Treatment
Philosophy
It
is the philosophy of Imagine Programs that chemical dependency is a disease and
not a reflection of whether an individual is a good or bad person. It is
recognized as a very serious illness; it is progressive, primary, chronic, and
potentially fatal. Not only does the addict suffer, the entire family and others
close to him or her suffer as well.
We believe that the most
successful treatment has been shown to be that which is based on the 12 Step
program of Alcoholics/Narcotics Anonymous, includes intensive family
involvement, and provides effective long-term aftercare.
Traditional treatment
models tend to focus on the harm of self defeating behaviors and attempt to
dissuade clients from engaging in such. This typically results in an inherent
resistance to the therapeutic process. The beauty of Imagine is that it removes
this resistance. Imagine is a proactive approach which effectively engages
clients in positive behaviors, while concurrently addressing the underlying
issues which lead to self defeating behaviors. The success of this format
results in:
A. reduced amount of time
dealing with treatment resistance;
B. greater commitment on
part of the client to personal growth and responsibility.
Imagine was developed as
a result of many years of experience in adolescent treatment and seeing "what
works" and what "doesn't work". Taking into account specific
issues related to the adolescent developmental process, Imagine approaches the
treatment process with the following beliefs:
Positive reinforcement
is more effective than negative reinforcement. Giving a young person
something positive to work towards is more effective than using shame, guilt, or
scare tactics as a motivation for recovery. Imagine provides goals for kids to
work towards that create incentive to stay committed to their recovery.
Adolescence is a time
of transition with special needs. Young people want to establish their own
identity, belong to their own group, prove themselves, and find their purpose in
life. Becoming involved in drugs, gang activity, and other ways of acting out
may be regarded as attempts to satisfy these needs. By providing a positive way
of addressing these needs a powerful inner drive is harnessed which results in
genuine commitment to healthy personal growth.
Kids want something
different! Most young people dread the idea of "rehab"
because of the preconceived notion of sitting around in a circle with a
counselor pointing their finger and telling clients what they need to stop
doing. There is an inherent resistance to treatment. Imagine removes this
resistance by simply creating a setting that is fun and different. By taking the
risk of appearing "non-traditional", Imagine successfully engages kids
in the treatment process and reduces the amount of time required to achieve
results.
