When your teenager is experiencing a substance-related or behavioral crisis, you face an overwhelming question: Where can we turn for immediate, compassionate help? The path from crisis to stability often feels uncertain, but understanding how crisis stabilization works—and what quality care looks like—can help your family navigate this challenging moment with hope.
At Ember Recovery in Cambridge, Iowa, we’ve supported over 5,000 young people through their most difficult moments since our founding, providing the structured, evidence-based care that transforms crisis into the first step toward lasting recovery.
Understanding Crisis in Adolescents
Crisis moments don’t always look the same. For teens ages 12-17, a crisis might involve:
- Substance use escalation that threatens safety
- Co-occurring mental health symptoms require immediate attention
- Behavioral concerns that disrupt family and personal functioning
- Withdrawal symptoms requiring medical oversight
Research shows that 1 in 6 people struggle with substance use, and 90% of those struggling started during adolescence—making early intervention during crisis moments critical for long-term outcomes.
Recognizing When Your Teen Needs Crisis Intervention
Parents often wonder whether their child’s struggles require immediate help. Warning signs include:
- Sudden behavioral shifts: Dramatic personality changes or complete social withdrawal
- Safety concerns: Threats of self-harm or dangerous substance combinations
- Physical symptoms: Severe withdrawal signs or unexplained health deterioration
- Academic collapse: Sudden failure or refusal to attend school
- Loss of interest: Abandoning previously cherished hobbies and relationships
Trust your parental instincts. Our admissions specialists provide confidential assessments to determine appropriate care levels for your teen’s unique situation.
How Ember Recovery Provides Crisis Stabilization
24/7 Supervised Care
When teens enter our residential program, they receive round-the-clock supervision from licensed clinicians who understand both addiction and adolescent development. This constant support ensures safety during vulnerable early days while providing immediate intervention when challenges arise.
Our 6,536 overnight stays in 2022 alone demonstrate our capacity to provide consistent, experienced crisis care when families need it most.
Evidence-Based Assessment and Treatment
Crisis stabilization begins with a comprehensive assessment. Our team evaluates:
- Current substance use patterns and potential withdrawal needs
- Co-occurring mental health conditions through dual diagnosis treatment
- Family dynamics and support systems
- Individual strengths and recovery goals
This thorough understanding allows us to create individualized treatment plans that address the whole person, not just the immediate crisis.
Safe, Homelike Environment
Unlike emergency rooms or institutional settings, Ember Recovery provides crisis stabilization in a residential environment designed to feel safe and supportive. Our gender-specific programs create spaces where teens can begin healing without judgment.
As part of YSS, Iowa’s oldest and largest youth-serving nonprofit with nearly five decades of service since 1976, we bring institutional wisdom to every crisis moment.
Family Involvement From Day One
Crisis doesn’t happen in isolation. Our family therapy programs and Strengthening Families Program engage you and your family immediately, helping you understand what’s happening and how you can support your teen’s recovery. This family-centered approach addresses the systems disrupted by addiction, not just individual symptoms.
From Crisis to Continued Care
Crisis stabilization is just the beginning. At Ember Recovery, we help adolescents transition from immediate safety to long-term recovery through:
Detox Referrals
When medical detoxification is needed, we connect families with appropriate services and coordinate seamless transitions back to our residential program.
Integrated Treatment
Our residential treatment programs address substance use alongside co-occurring conditions, recognizing that lasting stability requires treating the whole person.
Trauma-Informed Care
Many teens in crisis carry underlying trauma. Our trauma-informed care approaches create safety while addressing root causes.
Educational Continuity
Our on-site education program ensures that teens don’t fall behind academically during treatment, thereby reducing stress and supporting their future success.
Aftercare Planning
We develop comprehensive aftercare plans before discharge, preventing crisis recurrence through ongoing support.
Inclusive, Affirming Crisis Care
Crisis moments can feel especially isolating for LGBTQIA+ teens. Ember Recovery offers inclusive treatment that affirms all identities, ensuring every young person receives care that respects their unique identity.
Healing Starts With Hope
Crisis moments feel overwhelming, but they also represent opportunity—the chance to interrupt harmful patterns and begin building healthier futures. At Ember Recovery, we’ve walked alongside thousands of families through crisis toward hope.
If your teen is experiencing a substance-related or behavioral crisis, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Our team in Cambridge, Iowa, is ready to provide the immediate, compassionate support your family needs.
Contact Ember Recovery today to learn how we can help your teen move from crisis to stability, and from stability to lasting recovery. Our admissions team is available to answer your questions and guide you through the next steps.
Sources:
[1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4513419/
[2] https://www.samhsa.gov/data/
Andrea Dickerson is a Licensed Therapist and Certified Substance Use Counselor who has worked in behavioral health since 1997. Currently, Andrea is the Director of Behavioral Health, overseeing the Ember residential treatment programs and YSS outpatient counseling clinics throughout Central and North Central Iowa. She became a Motivational Interviewing (MI) trainer in 2006 and provides MI trainings throughout Iowa.
Andrea specializes in working with adolescents and their families and enjoys seeing the family relationships grow through therapy. Andrea is also a CARF International Surveyor, going around North America ensuring behavioral health organizations are meeting required standards.
In her free time, Andrea enjoys cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs, as well as being an active member of Soroptimist International of the Americas (SIA), a global organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. She has been a member of the SI of Des Moines club since 2012 and has been actively involved at the regional level, currently serving as Co-Governor of the Peaks to Plains Region.
Through her involvement in SIA, Andrea has been actively involved in the Dream Programs, coordinating annual Dream It, Be It: Career Support for Girls projects, which give girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse.