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Young people moving from adolescence into adulthood are experiencing an important transitional stage of their life. Many encounter new challenges such as moving away from their families, becoming independent, and learning to handle more complex relationships. Making this transition with mental health issues may lead to an existing issue getting worse or could trigger new problems.
Preparing adolescents and emerging adults for this transition has become more daunting for parents than ever before.
“With so much rapid-fire change in the world, the job of preparing our young people for the future has become increasingly daunting,” wrote education expert Betty Ray in 2019. “The Institute of the Future issued a report in 2017 declaring “that 85 percent of the jobs in 2030—when today’s second-graders will graduate high school—have not been invented yet.”
Many emerging adults struggle with the transition into adulthood and other stressors in their lives. BasePoint BreakThrough is an outpatient treatment program for 18 to 35-year-olds struggling with mental health and substance use disorder (SUD). The program offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and intensive outpatient (IOP) options for young adults.
Two-thirds of young adults with anxiety or depression don’t seek treatment. BasePoint saw a need to bridge the gap for mental health treatment from adolescence to young adulthood, thus, BasePoint BreakThrough was born.
BreakThrough primary therapist Elizabeth Moberg, LCSW, sees a lot of clients who had to drop out of college because of the struggles they are experiencing. “A lot of things that come up in therapy are core values that were established in childhood and the mental frameworks that have been created as a result. There’s a lot of shame and guilt that comes with it, too. Often, they are trying to find your way—sometimes not as fast as others.”
Clients frequently reveal that they struggle with the adjustments and having to come to treatment. Motivation is key for the age group. “They’re not minors any more, parents can’t keep them here,” says Moberg. “They are at BreakThrough on their own accord. They stay here because they want to work on themselves and see progress.”
DUAL DIAGNOSIS
Many patients in the program struggle with multiple issues that need to be addressed concurrently.
“A lot of the times patients are not coming in with just one thing,” confirms Moberg. “A lot of it revolves around co-occurring substance use. We utilize a substance use curriculum where people can break down what has been going on. We explore what started the substance misuse; most of the time, it’s not just substance use, we’re trying to cope from other things that started before the substance use. Unfortunately, a lot of times that starts when kids are eleven or twelve years old and then just keeps escalating. So we see it across all age groups that we work with.”
Struggling with mental health and substance use disorders can create significant roadblocks on the journey to adulthood. “If you’re looking for a job and you’re struggling with anxiety and depression, how can we make your goals fit what you’re looking for when you leave here,” says Moberg. “Our goal is for you to be functioning outside of here, not just acquire a few coping skills and then go on your merry way. We want clients to be able to thrive and succeed once they leave the BreakThrough program.”
EMPOWERMENT
To that end, BreakThrough also uses a novel empowerment curriculum that was developed with the program’s young adult clients in mind. It is an integral part of the BreakThrough “Resiliency Program,” a clinical/medical approach to treatment providing an immersive experience where young adults are taught how to bounce back from life’s biggest challenges. BasePoint BreakThrough is equipping young adults with the capacity to prepare for adversity.
BreakThrough is at the forefront of innovation, delivering therapeutic approaches specifically for younger generations. Our dynamic outpatient program tackles the multifaceted challenges faced by young adults, helping them transition into successful, healthy adulthood.
Recognizing the diverse life circumstances of our clients, BasePoint BreakThrough is committed to providing comprehensive, individualized care. The program addresses the heightened stress levels reported by young adults today. By offering tailored support, BreakThrough aims to empower them toward a future of stability and well-being.
When you call BasePoint BreakThrough, the admission specialist can schedule a complimentary, same-day evaluation from a licensed clinician to determine the appropriate level of care to treat your condition.
