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A faith-based rehab center, such as a Christ-centered recovery program, is substance abuse treatment guided by the principles of Christianity, like compassion, forgiveness, honor, strength, and unity. These are combined with evidence-based mental health interventions such as clinical therapy to spark deep transformation in the lives of the youth they serve.
In a faith-based program, teens are supported not only in overcoming addiction but also in developing their faith and connecting with something larger than themselves. This can give them a sense of purpose, something many kiddos in this generation lack.
If you’re looking to connect your teen with a faith-based treatment program, start by reaching out to local pastors, ministries, or finding a treatment directory such as recovery.com, where you can tailor searches for faith-based or Christian approaches.
Key Features of Faith-Centered Rehab Programs
If you’re a Christian parent, or hold any strong belief system, faith-based programs understand how this is often a core part of many family identities. Parents and teens can find comfort in knowing their faith will be honored and incorporated throughout treatment, at a level they are comfortable with. A few key features of faith-based recovery programs include:
- Strong Christ-centered community, including group therapy, Bible study, and fellowship activities, fosters a sense of connection among youth who struggle with high rates of isolation.
- Faith is a part of daily life and treatment, and may include regular prayer, scripture study, bible groups, and worship.
- Values-driven treatment and a focus on transformation helps target deep-rooted feelings of shame, guilt, low self-esteem, inadequacy, and learned helplessness to promote personal growth aligned with Christ-centered ethics.
- Biblical teachings and scripture guide recovery and spiritual development in teens, teaching them key concepts such as forgiveness, redemption, and compassion for oneself and others.
The Role of Faith in Recovery
Considerable research shows how faith acts as a positive factor to support individuals in recovery from addiction and mental health [1][2].
- Around 84% of those in addiction treatment report that they find the spiritual component part of their recovery program helpful.
- Recovering addicts engaged in faith-based treatment show higher levels of spirituality over time, which is linked to a 55.4% higher probability of sustained sobriety after treatment.
- Congregations supporting recovery programs contribute an estimated $316 billion in savings to the U.S. economy every year by reducing relapse, treatment, and incarceration costs.
- Studies show that Christian faith-based relapse prevention practices statistically support longer sobriety periods and reduced relapse rates among participants compared to those without faith-based support.
Finding The Right Faith-Based Treatment Center for Your Teen
It’s important to find a faith-based treatment program that combines biblical principles with evidence-based clinical care and medical support to focus on both the brain disease side of addiction and the emotional healing side of addiction.
In Christian treatment programs, a teen who struggles with addiction are not viewed as morally sinful, but rather as someone suffering and in need of support. If you’re considering connecting your teen with a faith-based recovery program, look for the following to ensure the program provides effective care:
- Licensing and Accreditation ensure the treatment center meets state and federal safety standards, evidence-based protocols. This is one of the first things you should look for to make sure the treatment center is reputable.
- Evidence-based therapies are clinically supported and target the framework of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that drive addiction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps teens set goals and challenge self-limiting beliefs with evidence. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) encourages mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance.
- Trauma-Informed Care approaches, and a compassionate staff that is trained in youth support and development, focus on creating a safe, trustworthy, transparent environment where teens can understand their triggers, life stories, and how they impact their faith and substance use.
- Ongoing Care and a strong recovery community help keep teens on track for recovery after initial treatment ends. This may include peer support groups such as AA, NA, and youth alumni networks, a case management team to help reconnect teens with their school and community, as well as ongoing outpatient therapy, both in-person or virtual, to address ongoing emotional challenges.
How Faith-Based Programs Like Clearfork Academy Can Support Your Teen
At Clearfork Academy, we are more than just a treatment center. We are a network of faith-based behavioral health campuses committed to shaping and improving the lives of youth in Texas. We bridge clinical care with a Christ-centered framework and biblical principles for teens and families looking for a faith-based treatment track.
Tailored Programs for Boys and Girls 13 to 17
Our staff specializes in teen mental health, addiction, and adolescent development. We understand the unique challenges that face this generation, touching on important topics for today’s youth throughout treatment, such as social media, smartphones, sex and pornography, vaping, relationships, and boundaries.
Team members are empathetic to the needs of growing teens, understanding the influence of hormones, identity development, and life transitions during this developmental period.
Full Continuum of Care
We offer full-spectrum care to support your teen from safe and supervised detox to long-term outpatient care. Many of our youth stay connected with us for years after leaving treatment, finding community at Clearfork to walk alongside them on their long-term recovery journey. Our levels of care include:
- Detox: Medically supervised withdrawal to help teens stabilize the body after using drugs or alcohol in a safe and monitored setting.
- Residential Treatment: Structured, intensive inpatient care in which teens live 24/7 at the treatment facility and participate daily in individual counseling, group therapy, and family sessions.
- Partial Hospitalization (PHP): A structured daily treatment program as a step down from residential treatment. Teens typically attend PHP 5 to 6 days a week, for 6 to 8 hours a day, and return home in the evening.
- Intensive Outpatient (IOP) meets 3 to 5 days a week, for a few hours at a time. It provides more flexibility, and is a step down from PHP or a step up from a typical outpatient program, offering more daily structure.
- Outpatient therapy supports long-term healing, helps teens reintegrate back into daily life, addresses ongoing emotional issues, and continues to support teens with their faith and coping skills as new challenges arise.
Faith-Based Substance Abuse and Mental Health Treatment for Teens in Texas
Clearfork Academy is committed to helping teens and their families across Texas access essential substance abuse and co-occurring mental health care treatment. We understand the effects that unresolved mental health challenges can have on the lives of youth, their health, and communities.
We offer specialized tracks and a Christian faith-based approach, incorporating spiritual practices such as bible study, prayer, and scripture with evidence-based mental health therapies to help teens learn forgiveness, hope, and gratitude.
Contact our admissions team today to help your teen begin their journey toward transformation.
Sources
[1] Grim, M. E. (2019). Belief, Behavior, and Belonging: How Faith is Indispensable in Preventing and Recovering from Substance Abuse. Journal of religion and health, 58(5), 1713–1750.
[2] Scimago Institute. 2022. Faith-based intervention, change of religiosity, and abstinence of substance addicts. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry.
Austin Davis, LPC-S
Founder & CEO
Originally from the Saginaw, Eagle Mountain area, Austin Davis earned a Bachelor of Science in Pastoral Ministry from Lee University in Cleveland, TN and a Master of Arts in Counseling from The Church of God Theological Seminary. He then went on to become a Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor in the State of Texas. Austin’s professional history includes both local church ministry and clinical counseling. At a young age, he began serving youth at the local church in various capacities which led to clinical training and education. Austin gained a vast knowledge of mental health disorders while working in state and public mental health hospitals. This is where he was exposed to almost every type of diagnosis and carries this experience into the daily treatment.
Austin’s longtime passion is Clearfork Academy, a christ-centered residential facility focused on mental health and substance abuse. He finds joy and fulfillment working with “difficult” clients that challenge his heart and clinical skill set. It is his hope and desire that each resident that passes through Clearfork Academy will be one step closer to their created design. Austin’s greatest pleasures in life are being a husband to his wife, and a father to his growing children. He serves at his local church by playing guitar, speaking and helping with tech arts. Austin also enjoys being physically active, reading, woodworking, and music.
