A Lifeline for Our Future
Amid the pressures of adolescence – school stress, social dynamics, and personal struggles – many young people find themselves turning to substances as an escape. Recent studies reveal that nearly 1 in 5 adolescents have used an illicit drug in the past year, with the onset of SUD often beginning during these formative years. The adolescent brain, still in its developmental stages, is particularly vulnerable to the effects of substance use, making early intervention and targeted support crucial in preventing long-term consequences and helping these young individuals build healthier futures.
The typical path for adolescents struggling with SUDs often involves navigating a fragmented system with significant gaps in care. Many young people, especially those in crisis, may find themselves in emergency rooms or even in contact with law enforcement due to a lack of specialized services. Once the immediate crisis is addressed, these youths are often left without ongoing support, falling through the cracks as they wait for follow-up care or are unable to access appropriate resources. This disconnect not only causes cycles of repeated crises and escalating substance use, but additionally, it bogs down those channels being used for the wrong purpose, leading to over-run ERs and overworked first responders.
Comprehensive Healthcare’s services, particularly Youth Mobile Outreach, are designed to fill these critical gaps, providing continuous, tailored support that bridges the divide between crisis intervention and long-term care, helping young people move from instability to recovery.
The Importance of Early Intervention
Early intervention can significantly impact the treatment of SUD and prevent its escalation into adulthood. Comprehensive Healthcare recognizes this critical window and has developed specialized programs to address the unique needs of young people struggling with substance use. By focusing on early identification and intervention, Comprehensive Healthcare aims to reduce the likelihood of long-term addiction and the associated risks of cognitive and behavioral issues.
One of the main challenges in addressing substance use among youth is the lack of insight many young people have into the dangers associated with their behavior. “If their peer group is actively involved in substance use, it can be difficult to get the buy-in needed for them to recognize the need for change,” said Jennifer Trevino, Program Manager of the Youth Mobile Outreach team in Yakima at Comprehensive Healthcare. Many teens believe that occasional use is harmless, particularly with substances like marijuana and alcohol, which are often perceived as less dangerous than other drugs. However, the reality is that even occasional use can have serious consequences, particularly with the rise of substances like fentanyl, where a single mistake can be fatal.
Youth Mobile Outreach: Bridging the Gap
One of the standout initiatives at Comprehensive Healthcare is the Youth Mobile Outreach (YMO) program, launched nearly two years ago in Benton and Franklin counties and a year ago in Yakima, with additional programs gearing up to launch in Kittitas County and Walla Walla. This innovative program is designed to provide immediate, community-based intervention and stabilization for youth in crisis, focusing on those who don’t meet the criteria for higher-level evaluations but still require urgent care. “We designed it to bridge the gap between inpatient and outpatient services. Our goal is to reduce hospitalizations and law enforcement interactions by providing immediate, on-site stabilization services,” Trevino explains.
Shane Brewer, Program Manager for YMO in Benton and Franklin Counties, elaborates on the importance of this approach: “We’re able to meet them where they are, whether that’s at home, in school, or even in the community, and provide the support they need to start making positive changes.”
YMO typically runs for eight weeks, but Jennifer Hansen, program manager of YMO in Kittitas, emphasizes that the program is designed to be flexible to each client’s needs. “We can only provide services for that long unless we can get them with a therapist. Then we can extend it to keep them based on it until we can graduate them into the next level of care,” she explains. Brewer explains further: “It’s designed to bridge the gap until youth can transition into longer-term care programs like WISe.”
“The team is made up of a mental health professional, two peers, and a care coordinator,” explains Lindsay Fuchs, Program Manager of YMO in Walla Walla. “We provide peer services to both the youth and the family.” This dual approach is essential, as it offers support both to the client and their family support system, which helps to increase the efficacy of care. “We can have the peers follow up, work on skill building, work on meeting the goals of the care plan, and then simultaneously, have a family partner giving the parents support, walking them through their piece of helping the client meet their goals on the care plan, and kind of bringing it together in terms of supporting the whole family unit,” Trevino elaborates.
Brewer emphasizes that the team’s support goes well beyond mental health care. “If a family needs help with transportation, food, or other resources, we connect them with the right services. When we discharge clients, they know they can always return if another crisis arises. We’re not just there in the moment of crisis; we stick around to help the youth and their families navigate the next steps, ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to succeed.”
We’re not just there in the moment of crisis; we stick around to help the youth and their families navigate the next steps, ensuring they have the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Shane Brewer, Program Manager of Youth Mobile Outreach in Benton and Franklin Counties
One of the challenges the YMO team faces is the unpredictability of each situation. Hansen shares a particularly poignant case: a teenager who, overwhelmed by anger towards his father, started drinking excessively over the summer and eventually engaged in destructive behavior, which led to his arrest. “He thought his dad was a quitter and didn’t understand why his dad had decided to quit drinking to save himself rather than quitting sooner to be a better dad. The guilt on his dad’s face was evident, and it was heartbreaking to see how the situation impacted both of them,” Hansen recalls.
In scenarios like this, having both a youth partner and a family partner working in tandem is invaluable. The youth partner can build trust with the teenager, offering a peer perspective and creating a safe space for the youth to express their feelings and frustrations. “If you have a peer that’s able to come alongside them and go, actually, I do get it. Here’s where I’ve been and here’s what helped. They can break it down with their own life experiences,” Trevino elaborates.
Brewer adds, “It’s kind of like AA – your best sponsors are usually a former alcoholic or former drug addict. The youth take the people who have lived through it more seriously than somebody just talking to them.”
Overall, the YMO program represents a lifeline for many young people in these counties, helping them navigate crises and move towards stability. As Comprehensive Healthcare continues to develop and expand these services, the focus remains on early intervention, education, and community involvement to make a lasting impact on the lives of youth and their families.
Youth and Family Tree: Holistic Support
Beyond the Youth Mobile Outreach (YMO) program, Comprehensive Healthcare offers the Youth and Family Tree program, which supports adolescents and young adults aged 12 to 25 struggling with substance use. This program provides tailored treatment plans that address each individual’s unique needs, offering various services such as individual and group therapy sessions, educational resources, and life skills development. These services are designed to help youth not only achieve sobriety but also build a healthy life beyond treatment.
Rosa Tovar, the Project Director for Youth and Family Tree, emphasizes the program’s holistic approach, stating, “We aim to increase access to substance use treatment in the counties of Walla Walla and Benton-Franklin, while also working closely with the families of our clients. We try to provide a more wraparound type of service, including case management and addressing co-occurring mental health issues.”
Tovar also highlights the program’s flexibility in treatment, which is largely up to the clinician’s discretion. “The specific evidence-based practice we use is the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach, which encourages a healthy life outside of treatment and replaces maladaptive behaviors often associated with substance use.”
One of the program’s biggest challenges is maintaining consistent contact with clients, as many youth can be difficult to reach. “Sometimes they just fall off the radar,” Tovar explains. “We’re working with juvenile justice centers in both counties, and they see it too. It’s a challenge, but we’re committed to staying in contact and providing the support these young people need.”
Despite these challenges, Tovar has seen success stories, particularly in the Benton-Franklin area, where there has been strong family engagement. “We’re seeing parents attending therapy sessions with their kids, and it’s making a difference. It’s rewarding when we can build that rapport and help clients feel less alone in their recovery journey.”
Building a Supportive Community
Beyond direct treatment, Comprehensive Healthcare emphasizes education and prevention through school-based programs and community outreach. These efforts are vital in reducing stigma associated with SUD and encouraging young people to seek help before the disorder takes hold.
The fight against youth SUD requires the collective effort of families, schools, and community organizations. Comprehensive Healthcare is committed to leading this charge, providing the necessary tools and support to empower young people to overcome their challenges and build a brighter future. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, don’t hesitate to reach out. Comprehensive Healthcare is here to help, offering a compassionate and all-encompassing approach to recovery.
