An addiction treatment center in Milwaukee has been helping teenagers’ recover from substance and alcohol abuse.
The Adolescent Recovery Program (ARP) was created by Rodgers Behavioral Health to help teens struggling with an addiction and keep them from overdosing from an opioid or another form of substance abuse.
Between 2012 and 2016, 17 adolescents died of drug related overdoses in the city. In 2016, 2 percent of drug overdoses deaths in Milwaukee were attributed to adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19, while 22 percent were attributed to people between the ages of 20 and 29, according to the Milwaukee County Overdose Report.
There were 294 drug related overdoses in 2016. That number rose in 2017 when over 400 people died of drug related causes in Milwaukee County, according to the Milwaukee County coroner’s office. Over 2900 people suffered an overdose and survived, according to the Milwaukee Fire Data.
The ARP has been open since July 2017 and serves teenagers ranging from ages 12 to 17.
When patients first arrive at the addiction treatment center, they are screened by a member of Rogers’ medical staff and are given a recommendation of care depending on their disorder. Patients are then able to schedule an appointment and receive information about what to expect and where they stay.
Doctor Michael Miller, the director of the addiction program development and training at Rogers, said there’s a misconception that addiction is caused by drugs. He highlighted that an addiction is a brain disease, caused by chemical alterations.
Miller noted that when you expose someone to drugs or alcohol, a loss of control can happen and addiction may emerge. He said that addiction usually starts among young adults and adolescents.
Kacie Wolfgram, an addiction counselor at ARP, said that the ultimate goal for each patient is abstinence. She stated that ARP focuses on showing ways to simultaneously practice self-care and restructure the family dynamic.
Wolfgram said that human connections are the opposite of addiction and rebuilding the family support system is important to a continued development.
ARP helps adolescents understand the ailment they have and move forward with effective therapy. They also implement the 12-step program as well as cognitive behavioral management and medication management.
Patients stay between 30 and 60 days in a wing at Rogers Memorial Hospital-West Ellis, crafted to look like a comfortable home. They get to… (Continue Reading)
Author: Robert B. Hayek
Robert B Hayek is a reporter for Addiction Now and covers features and local spotlight stories. He previously worked for Fox Sports as a production assistant as well as a writer and reporter for an online website called Real Talk Sports Network. He has lived in Southern California his entire life, is a lover of books and writing and also surfs. Contact Robert at roberth@addictionnow.com
