Referrals

Who is eligible for an assessment?

The residential program serves male and female teens ages 13 through 17. Teens who will reach their 18th birthday before completing the program will not be considered. To be eligible, the youth must:

• Have identified history of use, or current use of opioids or stimulants. Use of other drugs in addition to opioids/stimulants will not affect eligibility, but current or historical opioid and/or stimulant use is required for admission. Use of other drugs will be addressed in treatment along with opioids/stimulants.
• Must NOT be committed to DYS.
• Must NOT be considered medically frail or have a poorly controlled medical condition requiring extensive medical supervision.
• Must NOT be a sex offender or adjudicated for sexual offenses.
• Must be considered non-violent. Teens with violent or aggressive behaviors will not be considered.
• Must NOT be charged with a serious offense (pending adjudication or already adjudicated). Teens whose charges have been dropped or dismissed may be considered.

How do I make a referral?

To make a referral to DYS, juvenile courts, the Division of Child and Family Services, substance abuse treatment providers, or prevention specialists should complete a referral form and submit to DYSROAR@dhs.arkansas.gov. DYS will let referring entities know by email if a teen is eligible for an assessment and the next steps.

Do all teens who are referred get in?

No. Teens who meet the requirements above will undergo an assessment that includes the SASSI-A3, the Teen Addiction Severity Index, a mental health Interview, and the ASAM Level of Care Crosswalk. Using that information, teens may be offered admission who are:

• 1) determined to have history or current use of opioids and/or stimulants, and
• 2) are in need of the level of treatment provided at ROAR (ASAM level 3.5/residential).

What happens when a teen completes the residential program?

Residential treatment is only the first phase of the R.O.A.R. program. Soon after teens arrive at the program, they work with a case manager to plan for what happens after they leave, including identifying therapeutic contacts in their home communities. Aftercare and peer support will be available for six months following residential treatment and will include:

• Weekly individual sessions supporting sobriety and addressing any co-occurring disorders.
• Monthly family sessions to more fully address family issues identified during residential treatment.
• Random drug testing.

About

ROAR stands for Residential Options for Adolescents in Recovery. It is a pilot residential substance use treatment program for at-risk male and female youth 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.