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| With students at the Phoenix Academy of New York are Director John Walters (back row, third from left), Phoenix House Founder Mitchell S. Rosenthal, M.D. and US Rep. Sue Kelly. |
National recognition for Phoenix House and its “academy” model of treatment for teens continued with a visit to the Phoenix Academy of New York in Westchester County by John Walters, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy in February. As the nation's drug czar, Mr. Walters coordinates the federal government’s response to drug abuse. He was accompanied by Congresswoman Sue Kelly, a longtime supporter of the Academy. They toured the school and spent time talking to current students and a recent graduate about their experiences.
The Phoenix Academy of New York is one of 11 such Phoenix House schools for teens in treatment. During the past year, the Academies have received high level recognition for treatment effectiveness.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently selected the Phoenix Academy as a model program for adolescents. All 11 Academies are listed on the Department’s website for the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, along with a lengthy and positive write-up of our treatment methods.
In addition, the national research organization Drug Strategies includes the Phoenix Academy of Los Angeles among the nine model programs profiled in its report Bridging the Gap: A Guide to Drug Treatment in the Juvenile Justice System. In the report, Drug Strategies focuses on what the organization calls “key elements of effectiveness,” such as staff qualifications, family involvement, and gender and cultural competence. In the case of the Phoenix Academy of Los Angeles, our ability to “engage and retain teens in treatment” is cited as our key strength.
We are proud that our adolescent programs have been the subject of considerable scientific scrutiny. The recognition we received from both the Justice Department and Drug Strategies was heavily influenced by the study conducted by the RAND Corporation for the federal government at our Los Angeles Academy. The results of the study, published in the journal Psychology of Addictive Behavior, found that our treatment regimen brought about marked reductions in drug use and unlawful behavior, while improving psychological status. Moreover, Academy treatment proved substantially more effective than comparable programs for troubled teens. According to the study’s lead author, “This is the first clear evidence that the kinds of substance abuse treatment commonly available to teens can be effective.”
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