MEET: DESTINATIONS FOR TEENS:

Treatment center focuses on teens, families

Left, Bob Gabbay, Tayla Hadley, Daniel Samson, Sasha DeCania, and Jonathan Still pose for a photo at Destinations for Teens In Henderson, Nev. on October 24, 2017.

Destinations for Teens

• Address: 9089 S. Pecos Road, Suite 3500, Henderson

• Phone: 877-341-3225 and 702-996-8752

• Email: [email protected]

• Website: destinationsforteens.com

• Hours of operation: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday; intensive outpatient program runs until 6 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday

• Owned/operated by: Daniel Samson

• In business since: 2012 (locally since 2015)

Destinations for Teens, with six treatment centers in California and Nevada, specializes in helping teenagers with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as kids who engage in self-injurious behaviors. It also helps teenagers struggling with addiction and recovery.

Describe your business and programs.

Destinations is dedicated to helping teens and their families through the challenges of adolescence. Our programs are specifically designed for teens who require intense care; we operate two residential programs and four outpatient programs in which teens and their families receive help and guidance.

Who are your customers/patients?

Our expertise is with teens and their families; we also have worked extensively with LGBTQ teens. Although the teen may be the focus, the entire family faces the challenges. To treat families, we need families to be involved. We offer family therapy and multifamily therapy. Families are included in all aspects of treatment, specifically attending family therapy sessions with a member of our clinical team.

What makes your therapies innovative?

Sometimes we offer outside-the-box approaches, like surfing, to challenge fears and teach teens to experience peace and calm while learning new skills. We also offer a trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy called SPARCS (structured psychotherapy for adolescents responding to chronic stress) Systemic Family Therapy. This approach treats teens and their families with kindness and empathy.

What signs and symptoms should parents look for when assessing their child’s need for therapy?

This can be difficult; parents and others may overlook such signs, believing them to be a normal part of puberty. But when adolescents’ behavior changes drastically for no apparent reason — they may be acting withdrawn, frequently tired or depressed, or hostile, for example — it could signal they are developing a drug-related problem.

Other signs include a change in peer group, neglect of grooming, decline in academic performance, missing school, loss of interest in favorite activities, changes in eating or sleeping habits and deteriorating relationships with family and friends.

Following events like the mass shooting on the Strip, are teens more susceptible to post-traumatic stress syndrome?

Our center is receiving more calls from parents and Nevada clinicians looking for therapy beyond the traditional once-a-week individual therapy. We offer three levels of care: outpatient (one to two times per week), intensive outpatient program (two to four days per week, three hours a day after school) and partial hospitalization programming (five days per week including school).

Teens didn’t have to have been at the festival to develop PTSD. They can show symptoms if they had family members or friends there. They might handle internal conflict and emotional pain through aggression, withdrawal, isolation, emotional outbursts, failure to engage with others or neglecting their schoolwork.

Why did you expand to Southern Nevada?

Our company has been growing organically since its inception in 2012. As we expanded programs in Southern California, we began to see an influx of calls from the Las Vegas area from families looking for services. Destinations already had a relationship with a few Las Vegas providers, and they encouraged us to bring our approach here.

What do parents need to know about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and concerns regarding stimulant use and other medication?

ADHD is real; it is overdiagnosed in some cases and underdiagnosed in others. With appropriate medication, therapy and treatment, a child or teenager can really improve attention and focus.

It is important to establish an accurate diagnosis first and rule out other possible causes of behavior issues such as lack of sleep and learning disorders. When monitored properly, stimulant medications can be helpful, but they do have side effects, such as appetite suppression or insomnia. For those who use stimulants but abuse marijuana, there is a higher risk of psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations.

What are the myths about teens and substance abuse?

Many families feel guilty about seeking help for their children. Parents may act as if it’s their fault that their kids are in trouble. But drug addiction and mental health issues are not choices. The idea that drug abuse is a behavioral problem that parents would have discovered if they’d been paying more attention is simply unfounded.

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