If your teen is struggling with their mental health, it can be a complicated situation to handle. As a parent, you want the best for your children and hope that they can thrive and be happy, but this is difficult with mental illness. If your teen is dealing with a mental illness, there is help…
If your son or daughter is struggling with an addiction or mental health issues, you may feel lost and confused. Through your research, it may be difficult to decide which type of treatment program would suit your child best. The first thing to realize is that many young people struggle with mental health issues, but…
While all teen drinking is problematic, how do you know if you’re just experimenting versus developing a significant issue? If you’re wondering, “am I an alcoholic,” you probably know that alcohol is starting to have negative impacts on your life. To see if you have a problem, learn more about the signs and symptoms of…
One of the common misconceptions among teens is that drinking is entirely normal and not a problem. While it’s true that many teens will experiment with alcohol, many end up struggling with alcohol abuse. Teens are much more likely to experience dependence on alcohol when they abuse it. This can lead to difficulties quitting, and…
There’s more to addiction and mental health treatment than just traditional therapy. In fact, many holistic therapy options such as yoga can aid people in recovery. However, what is yoga therapy, and what benefits does it offer? The more that you know, the easier that it is to understand why mental health centers incorporate it…
There is more to therapy than just sitting around and talking about feelings. In fact, holistic therapeutic options typically require people to get up and moving. Dance movement or dance therapy is one of these options. However, what is dance movement therapy, and how can it help teens overcome addiction and mental health disorders? What…
When it comes to party drugs, few are more well known than cocaine. This drug, which some people call coke or blow, comes in rock and powdered forms. Regardless of the type, it’s highly addictive and very dangerous. Here are some cocaine addiction signs that you need to look out for in friends and family…
Marijuana addiction is real. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, marijuana can be addictive. Of course, this finding contradicts what many parents and teenagers believe. However, recognizing the signs of marijuana addiction can help teens understand the importance of seeking help. Marijuana Use In Teens: Statistics Research shows that marijuana is the most…
Suicide. Just hearing this word can evoke a range of emotions. For many people, the initial reaction to hearing about suicide is discomfort or fear. Often times, our behavior is to automatically deny that suicide is an issue that affects us personally; or we may simply ignore it and hope the problem goes away on…
If you have ever made art, you might notice that it brings up emotion. You might get into a zone and become totally relaxed, or you can get completely frustrated and see your inner blockages rise to the surface. Whatever happens, you tend to feel differently when you finish than you did when you started.…
Destinations For Teens staff are actively getting vaccinated through the county and the hope is to have the majority of our staff vaccinated by the end of January, 2021. Destinations For Teens is likewise committed to educating staff to the benefits of vaccinating and to providing access to the vaccine to all employees. By minimizing the risk of transmission, Destinations For Teens is working hard to protect its clients, families and employees from contracting the COVID-19 virus.
A dedicated COVID-19 task force, including our Medical Director, Clinical Director and our Director of Nursing, provides written materials and verbal education and training to all staff. In the words of Dr. Baback Gabbay, Destinations For Teens Chief Medical Director, the message could not be simpler: "We are committed to the health and well-being of our patients and families. Our staff is committed to the CDC recommend cleaning protocols and have been fortunate to receive the Moderna or Pzifer Covid vaccine this week. Vaccination is important in order to help keep all our employees and the families we serve safe".
In addition to distributing vaccinations, Destinations For Teens facilities has implemented the following procedures for all in-person programs:
• Established a revised screening process for admissions, including questions about recent fevers, travel and mandated negative COVID-19 test results. Anyone who poses a risk to our centers will not be admitted.
• Implement active screening of residents and staff for fever and respiratory symptoms.
• Remind residents to practice social distancing and perform frequent hand hygiene.
• Screen all staff at the beginning of their shift for fever and respiratory symptoms.
• Actively take the staff’s temperature and document absence of shortness of breath, new or change in cough, and sore throat. If they are ill, have them put on a facemask and self-isolate at home.
• Destinations For Teens has revised how they interact with vendors and receiving supplies and equipment, and other non-health care providers (e.g., food delivery, etc.), and take necessary actions to prevent any potential transmission. For example, supply vendors transport supplies to dedicated locations versus inside of facilities.
• In lieu of in-person visits, facilities are offering alternative means of communication for people who would otherwise visit, such as virtual communications (phone, video-communication, etc.)
• Creating/increasing communication to update families, such as advising to not visit.
• Assigning staff as primary contact to families for inbound calls and conduct regular outbound calls to keep families up to date.