Our program implements evidence-based curriculum, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, advanced relapse prevention with scenarios, questions and refusal skills taught through role play that specifically are written for young adults.

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Recovery Blvd focuses on individual and group excellence by using enjoyable, fun activities paired with Evidence Based Therapy Modalities that specifically work to improve mood and impulse control and regulation, mindfulness, appropriate and effective communication, coping skills, refusal skills, mental health, goal setting and self esteem. There is a multitude of therapies and curriculum used at Recovery Blvd but this is a brief explanation of two important ones:

 

DBT directly focusses on the acquisition of emotion regulation skills that are imperative to sobriety. All DBT-modules (mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness) are intended to improve emotion regulation skills and patients are encouraged to train these skills on a regular basis. DBT assumes that improved skills and skills use will result in better emotion regulation.

 

Schema Therapy addresses problems in emotion regulation that are seen as a consequence of adverse early experiences (e.g., lack of safe attachment, childhood abuse, bullying, poor peer attachment or emotional disconnection). These negative experiences or enviromental stressors have led to unprocessed psychological traumas and fear of emotions and result in attempts to avoid emotions and dysfunctional meta-cognitive schemas about the meaning of emotions. We know when these underlying problems are addressed, emotion regulation improves. Major ST techniques for trauma processing, emotional avoidance and mood irregularity are limited reparenting, empathic confrontation and experiential techniques like role play, chair dialogs and imagery rescripting.

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We offer and encourage family reunification sessions and usually do 3-4 family sessions prior to graduation. Because the family is such a pivotal component ofr the recovery process the ability to acknowledge the past, make amends, set boundaries, make safety plans and reintroduce the client to their loved ones sober is an extremely helpful part of our program. Not all young peopl ehave family that is willing to go through this process and we understand that. everyone has a process to be able to have these hard conversations. It is our hope that whoever is ready to engage in family sessions finds them as healing and supportive as our Client's do. Please visit the For the Family section of our website and let us know any questions you have about our family processes.

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Our young adult program goes on weekly outings to the beach playing paintball, going rock climbing, fishing and visiting many other scenic or adventurous places in the Portland, OR area. In addition to the internal work and the external fun , our young adults are required to do five hours of community service a month; we help them sign up at a local non profit or find inventive ways to be of service to others. When they go tobecome self sufficient through work  or college they do not have to continue community service but we feel young adults need to place an emphasis on  giving to others through unselfish its and prioritize education or employment. We work with our young adults to understand and take responsibility for the severity of their past actions, the impact their substance use has had and how they affected the people around them. We guide them in gaining employment, making a budget, doing laundry, getting their GED, go to college or do the FASFA for college. It has been our experience that many young adults have not learned the basic life skills to be successful due to the alcohol/drug use they began usually as a teenager. We have mentors that take clients to meetings, teach them appropriate skills,  coach them through distorted thinking and are available 24/7 to talk.

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