Program Services
Alternative Peer Group
Teen & Family Services recognizes the need for teens to have a safe and supportive environment to socialize with their peers. With that in mind, our Alternative Peer Group (APG) provides a supervised Afterschool Program five days a week with recreational activities such as ping-pong, pool, and video games. Teen and Family’s APG also sponsors a staff supervised social function on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Teen & Family’s Alternative Peer Group also facilitates "Outward Bound" style retreats quarterly to help teens develop self-confidence and problem solving skills.
Twelve-Step Support Meetings
Teen and Family Services provides weekly Twelve Step meetings for both parents and teens. The goal of the Parent meeting is to provide support to any parent who is coping with teen substance abuse. The goal of the teen twelve-step meeting is to provide an age appropriate environment for young people to gain the benefit of this proven approach.
Adult twelve-step programs are typically not appropriate for teens new to recovery. They are designed for adults and do not provide supervision, or protection, for vulnerable teens.
TAFS Group Counseling
Teen & Family Services group counseling is curriculum driven, evidence-based, and addresses adolescents from a holistic approach. This includes addressing chemical abstinence, as well as social, educational, family, vocational and spiritual needs.
A portion of the curriculum is twelve step based, which has proven to be the most effective approach for achieving chemical abstinence. The majority of twelve step groups and literature are designed for adults. We have created a twelve step model written specifically for adolescents, taking into account their developmental needs.
The remainder of the curriculum is designed to address other needs specific to at-risk adolescents, and include alternative peer group support, academic planning, enhancing self-esteem, improving decision-making and communication skills, improving ability to manage stress, anger, and depression, conflict resolution and leadership training.
Family Counseling
Family counseling is a vital component in a teen's recovery. Addiction impacts both the individual and their loved ones. It destroys families and tears apart lives, striking at the core of relationships and human intimacy. Teen & Family services understands that the recovery process includes the healing of individuals and families. We are an Indicated Prevention Program which offers family counseling in both individual and group settings. Our counseling staff has a combined forty-five years of family counseling experience. We specialize in resolving parent/child conflict and assisting parents with appropriate limits and boundaries.
Individual Counseling
Teen & Family Services offers individual counseling for teens to help with specific issues that may affect their ability to respond to group counseling. Many of the teens we see struggle with additional mental health issues besides a chemical abuse or dependence diagnosis including attention-deficit hyperactivitiy disorder, depression, anxiety and/or oppostional defiance. While teens historically respond better to group counseling, our staff works to meet each person's individual need.
WE OFFER HELP IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
- Substance Abuse Screening and Assessment
- Substance Abuse Recovery and Prevention
- Behavioral Problems
- Anger Management
- Self-Esteem Issues
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Trauma Resolution
- Parent/Child Conflict
- Impulse Control Problems
- Feelings Identification and Expression
- Communication difficulties
- Social and Coping Skills
- Family and Marriage Issues
- Obsessions and Compulsions
WHY TEEN & FAMILY?
- Sliding Fee Scale
- Over 45 years of Combined Staff Experience
- Non-Profit Organization
- Multi-Disciplinary Approach
- Alternative Peer Group
- Evidence-Based Curriculum
- Field Placement site for the University of Texas School of Social Work
- Member of the Texas Afterschool Association
- Member of the National Afterschool Association