Substance Use Disorder
Support that helps teens replace substance use with healthier ways to cope.
Targeted Treatment for Teen Substance Use
Substance use can affect decision-making, relationships, school performance, and physical and emotional health. Over time, it can make daily life harder to manage.
Our approach looks at the full picture behind a teen’s substance use habits. Treatment helps teens understand what’s driving the behavior and build healthier ways to cope.
Substance-Related Challenges We Treat
We provide treatment for a range of substance-related challenges, including:
- Using alcohol or drugs to cope with stress or emotions
- Trouble stopping or cutting back on substance use
- Changes in behavior, motivation, or school performance
- Conflict with family or friends related to substance use
- Risky decisions or impulsive behavior while using
How Substance Use Treatment Helps Teens Rebuild Stability
Addresses Underlying Causes
Treatment focuses on the stress, emotions, and patterns behind substance use.
Builds Healthier Coping Skills
Teens learn tools to manage cravings, stress, and overwhelm without relying on substances.
Strengthens Decision-Making Skills
Supports teens in slowing down impulsive choices and making healthier decisions in daily life.
Supports Stability at Home and School
Improves communication, accountability, and routines to help daily life feel more manageable.
Therapies We Use to Treat Teen Substance Use
Substance use can affect emotions, behavior, relationships, and daily functioning. Treatment helps teens build healthier coping skills and reduce the urge to rely on substances.
Each therapy supports a different part of recovery, from emotional regulation to self-awareness and healthier decision-making.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Helps teens identify thoughts and behaviors that contribute to substance use and replace them with healthier responses.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Teaches skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and managing urges without acting on them.
Provides a private space to explore substance use patterns, emotional struggles, and personal goals.
Builds connection, accountability, and coping skills with peers working through similar challenges.
Improves communication at home and helps families support recovery in everyday life.
Focuses on boundaries, trust, and healthier ways of relating to others.
Uses mind-body approaches to support grounding, stress management, and emotional balance.
Together, these therapies help teens strengthen accountability, work through setbacks, and build momentum in recovery.
Find the Right Level of Substance Use Treatment
Substance use can affect teens in different ways over time, and the right level of care should adjust as their needs change. We offer different levels of support so treatment can step up when needed and ease back as recovery becomes more stable.
Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP)
After-school care 3 days a week, 3 hours a day for teens who need more structure than weekly therapy provides. Programs typically run 8–12 weeks and include individual, group, and family therapy.
Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP)
Day treatment Monday–Friday, 6+ hours a day for teens who need a higher level of support for substance use disorder symptoms. This 4–6 week program includes school coordination and medication support as needed.
Virtual Programs
Online treatment for teens who can’t always attend in-person care. In some states, care may be hybrid. Offers structured, clinician-led support from home.
Need Urgent Support for Your Teen?
When concerns escalate and immediate help is needed, we assist families in coordinating crisis intervention and connecting to the right level of support quickly. Call us and we’ll help you figure out the best next step.
Featured Resources
Explore resources that meet you wherever you are in your journey.
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Resources for Parents5 Signs and Symptoms of Anxiety in Teens
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Mental Health ConditionsTypes of Mental Health Struggles Teens May Face
Teen Substance Use Disorder Treatment FAQs
What’s the difference between casual substance use and substance use disorder?
Casual substance use typically refers to occasional use that doesn’t significantly affect a teen’s daily life. Substance use disorder is different. It involves patterns of use that begin to interfere with school, relationships, responsibilities, or physical and emotional health.
Signs of a substance use disorder may include strong cravings, difficulty stopping or cutting back, using substances to cope with stress or emotions, or continuing to use despite negative consequences.
Do you treat mental health alongside substance use issues?
Yes, we offer dual diagnosis treatment, which means we address substance use and mental health conditions at the same time.
Many teens struggling with substance use are also dealing with challenges like anxiety, depression, trauma, or emotional regulation difficulties. Treating both together helps teens build healthier coping skills and supports more stable, long-term recovery.
Can my teen continue school during treatment?
Our team works to collaborate with your child’s school and district to keep education on track. Because each district has different policies, we recommend you also connect with the school’s support staff to explore available options if your child attends daytime Partial Hospitalization (PHP) care.
You might consider exploring state advocacy resources under IDEA. For our Intensive Outpatient (IOP) treatment, students are generally allowed to attend school as usual, though extracurriculars may be impacted.
How do you make sure treatment feels safe and respectful for every teen?
We provide affirming care for teens of all backgrounds, gender identities, and sexualities. Treatment is tailored to each teen’s needs and lived experience while staying fully integrated into the same groups, schedule, and level-of-care options. This way, teens receive individualized support without being separated, labeled, or singled out. Read our story to learn more about our values and approach.
How do I know what level of care my teen needs?
When you connect with our admissions team, we’ll schedule an assessment to understand your teen’s symptoms, safety needs, and day-to-day functioning. From there, we recommend the level of care that best fits right now and can adjust as needs change.
Does insurance cover substance use disorder treatment for teens?
Coverage depends on your insurance plan and provider. We work with most major insurance providers across the U.S. to help minimize out-of-pocket costs for our teen treatment programs. Verify your insurance here.
Not sure what your teen needs? Reach out today and we’ll help you find the right path.