CHOICES

ASAP offers education for teens who have been experimenting with alcohol or other substances.

CHOICES is an education course that is a lower level of care than TRIP or Individual Therapy.  AOD education helps provide teens with accurate information about drug and alcohol use, weigh the risks of engaging in use, and explore how using behaviors fit (or do not fit) with a teens’ personal values and principles.

The program serves those teens who may have tried alcohol or other drugs a few times, but are not using frequently or currently. Teens meet in a small group with an ASAP counselor to help them build refusal skills, identify alternative activities, and set goals for the future.  The CHOICES program works to inoculate teens from future substance use problems.

Because teens in the CHOICES program are not frequent users and do not meet threshold for a diagnosable illness, insurance does not cover the cost of the sessions.  Groups meet weekly for 4 one-hour sessions on Thursdays at 6:30pm.  The program works on a rolling admission, allowing a teen to complete the sessions in 4 weeks.  Teens who finish the program are provided with a certificate indicating their successful completion of the program.

For teens who are involved in the CHOICES program as part of a requirement for school or court, we can communicate successful participation and completion with the appropriate individuals. Our staff is also available for parental consultation as necessary.

For those teens who are unable to complete CHOICES successfully, a referral can be made for a higher level of care.