Aurora group offers outpatient program for teen substance abusers

Teens struggling with substance abuse soon will have another treatment option in Aurora: Gateway Foundation Alcohol & Drug Treatment’s new intensive outpatient program.

The foundation held an open house Thursday afternoon to introduce the program to community members, including employees of Aurora Central Catholic High School.

Gateway already offers a basic outpatient treatment program for adolescents ages 12 to 17, but the new program, set to begin in October, will meet more often to better address what may be causing youths to abuse drugs or alcohol.

“It helps kids make the connection between the problems they’re having and why they’re using substances,” said Jim Scarpace, Gateway Foundation’s program director.

With substances such as synthetic marijuana available at smoke shops or gas stations, and bath salts also being used as a drug, Scarpace said some teens need an intense program to help them avoid the temptation to turn to drugs.

“Basic outpatient isn’t enough for a lot of kids,” Scarpace said.

During the five-week intensive recovery program, participants will meet with counselors in a group four days a week from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Gateway Foundation, 400 Mercy Lane. Counselor Kris Hamilton will lead the group, which can accommodate up to 12 participants.

“It’s going to work on high-risk situations and how to address those,” Hamilton said.

Each session will include a brief educational period, but most of the three hours will be spent on activities such as goal-setting and team-building that let teens have positive experiences, Hamilton said. Parents are asked to attend one session a week to learn together with their child about relapse prevention and the importance of social support.

“I think one of the biggest things is involving families in the treatment process,” Scarpace said.

Once youths show success in the intensive outpatient program, they can transition into Gateway’s basic outpatient treatment program, led by Tyler Krause, a mental health and substance abuse counselor. That group meets twice a week and focuses more on helping teens make positive changes to their habits than on educating them about the dangers of abusing drugs.

“If it’s causing issues in your life,” Krause said, “What can we do to help deal with it?”

Gateway will begin signing up 12- to 17-year-old participants for the intensive outpatient recovery program Sept. 19. For details, call (630) 966-7400.