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Education Program

When individuals seek treatment at an inpatient rehab for teens 12-17, they or their parents worry about the impact that an inpatient program will have on their academic progress.
While overcoming addiction is the primary goal of rehab, it’s important for individuals to continue their education to ensure a bright future.

If your teen or young adult is struggling with substance use, they need a treatment that addresses the addiction but helps them keep up with their education. Specifically, our adolescent drug treatment center offers programs for students to continue schoolwork within a local Iowa school district.

Education Programs During Rehab

During treatment, individuals will spend time on their education and completing school assignments while also participating in inpatient teen rehab program components like family therapy, group therapy, and weekly counseling. This typically lasts at least 90 days, and once completed, they can transition to an outpatient or aftercare program.

Throughout this process, teachers evaluate the teen’s academic standing and provide academic support as needed. While balancing treatment, teens must complete their schoolwork and homework assignments – just like they would in class. This helps students not only stay on track, but they may even get ahead of their peer group.

Academic support may include:

  • Credit recovery work
  • AP course work
  • ACT and SAT prep courses
  • HiSET/GED testing
Education during residential treatment

Academic credits earned through our treatment center transfer to the teen’s high school, which can be applied to graduation credits. We work with the teen’s home school to ensure a smooth transition back once treatment is complete.

Our facility works with tutors or state-certified teachers to help students with classwork, homework, and preparation for the SAT or ACT.

Why Is It Important to Continue Education During Inpatient Rehab for Teens?

It may seem better for a teen to focus on addressing the addiction first, then get caught up on their education and missed schoolwork. But it’s important for teens to continue learning while undergoing treatment to stay on track and learn to balance the stresses of daily life with their recovery.

Even just a month or two of missed school during rehab can have a devastating impact on learning abilities and academic standing. While teens overcome their drug or alcohol addiction, they face other educational challenges.

Ignoring academic needs during rehab can lead to poor academic performance, even once rehab is complete. The student will be behind academically and feel more pressure to catch up, possibly leading to low self-confidence or relapse.

If it continues, students may become chronically absent from school. They fall behind even further and feel more pressure and stress, creating a snowball effect.[1] They may not graduate on time – or at all – and will have fewer opportunities in their future.

Girl embroidering a pink flower

Physical Education and the Arts During Adolescent Drug Treatment Program

In addition to academic support, teens have the opportunity to participate in physical education and music and art classes during treatment.

We recognize that students may also fall behind in their PE and Music/Arts classes in addition to their Core classes. We integrate physical activity along with musical and artistic experiential learning into our programs during treatment.

The Ember Recovery Difference

Teens dealing with substance use have unique challenges ahead. Our caring and supportive staff at our adolescent drug treatment center provides safety and security to help teens ages 12-17 recover from addiction and heal in a comfortable space. We also have a separate program for young adults ages 18-24, providing assistance in navigating addiction recovery and college.

We’re the only gender-responsive, adolescents-only treatment program in Iowa. Our staff has over 40 years in this field, specifically working with teens with substance use disorders.

Our counselors are trained to build confidence, coping skills, and education on substance use to help teens achieve their recovery goals. The treatment team reviews each individual’s progress to ensure strong progress and maximize success.

From the moment you call or message to the initial intake to the last day of rehab, you can rely on an open and transparent process. You can trust that your teen is in the best possible hands to address their addiction, stay on track with their education, and transition into a healthier and more positive day-to-day life.

Sources:
[1] https://www.understood.org/en/articles/chronic-absenteeism-what-you-need-to-know

Ember Recovery Blog