First ever teen addiction recovery program launches in North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — The Village Family Service Center is providing the state’s first-of-its-kind teen addiction recovery program.

“We’ve noticed there’s been a huge need for adolescent substance use in the Fargo-Moorhead area. There hasn’t been a program for several years. So we were able to establish an adolescent IOP program to help our youth in the community,” said  Tonya Sorenson, Clinical Supervisor of First Step Recovery Program at Village Family Service Center.

The Intensive Outpatient Program has recently launched for teens aged 14 to 17 across Fargo, Bismarck, Minot, and Devils Lake. Teens in the group talk in a group setting, focusing on prevention, education, and self-reflection. Families are also invited to work alongside the teen with materials both in the program and at home.

“Adolescents program differently than adults. Their brains are still developing, and they have different needs where they’re at in life, so it was really important to have a program that was specific just for teens to be able to address their substance use,” said Sorenson.

The program was able to launch with the aid of a Health Innovation Grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Caring Foundation. Giving the program a push forward to help teens across the state.

“When the Village brought forth this idea of launching this adolescent intensive outpatient program, we just thought it was a really great opportunity for not only people here in Fargo, but also across the state, with their virtual component to be able to infuse more of those resources to get people the help that they may need,” said Amber Blomberg, Executive Director of the Caring Foundation for BCBSND.

Currently, there is a max of twelve teens who are allowed in the program, with more requesting to be a part of it.

More information about the program is available here.