.
When asked about other things he’s learned while being at WGA, Dan replies, “I talk better to people now. I am way more respectful, and I can take criticism without getting upset and just redo the right way.”
Since becoming a licensed Opioid Overdose Prevention Program in 2019, six Van Clef personnel have been certified to train clients and other WGA staff on how to prevent an opioid overdose. This is especially important given an increase in opioid overdoses observed by the New York State Department of Health, which is likely linked to fentanyl being added to other drugs. WGA also procured 72 naloxone rescue kits for each residence on campus and to place in other areas to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose should it be necessary.
“It’s important that we have the right tools to quickly respond in emergency situations,” says Justin Herbel, Substance Treatment Program Director at WGA. “Substance misuse relapse rates are common, especially with opiate addictions. When relapse can happen in a blink of an eye, minutes count.“
1 National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics.
* Name of youth changed to protect privacy.