Substance Abuse Treatment
A spectrum of integrated interventions, from education to recovery
From education to addiction, we turn lives around
Each year, YES helps about 1,500 young people overcome substance abuse and addiction through its integrated substance abuse treatment and mental health counseling programs that not only address drug and alcohol use, but also its underlying causes. Our programs begin with a comprehensive assessment and employ evidence-based practices that empower youth to make thoughtful, healthy choices that support their life goals.
Individual and family services
Our skilled, dually certified therapists work one-to-one with teens to simultaneously treat mental health issues such as depression, as well as substance use disorders. This integrated approach to substance abuse treatment promotes long-term recovery by addressing not only substance abuse issues, but also their root causes.
DBT Skills Groups
If you’re a teen or the parent of a teen who’s having trouble with intense emotions, impulse control, depression, anxiety, relationship conflicts or self-harming, research shows that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) can help. YES offers DBT skills groups for current clients. The 16-week course covers mindfulness, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness and emotional regulation.
Alcohol & Drug Education Class (ADEC)
Both youth and parents benefit from our four-hour drug and alcohol education class, offered one Saturday a month in Bellevue. Learn about current drug and alcohol trends, how drugs and alcohol affect the brain and body, legal consequences of use, recognizing and addressing a drug or alcohol problem, smart decision-making and more.
AWARE
AWARE is a six-week program that helps youth and parents better understand substance abuse and addiction, as well as the impacts of use. The youth and parent classes are run separately but concurrently. The parent class helps parents navigate parenting a teen who chooses to use substances; the youth class includes group participation and individual counseling. Upon program completion, participants are presented with additional assessment and treatment recommendations.
7 Challenges
7 Challenges uses journals and interaction to help youth better understand their reasons for using substances, identify the benefits or consequences of their use, and identify alternatives to using. Through a minimum of 12 group sessions, the program uses a research-backed curriculum to help youth make thoughtful decisions.
Life in Recovery Group
YES’ Life in Recovery Group is a peer support group that focuses on teaching and sharing skills to meet the challenges of maintaining sobriety. The group is led by experienced counselors trained in treating substance abuse in teens.
UPROADS
UPROADS is a year-round teen support group that engages in fun, social and sober activities. The group is intended for youth in various stages of substance abuse treatment, as well as youth affected by substance abuse. The group encourages a healthy lifestyle absent of drugs and alcohol.
Prevention-intervention in schools
Using the highly effective Botvin LifeSkills Training (LST) as a foundation, YES counselors work on-site at local middle and high schools to reduce the risks of alcohol, tobacco, drug abuse and violence. Staff provide assessment and early intervention, prevention activities, referrals and ongoing support for students. In the Bellevue School District, Behavioral Health Support Specialists trained in treating both mental health and substance abuse issues screen, assess and refer students for treatment as necessary; provide short-term individual and group counseling; and facilitate education and prevention activities.
Juvenile court diversion
As part of its contract with King County Superior Court Diversion Services, YES provides assessments and recommendations for all youth in East King County who are charged with an alcohol or drug misdemeanor offense and who are granted a court-ordered diversion.