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An outpatient substance abuse treatment center for troubled teenagers in Richmond Hill was given a $116,000 grant from the state in order to hire a case manager and a therapist.
Kathleen Riddle, the president of Outreach Project Ð, a treatment center at 117-11 Myrtle Ave. in Richmond Hill, said "This generous grant from (the state Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services) will help troubled teens get the support and treatment needed to grow into healthier adults."
The non-profit organization also heads the Outreach House, a residential substance abuse treatment center found in Ridgewood. It is also responsible for another outpatient center located in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
Riddle also commented that being able to hire a full-time case manager and family therapist “will improve treatment outcomes for teens and their families.”
The generous grant will give the Outreach Project a chance to expand and help more teenagers.
The troubled teenagers undergo both motivational and behavioral therapy at the facility in Richmond Hill in order to complete their treatment. Behavioral and motivational therapy aid in cutting a teen from his negative habits and include “a strong family component.”
Behavioral therapy is the key element in improving the future actions and decision-making of a troubled teen while motivational therapy is what will keep them going. Troubled teens need a great amount of motivation in order to keep themselves on the right track once they’re on it. This kind of therapy is a great close to the development that one can achieve through behavioral therapy. But of course all this does require a proper budget and that’s what a generous grant can help with.
Linda Babolcsay, the coordinator of the treatment center, said "Addiction is a family disease and in order to see lasting changes in an adolescent, changes have to be made within the family system. Outreach's adolescent outpatient services focuses on meeting the needs of the individual but also has an added component of bringing the family into the conversation." The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion showed that in 2005, 25 percent of teens in New York had their first drink of alcohol before the age of 13. Even 6 percent had a try at marijuana before becoming a teen. Riddle said, "The fight against drug and alcohol addiction among our city's adolescents has to include quality care that gives these teens the confidence to remain substance-free." |
