College Students
Evidence based care
Summary:
This article reviews NY Center for Living’s college addiction treatment programs and why it’s important to get help early.
Whether on campus or commuting, college life presents many challenges for young adults. At NY Center for Living, we understand the high-pressure landscape that can lead to addiction. For that reason, we offer a premier, highly specialized Young Adult Program designed exclusively for college students and individuals aged 18 to 30. Our outpatient framework provides the intensive level of care college aged students need to break the cycle of addiction without having to drop out, pause schooling or sacrifice other academic ambitions.
Why Standard Rehab Fails College Students—And Why We Are Different
Traditional residential rehabilitation programs often require an all-or-nothing approach. This might mean a residential program for several months–several months of missing school and being away from friends.
Other programs can also be limited to addiction treatment only, forcing college students to withdraw from school for several months at a time leading to a loss of scholarships, student housing opportunities, and even isolation from peer groups all while only treating one part of the equation.
Those young adults who are pursuing their first career might also be required to step away for treatment, losing critical opportunities at a young age.
At NY Center for Living, however, our young adult treatment plan eliminates these issues by offering flexible outpatient programs. With outpatient programs, clients can get care without having to leave campus life and reside full time at a treatment center. Clients can also remain connected to their peers with peer support groups as part of their treatment.
Designed as an outpatient program, we can also provide support for Midtown Manhattan college students and young adults who might have previously completed a residential inpatient program and are now looking for continued support developing life skills and applying coping mechanisms.
Those who have struggled with a relapse, likewise, can benefit from the IOP nature of our Young Adult programs.
Ongoing Academic Support
With our young adult program, we help clients remain actively engaged with schoolwork by coordinating with academic advisors and other academic offices. Combined with our flexible outpatient programs, we make it possible to fit treatment into a schedule of other classes, midterms, or finals.
Peer Support
With our Young Adult program, clients get group therapy sessions exclusively with other students and young professionals who share similar social struggles and lifestyle issues. This ensures that those in college, for example, can share with others who understand the triggers associated with campus life, the stress of a full class load, and balancing independence with relationships.
Outpatient Support
Our programs are designed as outpatient programs so that clients can use coping mechanisms in real time, working through the stress of dorms, peer pressure, Greek life, and academic pursuits.
Our Programs: Where NY Center for Living Helps
At NY Center for Living, we offer intensive outpatient programs for Young Adults, with opportunities for addiction treatment, mental health treatment, or both.
During an initial evaluation, our team will conduct mental health assessments and get a family history to help determine what level of care is best, what therapies should be included, and whether or not to recommend dual diagnosis treatment.
Our Dual Diagnosis Programs
For students in college or of college age, there exist many struggles from campus life to dorms to academic pressure and navigating a new stage of adulthood. This is also the time when some mental health disorders are more likely to start showing symptoms or show worsening symptoms.
Dedicated Support Team
As part of our dual diagnosis treatment, clients get supported by a dedicated team of professionals—including a primary individual therapist, specialized group clinicians, a case manager, and board-certified psychiatrists. Our entire team meets continuously with each of our clients to review how well treatment/medication management programs are working. If needs must, changes to a care plan can be made in real time.
Evidence-Based Modalities
Our Young Adult programs use evidence-based modalities providing clients with a daily schedule anchored in things like Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to build distress tolerance, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to rewire negative core beliefs, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to align daily actions with personal values and recovery goals.
Medication Management Support
As part of our outpatient programs, we also offer medication management options. If, during the initial evaluation, our team determines that recovery requires psychiatric medication, then we can help clients taper off addictive substances (like benzodiazepines or stimulants used to self-medicate) and transition onto other alternatives. In other cases, clients with underlying conditions like ADHD might need prescription medication to manage a new diagnosis.
What to Expect from Therapy
As part of our Young Adult program, our multidisciplinary clinical team uses a range of therapies such as DBT, alongside life skills support and dual diagnosis offerings.
Things like our DBT helps students develop distress tolerance and emotional regulation skills. Both of these can help clients get through an intense academic crisis, a difficult breakup, or a severe craving without turning to drugs or alcohol.
Our life skills support sessions include coaching to help students avoid self-medication when overwhelmed or overbooked and instead build stable routines, manage study schedules, and establish healthy sleep hygiene.
We also know that college addiction rarely exists in a vacuum. Our board-certified psychiatrists and addiction therapists can, as a result, treat underlying anxiety, depression, campus burnout, or trauma simultaneously with addiction treatment.
Navigating Campus Privacy
We know that for many young adults, one of the greatest anxieties when seeking addiction treatment is the fear of academic repercussions or permanent marks on a record. That is why we maintain a secure barrier between clinical treatment and a university. We maintain strict security and privacy protocols to ensure health records are private and don’t compromise academic standing.
At NY Center for Living, we can help clients achieve lasting recovery without a break in college requirements. Contact our team to learn more.
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