Phoenix House Academy San Diego – Descanso
23981 Sherilton Valley Road
Descanso, CA 91916-0370
Tel.: 619-445-0405
Program Director
Elizabeth Urquhart, M.Ed.
Tel. 619-445-0405 x.4654
EUrquhart@phoenixhouse.org
Admissions
Annette Vaughan
Tel. 619-445-0405 x.4671
AVaughan@phoenixhouse.org
Phoenix House Academy San Diego is a 40-bed residential community for adolescents with substance abuse and co-occurring mental health disorders. The facility is located in the community of Descanso, in a beautiful natural environment of interior Southern California, amidst oak groves, horse ranches, and hills teeming with wildlife. The Cleveland National Forest and the Cuyamaca Rancho State Park are nearby and the Academy is about a 50 minute drive from San Diego. The name “Descanso” in Spanish means “a place of rest” and the tranquil milieu of the scenic facilities is conducive to self-reflection – the foundation for successful substance abuse treatment. The campus consists of a network of buildings connected by pathways and including dorm cabins, classrooms, community rooms, library, dining hall, and sports facilities.
The program is based on the Phoenix Academy Modified Therapeutic Community for Adolescents model, recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as an evidence-based practice and included in its National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. In this model, the Therapeutic Community (TC) methodology is implemented along with evidence based practices such as Motivational Interviewing, strength-based family services, intensive case management, and individualized mental health services. The purpose of the program is to stabilize and improve the emotional and behavioral functioning of each adolescent, create opportunities for growth and development, and prepare each adolescent to reintegrate with family and community support systems.
The (TC) treatment model involves participants in a rehabilitative community life which fosters behavioral change, incremental pro-social learning and development, responsibility and an understanding of the factors that support and trigger dysfunction in their lives. Adolescents living together in a structured, safe environment with a common purpose make up the community. In Phoenix Academy San Diego, adolescents participate in a substance abuse treatment and recovery program, while receiving mental health and family-focused services.
The TC utilizes community life, individual, group and family counseling to help the adolescent focus on the social system and positive options for their individual growth and development. The individual assessment, treatment planning, group process, counseling, self-help, study, special projects, seminars, tutorials, activities supporting the living environment, participation in school, recreation and family therapy represent an integrated array of therapeutic components.
The TC provides the individual with the experience of family relationships, responsibilities, duties, and benefits. Many adolescents with severe substance abuse problems come from AOD dependent families – a major reason for their placement. Phoenix House provides the opportunity for structured and intensive interventions for their parents.
Phoenix House Academy San Diego provides a broad range of support services to each adolescent to assist in reintegration with their family and community at large. Educational, vocational and legal needs are identified and support services provided and coordinated through case management. These include mental health services, medication management, medical and dental care and referral, legal services and referral, career development, vocational training counseling, employment referral and placement, financial counseling, basic and remedial education as well as social skills development in the areas of recreational, cultural and social opportunities.
The success of Phoenix House Academy programs may be measured through their positive evaluations by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). A link to a SANDAG report in pdf format is below:
Click below to learn more about Phoenix House Academy San Diego:
Goals and Objectives
Admission Criteria and Payment Options
Treatment Activities and Educational Services