Treatment leads to recovery and overall wellness
Treatment is the foundation for lifelong recovery, which enhances overall personal wellness. New Directions programs are holistic, helping clients feel whole, throughout the therapeutic process, and as they leave treatment to pursue their goals. Creative interventions allow youth to implement lifestyle changes within important wellness domains, resulting in long-term growth and success.
o Emotional: Youth are engaged in a variety of treatment interventions that help improve emotional well-being. Interventions include coping skills training, use of art and writing as an outlet, drama therapy to practice new skills and mindfulness training and exercises.
o Environmental: Treatment occurs within various natural settings, and youth learn about the benefits of spending time outdoors in safe, natural and nurturing environments. Nature Immersion (Forest Therapy) helps people learn to mindfully connect with nature, promoting a sense of serenity.
o Educational/Occupational: In addition to traditional classroom activities, youth spend time each week learning life skills that will help them achieve future goals. Depending on individual needs, a variety of topics may be addressed, such as financial wellness, interview skills, and resume writing.
o Physical: A multitude of fun physical activities encourage youth to live a healthier lifestyle. These outlets allow young people to experience the positive benefits of exercise, including improvements in mood, and ability to cope with stressors. On and offsite activities are available, such as yoga, hiking, boxing, biking, swimming, sailing, aerobics and CrossFit training. Additionally, youth receive monthly education about healthy nutrition. They participate in planting, nurturing and harvesting at a local community garden, and they learn to cook, make tea and create basic beauty products with their harvest.
o Social: Adolescents attend a weekly social skills group and learn how to form, develop and nurture healthy relationships with prosocial peers and members of community support groups. Opportunities are available for a variety of activities in the community, from volunteering at an assisted living facility to attending theatre at Playhouse Square, or to participating in Young People in Recovery (YPR) meetings and social outings. Youth can be found spending time making s’mores and telling stories around the fire pit in the campus Serenity Garden on cool autumn evenings.
o Spiritual: In addition to education about spirituality and its role in wellness and recovery, youth are able to learn meditation and spend time in our very own Serenity Garden. Recently, adolescents took an active role in the creation and care of onsite garden, Mallory’s Meadow.
From a New Directions Therapist