Juvenile courts, the Division of Child and Family Services, substance abuse treatment providers, and prevention specialists may refer male teens to DYS for an assessment. Eligible youth are assessed by ROAR clinicians, and if found to meet specific criteria, the teen begins the 90-day residential program at no cost to himself or his family. While the state covers the cost of the program supported by a federal grant, families must provide Medicaid or private insurance coverage to cover the cost of any off-campus medical needs. After successfully completing the residential part of the program, youth will receive six months of aftercare. That will include support from peers who have successfully recovered, practical strategies they can use to prevent recurrence, and follow-up therapy services.
How does the program work?
During the residential part of the program, youth get:
- • Group treatment five days per week.
- • Individual therapy at least once per week (more frequently if needed).
- • Monthly family therapy sessions to help families support their youth’s recovery.
- • Daily group meetings focused on building positive skills or creating positive cultures
- • Opportunities for therapeutic gardening on campus
- • Vocational exploration, life skills training, and educational services, including health and addiction courses.
- • Daily, structured exercise, healthy foods, and recovery lifestyle planning.
- • Regular drug testing.
Youth also complete a comprehensive portfolio for themselves using ROP’s I-VALIDATE model, a unique system that allows the youth to keep track of and display their achievements in several areas. The areas include Vocational training, Activities, Life Skills, Individual strengths and skills, Demonstrated behavior change, Aftercare, Treatment, and Education. ROAR does not provide medically supervised withdrawal/detoxification services nor medication-assisted treatments.
About
ROAR stands for Residential Options for Adolescents in Recovery. It is a pilot residential substance use treatment program for at-risk males ages 13 through 17 with current misuse or history of opioid or stimulant use. The program is located at the former Lewisville Juvenile Treatment Center in southwest Arkansas. Rite of Passage (ROP), which operates juvenile justice treatment centers in Arkansas for the Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Youth Services (DYS), is managing the program. ROAR combines traditional elements of Rite of Passage culture with evidence-based practices for comprehensive adolescent substance use treatment. The program is meant to divert drug-involved teens from legal involvement and/or from developing more serious problems that may limit opportunities to reach their full potential.
This program is supported by a grant from the Substance Abuse Mental Health Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) to the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Aging, Adult, & Behavioral Health Services (DHS/DAABHS), as part of the SOR-2 Grant 1H79TI083287, in collaboration with the Arkansas DHS Division of Youth Services.
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Referrals
Learn more about referrals, eligibility, and aftercare.