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What We Treat

Call Now: 1-800-665-4769

Mental Health & Substance Use Treatment For Adolescents

We treat adolescents ages 12-17 struggling with mental health and/or substance use disorders. In many cases, we treat adolescents with one or the other: a mental health disorder or a substance use disorder. However, we’re also a dual diagnosis treatment center, which means our clinicians have the training, expertise, and experience required to treat and support adolescents with both a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder.  

What are Co-Occurring Disorders? 

Disorders are considered co-occurring when they happen together, at the same time. Mental health and substance use disorders are often co-occurring, with mental health struggles often preceding the problematic use of drugs and/or alcohol. When these problems co-occur, it can complicate the treatment needed. It is necessary to understand how each problem impacts the other in order for an appropriate treatment approach to be identified. For example, if a teen begins drinking heavily at parties due to intense social anxiety, it would be difficult to get them to stop drinking without giving them more effective tools to address their social anxiety. At Evolve, our clinicians carefully assess the history of the mental health and substance use problems to understand the factors driving each of them and create an appropriate treatment plan.

If you’re the parent of a teenager with a mental illness or a substance use disorder, it’s important to understand that stress, isolation, and boredom can affect both mental health disorders and substance use disorders. Teens with major depressive disorder and/or anxiety have an elevated risk of addiction or substance abuse, and vice versa. Teens with addiction or substance abuse issues are at elevated risk of developing a mental health disorder such as depression or anxiety. That’s why finding a treatment center that can treat both at the same time is essential for the long-term health and wellness of your teenager and family. 

Mental Health Disorders

Evolve offers mental health treatment for teens of all genders, providing the individualized care needed to make real change.

Some teens do not have a substance use disorder and are coming to treatment strictly for mental health issues. Our clinical teams are skilled at developing individualized treatment plans that address the specific mental health concerns of each teen.  

For example, a teen experiencing severe depression and thoughts of suicide would likely benefit from CBT interventions, including challenging cognitive distortions, completing an automatic thought record, and participating in behavioral activation. A teen experience experiencing intense fears of abandonment, unstable sense of self, and severe emotion dysregulation would likely benefit from a comprehensive DBT approach.  

Issues We See Most Often In Our Adolescent Clients

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Self-Harm
  • Suicidal ideation and behaviors
  • Mood Dysregulation
  • Behavioral Dysregulation
  • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • PTSD/Tauma
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Gender Dysphoria
  • Disordered Eating
  • Psychosis

For a full list of the mental health disorders our clinicians are trained to treat, please refer to the detailed list at the end of this page. 

Frequently Asked Questions

The average length of stay for PHP is 2-4 weeks.

Below are some of our PHP’s biggest draws for struggling teens:

  • Structured Treatment: A PHP gives teenagers a structured daily routine with therapeutic sessions and activities. The added structure supports the formation of healthy habits and a deeper sense of stability.
  • Clinical Support: In PHP, teens have daily access to compassionate clinical professionals, including therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors. This level of support keeps them from feeling alone on the recovery journey.
  • Integration with Daily Life: In contrast to inpatient care, PHP clients go back home at the end of the day. Maintaining a home base gives a recovering teen an opportunity to practice the skills they’ve learned from the program in real-life situations, which can gradually build confidence and independence.
  • Community and Peer Support: Group therapy and support sessions are key elements of PHP programs. From these daily meetings, teens gain valuable peer support, as well as accountability with others in recovery.
  • Personalized Treatment Plans: Evolve’s PHP treatment plans are personalized, which means specific care for your teen’s needs. Our treatment plans are adjustable for specific substance abuse issues, co-occurring disorders, and personal recovery goals.
Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, or Substance Use:

If a teen is experiencing suicidal ideation, engaging in occasional self-harm that does not require medical attention, or struggling to maintain sobriety. Teens should be largely able to keep themselves safe without significant monitoring on nights and weekends.

Disrupted Daily Life:

If a teen is unable to maintain healthy relationships, or has significant problems when functioning in their family, peer group, and/or community and have increased difficulty maintaining daily responsibilities. If a teen is refusing to go to school or their academic performance is declining due to their mental health, substance use, or behavioral issues. 

Teens at Evolve PHP see their assigned psychiatrist weekly.

Evolve is proud to have full-time board-certified Child & Adolescent psychiatrists who are dedicated to supporting the needs of Evolve clients. Our psychiatrists are active members of the treatment team and participate in regular consultation meetings our therapists and Clinical Director.

The psychiatrist will reach out to parents at the start of treatment to introduce themselves and learn about your teen’s history. When medication changes are made, the psychiatrist or the Nurse will contact you to provide psychoeducation, answer any questions, and obtain consent. 

Clients are never required to take medication.

At Evolve, teens in PHP continue their academic pursuits for 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. The parents and therapist collaborate with the school counselor to provide weekly packets or assignments. Computers will be provided to those who need it for research or online school/assignments. The counselors will work with the teen during school time to ensure they are staying on task, using skillful behavior, and completing the necessary coursework.

Yes, at PHP, teens teens will complete random Urine Drug Screens weekly. 

Substance Use Disorders

Evolve offers substance use treatment programs for teens of all genders, providing the individualized care needed to make real change.

Some teens have more severe substance use problems that must become the primary focus of treatment. In these cases, our clinical teams work closely with our nurses and attending psychiatrists to screen for post-acute withdrawal symptoms as clients enter the controlled environment of residential treatment. Regular drug screenings are provided at all levels of care for clients with substance use disorders so that the clinical and medical teams can closely monitor them.

Our clinicians provide psychoeducation to our teen clients on how drugs and alcohol impact the body and mind so that they can make informed decisions about their relationship with these substances moving forward. Since many teens feel social pressure to use drugs and alcohol or simply may not be ready to stop using, Motivational Interviewing is used by our clinicians to help teens identify their goals and develop their own motivation to change behaviors that are no longer working for them.

In addition to addressing the use or abuse of these substances, we support teens who engage in life-interrupting behaviors often related to addiction, but do not themselves meet the criteria for the diagnosis of a mental health or behavioral disorder.

The Most Commonly Misused Substances Among Our Adolescent Clients

  • Cannabis
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Amphetamines & Stimulants
  • Benzodiazepines (ex: Xanax)
  • Opioids
  • Hallucinogens (LSD, DMT, Ecstasy/MDMA)
  • Inhalants
Frequently Asked Questions

The average length of stay for PHP is 2-4 weeks.

Below are some of our PHP’s biggest draws for struggling teens:

  • Structured Treatment: A PHP gives teenagers a structured daily routine with therapeutic sessions and activities. The added structure supports the formation of healthy habits and a deeper sense of stability.
  • Clinical Support: In PHP, teens have daily access to compassionate clinical professionals, including therapists, psychiatrists, and counselors. This level of support keeps them from feeling alone on the recovery journey.
  • Integration with Daily Life: In contrast to inpatient care, PHP clients go back home at the end of the day. Maintaining a home base gives a recovering teen an opportunity to practice the skills they’ve learned from the program in real-life situations, which can gradually build confidence and independence.
  • Community and Peer Support: Group therapy and support sessions are key elements of PHP programs. From these daily meetings, teens gain valuable peer support, as well as accountability with others in recovery.
  • Personalized Treatment Plans: Evolve’s PHP treatment plans are personalized, which means specific care for your teen’s needs. Our treatment plans are adjustable for specific substance abuse issues, co-occurring disorders, and personal recovery goals.
Suicidal Thoughts, Self-Harm, or Substance Use:

If a teen is experiencing suicidal ideation, engaging in occasional self-harm that does not require medical attention, or struggling to maintain sobriety. Teens should be largely able to keep themselves safe without significant monitoring on nights and weekends.

Disrupted Daily Life:

If a teen is unable to maintain healthy relationships, or has significant problems when functioning in their family, peer group, and/or community and have increased difficulty maintaining daily responsibilities. If a teen is refusing to go to school or their academic performance is declining due to their mental health, substance use, or behavioral issues. 

Teens at Evolve PHP see their assigned psychiatrist weekly.

Evolve is proud to have full-time board-certified Child & Adolescent psychiatrists who are dedicated to supporting the needs of Evolve clients. Our psychiatrists are active members of the treatment team and participate in regular consultation meetings our therapists and Clinical Director.

The psychiatrist will reach out to parents at the start of treatment to introduce themselves and learn about your teen’s history. When medication changes are made, the psychiatrist or the Nurse will contact you to provide psychoeducation, answer any questions, and obtain consent. 

Clients are never required to take medication.

At Evolve, teens in PHP continue their academic pursuits for 2 hours per day, 5 days per week, Monday through Friday. The parents and therapist collaborate with the school counselor to provide weekly packets or assignments. Computers will be provided to those who need it for research or online school/assignments. The counselors will work with the teen during school time to ensure they are staying on task, using skillful behavior, and completing the necessary coursework.

Yes, at PHP, teens teens will complete random Urine Drug Screens weekly. 

What We Treat: A Comprehensive List

  • Neurodiversity/Neurodiverse Conditions
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Persistent Depressive Disorder
  • Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder 
  • Other Depressive Disorders 
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder 
  • Social Anxiety Disorder (social phobia) 
  • Panic Disorder
  • Separation Anxiety Disorder
  • Agoraphobia 
  • Other Panic Disorders
  • Borderline Personality Disorder
  • Histrionic Personality Traits
  • Narcissistic Personality Traits
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder 
  • Substance/Medication-Induced Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorder
  • Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 
  • Acute Stress Disorder
  • Reactive Attachment Disorder
  • Adjustment Disorders
  • Schizophrenia
  • Schizophreniform Disorder
  • Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Catatonia
  • Early or First-Episode Psychosis 
  • Prodromal Schizophrenia 
  • Substance/Medication-Induced Psychotic Disorder 
  • Psychotic Disorder due to another medical condition
  • Gender Dysphoria 
  • Other specified gender dysphoria
  • Oppositional Defiant Disorder 
  • Parent Child Relational Problems
  • Intermittent Explosive Disorder 
  • Conduct Disorder**
    **We accept clients with conduct disorder on a case-by-case basis.

We treat or manage adolescent clients with the following eating disorders on a case-by-case basis. We accept clients with these diagnoses only when they are not the primary diagnosis and do not cause medical instability. 

  • Anorexia Nervosa 
  • Bulimia Nervosa 
  • Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
  • Binge-Eating Disorder 
  • Other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED) 
  • Nonsuicidal Self-Injury
  • Personal History of Self-Harm
  • Substance-related disorders 
  • Alcohol-related disorders 
  • Cannabis-related disorders 
  • Hallucinogen-related disorders 
  • Inhalant-related disorders 
  • Opioid-related disorders 
  • Sedative-, hypnotic-, or anxiolytic-related disorders 
  • Stimulant-related disorders 
  • Tobacco-related disorders

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