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Adult Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Treatment
Dilworth Kids Program for Children
Continuing Care and Extended Care

The Dilworth Center supports the American Medical Association’s definition of alcoholism in describing chemical dependency as a primary, chronic disease with genetic, psychosocial, and environmental factors influencing its development and manifestations. The disease is often both progressive and fatal. It is characterized by impaired control over chemical use, preoccupation with the drug, use of the drug despite adverse consequences, and distortions in thinking, most notable denial. Each of these symptoms may be continuous or periodic.

The Dilworth Center believes that two of the largest risk factors for developing the disease of chemical dependency are youth and substance abuse . The onset of chemical dependency in the adolescent stage of human development is generally preceded with a period of substance abuse . Substance abuse, as described the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual IV-TR , is “a maladaptive pattern of substance use manifested by recurrent and significant adverse consequences related to repeated use of substances.” Common adverse consequences for the substance abusing young person are repeated absences or suspensions from school, legal problems, verbal or physical fights with parents, aggressive behavior, sudden mood shifts, secretive behavior, chronic fatigue or manic behaviors. Also common are recurrent social or interpersonal problems such as identifying with substance abusing friends and the inability to maintain healthy relationships.

Our goal is to provide an educational and informational process that will maximize the likelihood of the adolescent abstaining from the future use of alcohol and other drugs. Not surprising, current research indicates that young persons who abstain from using drugs and alcohol are significantly less likely to have problems with drugs and alcohol as adults. Healthy support by parents/guardians is essential to making a complete systemic change from substance abuse to a drug and alcohol-free lifestyle . The Dilworth Center believes that it is our responsibility to assist participants and families to effectively address substance abuse issues and encourage the development of positive support systems. It is our belief that through our substance abuse education, combined with family sessions and random drug screening, most short-term substance abuse problems will be effectively addressed.

The Dilworth Center 's Adolescent Education and Awareness Program is a 6-week education and monitoring program, with provisions for longer-term education and monitoring if indicated. This program consists of six weekly educational didactic lectures, a minimum of three professional drug screen analyses, six weekly Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meetings and two family counseling sessions.

Accommodations for longer-term participation in our Education and Awareness Program may be made on an individualized basis. Additionally, if a participant is unable to abstain from chemical use, they may be eligible for transfer to a higher level of care, such as becoming a patient in our Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program for Chemical Dependency.

1	Disease Education – Participants are instructed on the dynamics of substance abuse and chemical dependency, including topics by our medical director on “The Disease of Chemical Dependency” and the “Progression of Addiction” as well as four other lectures by Dilworth's counselors and program alumni. Participants may also request to attend additional lectures at an additional cost.
2	Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous – Participants are also introduced to the Twelve Step mutual-support group community. They are required to attend an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) meeting once a week for six weeks. Participants and their parents/guardians will be provided with a listing of appropriate open meetings that they may attend (an open meeting of AA or NA may be attended by the general public). Of course, there are never any dues or fees to attend AA or NA meetings.
3	Family Education – Substance abuse within individuals typically affects the systems within which the individual operates. Interpersonal relationships with families and peers are examples of systems negatively affected by substance abusing behaviors. Families are particularly vulnerable, in part because the amount of time the young person has spent within that system, as well as the obvious emotional ties between parents and children. Consequently, the Dilworth Center strongly encourages parents/guardians to attend the same educational lectures as their son or daughter.
4	Family Conjoint Discharge Planning Session – Family members and participants attend two family conjoint sessions with their counselor. The first session is conducted following the initial assessment process, and is used to develop a participation contract and an in-home behavior contract between participants, their parents and the Dilworth Center . All participants must commit to abstain from all future alcohol and drug use. The second session, conducted at the conclusion of the Education and Awareness Program, is a discharge planning session which addresses future behavior contracts, drug screens, high risk situations, and other individualized parental and participant concerns.
5	Drug Screen Analysis – For our substance abuse program to be successful, all participants must immediately cease all alcohol and drug use. The Dilworth Center provides a minimum of three professional quality drug screens analyses during the program; parents and participants may request additional drug screen analyses as well.

Please contact the Dilworth Center for registration and additional information.