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New Connection

Where: St. Paul, Eden Prairie, Hastings, Coon Rapids

How to connect: Appointment numbers

New Connection is for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18, who have experienced alcohol or chemical abuse. As one of the first adolescent treatment centers in Minnesota, we’ve been helping Minnesota teens and their families for more than 30 years.

Getting to the root of the problem

Your teen will talk to licensed chemical dependency counselors about the things that bother them, like school troubles, peer pressure, and family problems. We listen carefully and talk with teens about what causes substance abuse and how they can learn new skills to cope.

Expert care & more

New Connection can help teens stay free of alcohol and drugs. Our team has licensed drug and alcohol counselors and behavioral healthcare professionals who know how to listen and talk to teens. Through partnerships with local school districts, social service and county agencies, group homes, foster care and others, we help families connect with community resources that can help them.

Phases of treatment

Teens have shown to be more successful with longer chemical dependency programs, so we’ve built an outpatient program with several levels of care. These include:

Initial assessment

Assessment is the first step. Our staff meets with your teen and one or both parents to determine how serious the chemical use is, discuss problems, and develop a plan. Assessments can be scheduled during the day and evening.

Phase I – Ongoing evaluation

This phase is an in-depth, outpatient diagnostic evaluation. Teens takes part in individual, group and peer counseling, and go to school onsite.

After this evaluation, your teen will get a customized treatment plan. Multifamily group sessions start and will continue throughout the entire program. Family involvement is an important part of treatment.

Phase II – Primary outpatient treatment

Primary outpatient treatment meets for a full day, Monday through Friday, for about four weeks. It includes lectures, group discussions and individual and family counseling sessions. Teens focus on healthy decision-making skills.

To help change old behaviors and begin healthier ones, teens continue to attend school onsite for two and one-half hours each day. Students are tutored at their own level by a certified high school teacher. Multifamily group sessions also continue.

Phase III – Continued outpatient treatment

This phase helps teens continue recovery as they reenter their school. Teens come to after-school group counseling sessions once a week for about five weeks, depending on individual needs. Weekly multifamily group sessions continue, too.

Individual chemical health counseling also available

Some teens don’t need a structured treatment program but do benefit from individual counseling sessions to deal with specific problems. During counseling, your teen must sign an agreement to abstain from alcohol or drugs for a designated period of time.