About the adolescent wellness academy
Our purpose is to provide teens facing mental health issues and their families:
- A place where you feel safe, loved, and cared about
- A place you no longer feel alone, but belong to a supportive community
- A place where you can heal and transform your life through the connection with others
When you join our therapy programs, you enter a caring and non-judgmental community. This support network involves teens, their families, peers, and our team. Together, everyone plays a role in supporting each other while our clinicians create a safe space for this supportive community to flourish.
“Their ability to capture the interest of teenagers, FIRST by building a community of their peers, was instrumental in the progress of my family member and my family overall.”
Veronica, parent of AWA client
For teens
AWA offers a treatment experience beyond managing symptoms, aiming for transformative healing and lasting change.
Teens joining our program are dealing with mental health struggles, high-risk behaviors, or substance use. They often grapple with emotions like anger, hurt, hopelessness, and confusion.
Throughout the program, our team provides understanding, support, guidance, and a personalized treatment plan. We concentrate on practicing healthy coping skills, building resilience, fostering family healing, and improving communication.
As teens complete the program, they often leave with a sense of accomplishment, gratitude, and newfound confidence.
Parents witness their teens’ growth and often achievement of personal milestones, including better communication and understanding within their family. Families undergo transformative shifts, with teens discovering happiness independently and experiencing a notable reduction in emotional instability, depression, anxiety, anger, and fear.
For parents
In our dedication to helping families thrive, we stand by parents with unwavering support, understanding that their involvement is crucial for the well-being of the adolescents we assist.
Parents often arrive overwhelmed with emotions like hopelessness, exhaustion, loneliness, and guilt. They come to our program seeking guidance and hope to better manage their family situation.
Our program is designed to provide families with a clear plan, tools, ongoing support, and a caring community. As families progress through the program, they often see positive transformations, feeling more hopeful and empowered. Parents gain a deeper understanding of the importance of their own personal growth in bringing positive changes in their families.
Our team of clinicians, alumni, and other parents are here to offer invaluable assistance. Parent Support Groups (PSG) and assessments ensure the support is tailored to each family’s needs.
Unsure whether your teen needs help? Request a callback. We can help.
Our programs demystify mental health
Our clinicians bridge the gap between the sometimes intimidating world of mental health and the everyday experiences of adolescents and their families. We break down barriers and speak a language that resonates with both teens and parents.
Engaging in creative and experiential activities offers various clinical benefits.
While we focus on mental health challenges, it doesn’t mean we can’t have fun. In fact, fun is an important element of our effective therapeutic program.
Our groups are crafted to be interesting, hands-on, and to bring in some laughter. We don’t do cookie-cutter therapy out of a textbook. Instead, we combine evidence-based treatment modalities with therapeutic interventions that are creative, experiential and related to real life experiences.
Discover how our judgment-free, evidence-based care can support your teen mental health and your family
Request a call back and our admissions team will get in touch with you to answer all your questions.
We will support you in finding the right treatment for your teen – even if it is not ours.
We are here to help 24/7.
Note we are not a crisis hotline, in case of emergency, please call 911
We accept most insurance but do not take Medicaid at this time.
What teens learn in our program?
Our comprehensive treatment empowers adolescents to take ownership in their mental health journey. The program aims to foster resilience, create self-awareness and sense of purpose, and heal family connections.
A few examples of topics covered in our program:
Building resilience:
- Understanding mental health conditions
- Learning techniques to recognize and manage emotions
- Identifying and challenging negative beliefs
- Equipping teens with coping skills to navigate challenges of daily life
- Preparing teens for maintaining mental well-being post-program
Fostering Self-Discovery and Awareness:
- Exploring and processing emotions, traumas and life experiences in a supportive setting
- Reframing teens’ narratives, building a stronger sense of self, and cultivating a more positive and fulfilling future
- Exploring individual strengths and aspirations for the future, empowering teens with a sense of purpose
Family Connection:
- Strengthening relationships and rebuilding trust
- Equipping teens with skills for effective communication