RECO VERY. The road to ABRAXAS. ABRAXAS I. begins at CELEBRATING OVER 40 YEARS AT ABRAXAS

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1 ABRAXAS I

2 ABRAXAS I CELEBRATING OVER 40 YEARS AT ABRAXAS Our 90 acre campus sits in the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania, tucked quietly away from what many of our kids are accustomed to. This setting provides a fresh start, from the moment you turn onto our tree lined drive. THE ABRAXAS PHILOSOPHY We are here because there is no refuge finally from ourselves. Until we confront ourselves in the eyes and hearts of others, we are running. Until we suffer them to share our secrets, we have no safety from them. The road to In a safe, nurturing, and structured environment, we empower young men and women to make positive changes in their behavior, their attitude, and their beliefs. We pride ourselves on our holistic approach to treatment as we believe that treating the whole person is essential to produce real and lasting change. Since its inception in 1973 under a contract with the Governor s Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Abraxas I has treated residents in the interrelated areas of substance use/abuse, socialization, education/vocation, family, delinquency, community awareness and victim impact. Although rooted in substance abuse treatment, we continue to expand our service offerings as the needs of our young people continue to increase in complexity. At Abraxas, recovery is not just about sobriety. Recovery is about emotional well-being, intellectual growth, competency development and so much more. The road to recovery begins at ABRAXAS. Afraid to be known, we can know neither ourselves nor any other. We will be alone. Where else but in our common ground can we find such a mirror? Here together, we can at last appear clearly to ourselves, not as the giant of our dreams, nor the dwarf of our fears, but as an individual part of a whole with a share in its purpose. RECO VERY ABRAXAS. begins at In this ground we can each take root and grow. Not alone anymore as in death, but alive to others and ourselves. - author unknown

3 The road to RECOVERY leads to HEALING. Abraxas I is a multi-service campus. We offer five different treatment options in effort to meet each resident s individual needs. For young men ages 13 to 18+ Intensive Drug & Alcohol Treatment for Boys* For young women ages 13 to 18+ Intensive Drug & Alcohol Treatment for Girls* Social Training and Education Program (STEP) Intensive Open Residential Program (IORP) Residential Mental Health Services (PRTF Psychiatric Residential Mental Health Services) *Fully funded by Managed Care for Pennsylvania youth who meet the requirements for this level of treatment (ASAM Level III.1 or III.5) Nourishing Personal Growth and Development Our young men and women participate in a variety of therapeutically structured activities including individual counseling, group counseling, family counseling, clinical study, AA/NA groups, life skills education, recreation and volunteer work in the local community. Abraxas I operates under a trauma-informed care model and utilizes a number of evidence and competency based curricula. Drug and Alcohol Treatment specific curricula Living in Balance The Truth About Drugs Project Alert A Woman s Way through the 12 Steps Other curricula to address residents risk/need as identified through the Youth Level of Service/Case Management Inventory (YLS) Aggression Replacement Training (ART)* Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Girls Circle Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/Thinking Errors SELF Psycho-education Transforming Anger into Personal Power Gun Violence Prevention Gang Prevention/Intervention The Phoenix Curriculum ** Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy*** Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)*** Victim Awareness *Offered in the Intensive Open Residential Program (IORP) and Residential Mental Health Services **Offered in the Intensive Open Residential Program (IORP) ***Offered in Residential Mental Health Services program Young men and women often come to Abraxas with a lack of clarity about how their substance abuse and/or behavior is affecting them, their family and their future. Our clinical programs instill ownership, develop competencies, increase confidence and empower our youth to refocus and take the steps necessary to make changes. Strengthening Family Connections We believe that each resident s family is an extremely valuable piece of the treatment process. Counselors work to engage family members in each resident s recovery from the time of admission. Families are invited to attend/participate in all treatment planning conferences. We encourage on-site family visits which include family sessions led by a counselor. Abraxas I will assist families with transportation to visit with their son or daughter. Both teleconferencing and video conferencing are available if on-site visitation is not possible.

4 The road to RECOVERY leads to ACADEMIC GROWTH. Our students fill the school long before the bell rings almost daily to catch up or to move ahead. They embrace the student-focused, supportive approach of the educational staff who help them achieve their goals every day. The on-site Arlene Lissner Middle/High School is a private school, fully accredited and licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Our school is staffed by certified teachers who are committed to assisting all of the students with their educational needs and goals. Arlene Lissner Middle/High School operates year-round and offers several educational possibilities: MEASURING STUDENT SUCCESS 90% of Abraxas I students increase both their reading and math scores by 2 grade levels during their stay. 92% success rate in students passing the GED while at Abraxas. Nearly all Abraxas I high school students obtain certifications in career development. Students can continue to attend school, accrue credits and transfer those credits back to their home school upon discharge from the program Students can graduate from our school by earning a high school diploma Students can prepare for and take the GED (Abraxas I is a GED testing site) Web based college courses through Butler County Community College Because each student has unique needs and goals, the following educational services are available: Special Education services Credit recovery and credit acceleration using Apex SMART Board technology Mobile computer lab Daily tutoring On-site certified guidance counselors Keystone exams SAT instruction and testing Assistance with completing FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) Testing (for Military entry) In addition to our core course offerings, several electives including art, music and family consumer science are offered. Within family consumer science, students participate in classroom focused instruction in parenting, drivers education and housing and money management. We believe in experiential learning experiences and therefore offer a variety of educational field trips to include trout stocking; Erie and Pittsburgh Zoos; Carnegie Science Center, UPMC Sports Health Complex; college campus tours; Gettysburg Battlefield and local sporting events.

5 The road to RECOVERY leads to ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENT. Athletics not only give young men and women a physical and emotional outlet, but also provide valuable lessons in team work, self-confidence, perseverance and leadership. Our involvement in PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc.) football, track and field, wrestling (boys) and softball (girls) further illustrates our holistic approach to treatment. The interscholastic athletic programs at Abraxas I take on a much different look than at most residential facilities. More than 15 years ago, we started a co-op program with Sheffield Area High School for football. It was, and continues to be a win-win situation. Abraxas provides Sheffield with 20 athletes to boost their participation numbers and Abraxas residents are given the opportunity to play PIAA football. The successful football partnership then led to more opportunities and now includes four sports. The Abraxas I / Sheffield football co-op was featured on Sports Illustrated Underdogs - Inspiring Stories in High School Football. ATHLETIC HONORS FOOTBALL Big 30 All Star AML All Star (Allegheny Mountain League) District IX Player of the Week Warren County Player of the Week District Play-off Team TRACK Northern Tier Champions and place winners Warren County Champions District Qualifiers State Qualifiers State Place Winners WRESTLING District Qualifier District Place Winner Regional Qualifier Warren County Player of the Week In addition to our PIAA teams, Abraxas I provides a number of intramural sports to include basketball, flag football, softball and volleyball. On-site athletic facilities include a regulation size gymnasium, fitness/weight room, hand ball court and baseball field. Other recreational opportunities include biking, canoeing, hiking, geocaching and other school driven experiences.

6 The road to RECOVERY leads to RENEWED SENSE OF COMMUNITY. All kids become a part of the Abraxas I community the moment they step foot on campus. Our trauma informed care treatment approach, utilizing The Sanctuary Model, emphasizes the importance of community principles in an effort to promote a healing culture. We promote, and through Sanctuary residents commit to a culture of non-violence, emotional intelligence, social learning, democracy, open communication, social responsibility, and growth & change. Each day begins and ends with a community meeting in every dorm to share information, make decisions and offer feedback. Within each individual dormitory community, residents have the opportunity to be selected as leaders by their peers and dorm staff to serve on the Youth Advisory Committee. Youth on this committee represent their fellow peers at administrative meetings and work in conjunction with facility management to continue to enhance the Abraxas I community. Community Service We believe that all young men and women who come to Abraxas I can benefit from giving back to the community at large. Therefore we partner with a number of local organizations and offer a wide array of community service activities. Through our community service program some residents have had the opportunity to speak at local schools which has proved to be an especially powerful experience. Restitution Opportunities In addition to community service, many young men and women owe restitution to their victims and/or court costs and fines. We offer a restitution program that promotes accountability and competency development in which youth are paid a stipend for the work they complete.

7 The road to RECOVERY leads to ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES. A world of opportunity awaits both at Abraxas I and beyond. We believe it is our responsibility to introduce our students to a variety of vocational options. In doing so, we increase awareness, develop basic skills and promote real world learning. In addition to all of our on-grounds opportunities, our unique partnership with the Venango Training and Development Center provides our young men and women with hands on experience learning and performing various skills. Career and Technical Education Culinary Arts Horticulture Building Trades Digital Media Adobe Software Computer Information Science Students can earn certifications in the following areas: OSHA 10 First Aid/CPR ServSafe Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word Virtual Welding Module Flagger ed2go on-line career training and certifications ALISON on-line certification courses for over 120 different careers Saylor on-line combination of career training and college credits Work Readiness Program As part of the Work Force Development Program which also includes our Restitution Program, the Work Readiness Program provides "hands on" experience with an emphasis placed on job training, volunteer work, and employment readiness. Through the Work Readiness Program, students can earn a stipend for the work they complete. High school students can participate in the Work Readiness Program both on and off grounds typically in the evenings and on the weekends. Students who come to Abraxas I with a GED will attend school for half the day and participate in Work Readiness the rest of the day. Students who have obtained their high school diploma are eligible for full time participation in the Work Readiness Program. Higher Education Through a partnership with Butler County Community College, students can take web based courses while at Abraxas.

8 OPPORTUN ITIES AWAIT at ABRAXAS I.

9 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Abraxas I P.O. Box Abraxas Road Marienville, PA info@abraxasyfs.com Abraxas I is licensed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, Bureau of Human Services Licensing. The Drug and Alcohol Treatment Programs are licensed by the Department of Health, Division of Drug and Alcohol Program Licensure (DDAPL). The Residential Mental Health Services Unit (PRTF) is licensed by the Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Abraxas I is Joint Commission accredited and partnering with the Sanctuary Institute for clinical and organizational change.