Leading Drug Abuse & Addiction Treatment Center for Children & Teens in Arkansas

Substance abuse and addiction can have a disruptive effect on children and teens, but we can help. Millcreek Behavioral Health is a leading residential facility in Arkansas for kids and adolescents struggling with substance abuse and addiction and other issues with mental health, developmental disorders, and addiction.

Addiction Treatment

Learn more about addiction treatment at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas

Substance abuse is a pattern of using legal or illegal substances for non-medical, and in most cases recreational, purposes. Substances are often abused with the intent to elicit a specific effect on the body or mind. Over the past few years, drug addiction and abuse has increased, while the age of first use has been decreasing. Drug addiction and abuse among children and adolescents is very common and can have a number of serious negative consequences.

At Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas, we know that having an adolescent or teen who is using drugs can be upsetting and terrifying. Additionally, the presence of a mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety, can make the situation even more complicated. Right now you may feel helpless as to what you can do to help your child, worried about what the future may hold. At our drug addiction and abuse treatment facility at Millcreek, we have years of experience helping adolescents or teens struggling with drug addiction and abuse. Our treatment center offers a psychiatric residential program, which is fully equipped to treat both disorders simultaneously. While it may not seem like it right now, things can get better. The caring staff at our treatment facility at Millcreek is here to help.

How to Help a Loved One

Helping a loved one get treatment for addiction

As a parent the sooner you recognize that your adolescent or teen is abusing or is addicted to drugs, the sooner you can get them the help that they need. It is important that you keep track of your child so that you know what is going on in their life and are able to take action if a problem should arise. Some things to look for in your child’s behavior that may indicate substance abuse may include:

  • Finding drugs or drug paraphernalia
  • Behavior problems
  • Drop in academic performance
  • Emotional distancing
  • Depression, or fatigue
  • Sudden changes in mood, eating patterns, or sleeping patterns
  • Change in friendships
  • Increased hostility or irritability
  • Decrease in interest in personal appearance
  • Lying or increased secretiveness

If you notice these behaviors in your child, these changes can be the result of substance abuse and should be seen as a call to action for you to seek help. Here are some tips that can help you deal with what to do next when you discover your child is abusing drugs:

  • Don’t panic, remember that there is help available
  • Look into treatment options available at drug addiction and abuse treatment centers
  • Don’t place blame on anyone
  • Talk to your child and really listen to them
  • Join support groups
  • Make an appointment with a family doctor who can complete an initial assessment and provide treatment options

Why Consider Treatment

Why consider treatment for addiction at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas

Substance abuse in adolescents or teens can cause problems at school, cause physical and mental health issues, and place stress on the family. Additionally, substance addiction and abuse in childhood can develop into lifelong issues such as substance dependence, chronic health problems, and social difficulties. Once your child starts using drugs, they are not usually motivated to stop, especially since drugs are seen as a pleasurable way to relax and fit in. Because of this, it is important that parents encourage their children to enter a drug addiction and abuse treatment facility so that they will be able to achieve a drug free lifestyle. Without this support, it is unlikely that they will seek help for their drug problem.

If your adolescent or teen is struggling with substance abuse one of the best choices you can make is to enroll them in a drug addiction and abuse facility’s residential program that is specifically equipped to deal with the challenges that surround substance abuse. A residential drug addiction and abuse program at our facility in Arkansas will use a number of different treatment methods to help your adolescent or teen learn the skills needed to maintain recovery and sustain a drug free life style. Additionally, our treatment facility can provide parents with information on how to properly handle the issue of substance abuse with their child and how to properly cope with difficulties that may arise in the home. Through regular therapy sessions, effective medication management, and family involvement these children can recover from any underlying issues that may have led to the development of the substance abuse and learn how to go on to have successful futures.

Our Philosophy

Millcreek Behavioral Health philosophy and treatment benefits

At our treatment center at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas, we are dedicated to helping each adolescent or teen that comes to our facility learn how to make better choices in all aspects of their life; choices that can create a lasting change. Our approach to drug addiction and abuse treatment is an integrated, multi-component model that is based on cognitive behavioral therapy when addressing the needs of our clients. CBT is an evidenced based model that has been proven to be effective with a wide variety of populations and diagnoses. Through this approach our treatment facility can correct maladaptive thinking and teach adolescents or teens new coping and problem solving skills. All members of our treatment team in Arkansas will work with residents to facilitate change and to encourage them to take responsibility for their behavior change.

Types of Treatment

Types of addiction treatment offered at Millcreek Behavioral Health in Arkansas

Before being admitted to our facility’s residential drug addiction and abuse treatment program, all clients at Millcreek will complete a diagnostic assessment and a psychiatric evaluation that will allow us to determine the extent of the substance abuse and the existence of any other mental health concerns. The assessment findings will be used to develop a master drug addiction and abuse treatment plan, which is developed by an interdisciplinary treatment team and is further reviewed by our psychiatrist. The master treatment plan will lay out treatment goals and objectives for treatment within each child’s problem area, including specific intervention components that will be used. The program model for our facility in Arkansas is divided into four phases and residents must complete the requirements of each phase in order to advance to the next. Some of the activities and drug addiction and abuse treatment methods residents will participate in as they advance through the program may include the following:

Medication: At Millcreek, we are not a detoxification program and do not use medication to treat substance abuse, however, medication may be included in your child’s drug addiction and abuse treatment plan to help treat some of the symptoms of their co-occurring disorders. If your child is placed on medication, they will be consistently monitored by their treatment team and doses will be adjusted as needed.

Individual therapy: Individual sessions are held at our treatment facility on a weekly basis and there will be sessions where your child can work one-on-one with a therapist. These sessions can help get at the underlying cause for the substance abuse and can help them learn healthier ways of coping.

Group therapy: Our treatment center also holds group therapy multiple times weekly and covers a wide range of topics. Depending upon individualized drug addiction and abuse treatment plans, some of the group topics your child may participate in may include: social skills, coping skills, and behavior management.

Family therapy: Millcreek also hosts family sessions are at least twice a month and are designed to be a place where your child and the rest of the family can learn to better communicate with one another and work through any presenting issues. In addition to family therapy, regular visitation times are available and visits are arranged throughout your child’s stay.

Recreational therapy: Each adolescent or teen will regularly participate in recreational therapy, which can include activities such as art, sports, adventure programming, or other social outings, all of which are designed to help the development of social skills.

Education: Every resident at our treatment facility at Millcreek will attend our fully accredited school program, which is held Monday through Friday. Each resident will be given an individualized education program based on his or her specific academic needs.

Some additional programs your child may be involved in depending upon individual drug addiction and abuse treatment plans include:

  • Student council
  • Token store
  • Therapy

Continuing Care

Continuing care and levels of treatment for addiction

Once your child has completed the residential drug addiction and abuse treatment program here at our treatment center at Millcreek, you will be able to meet with a case manager that can help you to identify the next best plan of action for you and your child. Our case managers in Arkansas can help by scheduling follow-up appointments with outpatient providers, as well as provide you and your child with resources to reach out to within the community in Arkansas. Case managers are there to help the family with the ultimate goal of helping your child integrate back into the home environment, free from their drug addiction and abuse.