Sharing the same tranquil countryside campus as Willingway in Statesboro, Georgia, The Pines offers a homelike atmosphere for teens ages 14-18 with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD) to start their recovery journey through detoxification, individualized therapeutic care, and coping techniques. Here’s what you can expect when you choose The Pines for helping your child and family heal.
Strong Leadership and Compassionate Care
Trusting a child to the care of others is a challenging decision, especially during a time of stress and uncertainty. Shareaka Green-Miller, Ph.D., LMSW, CADC-II, ICADC, is The Pines’ executive director. Her substantial education and experience in community health, child and family development, social work, family studies, and intervention strategies enable her to lead a team of compassionate professionals dedicated to the health and wellbeing of your teen.
“I’ve been in the field of addiction since 1997. My interest was sparked when a substance abuse counselor spoke to my community health class. She commented on the disparities of persons with substance use disorders,” Green-Miller says. “I was determined to do learn more and do something, and that passion has never faltered—I’ve spent my life’s work focusing on helping families recover.”
Through her work in clinical, residential, and outpatient settings, Green-Miller has provided therapy, education, and guidance for parents struggling with AUD and SUD and their children, as well as adolescents with AUD and SUD.
Teen patients and their families can rely on the skills of other certified addiction professionals at The Pines to provide evidence-based treatment. The professionals on staff include:
- A full-time medical director board-certified in both addiction medicine and internal medicine
- A psychiatrist board-certified in child, adolescent, and young adult care
- Certified and licensed therapists
- A full-time physician’s assistant
- Around-the-clock nursing coverage
- A certified recreation therapist
- Trained recovery techs
Family-Focused Integrated Treatment
Trusting a child to the care of others is a challenging decision, especially during a time of stress and uncertainty. It’s important to know upfront the value and effectiveness of the treatment. The clinical program at The Pines includes a combination of the 12-step model and the Hazeldon Matrix model for adolescent substance abuse treatment.
“The validity and reliability of this approach has been researched and proven to be effective,” says Green-Miller. “Additionally, we collaborate with our referral sources, family members, medical team, and everyone who is vested in the family to provide in-depth care for each teen and respect their personal journey to recovery.”
The core treatment philosophy at The Pines is based on the latest developments in addiction science:
- Addiction is a complex disease that involves biological, psychological, social, and spiritual factors.
- Various therapeutic techniques are necessary to address all these aspects and provide successful treatment of AUD and SUD. In addition, specific relapse risks are identified so a teen and their care team can create a plan to address them.
When a teenager is admitted to the facility, they receive a thorough assessment of their background, condition, and needs. Adolescents have unique requirements for treatment, and what the onsite professionals learn about them through this process is the foundation for a specialized continuum of care plan, not only for treatment, but also in aftercare.
Green-Miller says individual considerations for adolescent inpatient treatment include:
- Current age, and age at the onset of use
- Drugs of choice
- Reasons for continued use despite negative consequences
- Mental health, mood, and behavioral disorders, as well as trauma-induced issues
- Legal, social, or environmental factors
If necessary, a teen patient will undergo a medically-supervised detoxification process upon admission.
“Drugs and drug usage continues to evolve, so our approach to addressing these critical areas must evolve as well,” Green-Miller says. “When we couple this with a vulnerable population, it’s imperative to delve deeper into the etiology of new designer drugs that attract our youth and progressive therapies to address it.”
The etiology, or causes, for AUD and SUD varies widely for each individual.
- The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry provides rationale for why some teens might initially experiment with drugs or alcohol but eventually develop addictive behavior.
- The National Institute on Drug Abuse regularly updates fact sheets for parents regarding drug terminology, facts, and emerging trends.
In many families, the havoc caused by drug and alcohol abuse prompts a lot of conflict and upheaval. Green-Miller notes that parental or guardian involvement during treatment creates a circle of healing.
“Parents can expect collaboration and support for their family at The Pines. Teens receive alumni support, and every member of the family can expect a platform to learn more about the disease of addiction, the foundation of Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous/Al-Anon-Alateen, and continuing care,” she says. “This partnership aids in improving their success.”
Working Together for a Promising Future
Many times, parents feel overwhelmed when their teen is suffering and aren’t sure where to turn—or if treatment will even work. Green-Miller wants to assure parents that she and the staff at The Pines have the best interests of the child in mind at all times, and this commitment doesn’t stop when they leave residential care.
Continuing care includes parenting support for guardians and comprehensive TRAC9 and MAPP support for teens. To ward off relapse, TRAC9 uses a series of weekly assessments to identify changes in depression, anxiety, stress, visual response to cravings, verbal response to cravings, spirituality, and commitment to sobriety, optimism, and quality of life. When changes occur, their clinician is automatically notified for a follow-up. Teens also receive MAPP for 90-days after treatment, a tool which helps them manage their first few months of recovery with additional reinforcement of their determination and purpose.
“Everyone who has walked in the door has been a success,” Green-Miller says, “Because we aim to improve the lives we touch.”
Members of The Pines’ admission team are available day or night to answer your questions. Trust that you can find immediate quality treatment for your teen. Call today.
To learn more about The Pines at Willingway, adolescent addiction treatment program in Georgia, please contact us today at (888) 979-2140. We look forward to speaking with you.